Team Deakins

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 190 - Steve Ramsey - Gaffer
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with gaffer Steve Ramsey (THE BRIDE!, WEST SIDE STORY, JOKER). We worked with Steve on THE GOLDFINCH, and we had a great time catching up with him. During our conversation, we discuss what a gaffer actually does, what his or her responsibilities can be, and how Steve adjusts his process to work with cinematographers ranging from Janusz Kamiński to Vittorio Storaro—and us! Steve also grants us insight into working on the sets of several Steven Spielberg films, and he shares how he and the film's cinematographer will prepare a scene to give room for Steven to follow his instincts. We also reflect on the rise of LEDs, and we discuss a few instances in which classic tungsten lights and gels solved a problem on the day. At the end of the episode, Steve gives his advice for anyone interested in a career as a gaffer, and we reflect on the job's non-descriptive title.
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Recommended Viewing: WEST SIDE STORY (2021)
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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 187 - John Hillcoat - Director
In this extended episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director John Hillcoat (GEORGE & TAMMY, THE ROAD, THE PROPOSITION). Violence is often at the center of John's films, and we spend much of our conversation with him discussing its portrayal in his work, its ubiquity in the real world, and his fascination with its aftermath and consequences. Later, during our discussion of THE PROPOSITION, John reveals the source of inspiration for the project, how the film lost and then found financing, and why they shot it in the Australian Outback in the middle of the summer. John also relives the nightmare of fighting the Weinsteins over the cut of THE ROAD, and we learn how shooting the film in-camera protected it from outside meddling. Towards the end of our conversation, John describes the differences between working in television versus film, and he shares how he tried to use cinematic language within the limited series GEORGE & TAMMY. John also shares how he got his start shooting music videos in his home country of Australia, and we learn about his enduring quest to finally make the BLOOD MERIDIAN movie.
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This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Picture Shop

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 186 - Peter Bradshaw - Film Critic
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with Peter Bradshaw, the film critic at The Guardian. We normally talk about making movies with our guests, but with Peter, we talk about watching and reviewing them instead. We learn how Peter became a film critic after being successfully sued by conservative MP Alan Clark for satire, and he shares how he thinks about criticism in general. Peter reflects on the learning curve of becoming a film critic, and we discuss how his job has changed with the proliferation of social media. Later, Peter shares how he balances the subjectivity of his own personal point-of-view of a film with the objective facts surrounding it in his reviews, and we learn which movies Peter realized, years later, he was wrong about. Peter also makes the case of cinema's competitiveness in modern life, and he shares which movies he watched growing up that sparked his love and appreciation for the movies. Plus, we reflect on living in a world where everything and everyone gets reviewed.
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This episode is sponsored by Picture Shop & Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 185 - Malgosia Turzanska - Costume Designer
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with costume designer Malgosia Turzanska (HAMNET, PEARL, AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS). Malgosia's life in film began after seeking refuge from a chemistry exam in a movie theater, and, with an assist from her friend, she soon found herself helping director Agnieszka Holland (Season 1, Episode 144) on JANOSIK. Throughout the episode, Malgosia uses specific experiences from the films she's worked on to discuss her design process. During our discussion of HAMNET, Malgoisa reflects on collaborating with her fellow countryman and cinematographer Lukasz Zal (Season 2, Episode 102), and she reveals the character details she focused on during the development of the costumes for Agnes and William Shakespeare, played by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal (Season 2, Episode 44). She later discusses how she works with actors in the fitting room, and she shares how they all might put their heads together to find the character. Plus, Malgosia reveals how cold emailing director David Lowery (Season 2, Episode 60) led to her working on AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS early in her career.
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Recommended Viewing: HAMNET
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This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Picture Shop

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 184 - Fiona Crombie - Production Designer
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Fiona Crombie (HAMNET, THE FAVOURITE, SNOWTOWN). Despite being raised on her father's film sets in Australia, Fiona didn't enter the family business until she dropped out of law school. Throughout our conversation, we discuss Fiona's general design process, her strategies for making the most of the given resources on a film, her typical day-to-day schedule during production, and how she communicates with her fellow filmmakers. Having worked on many period films, Fiona shares with us how she balances the realities of the budget with the intended vision of a film, and she reveals how she and the crew on MACBETH justified the choices they had to make under strict limitations. Fiona later reflects on working under close watch at Hatfield House on THE FAVOURITE, and she discusses collaborating with cinematographer Robbie Ryan (Season 1, Episode 148) and living a production designer's dream: seeing the whole set in a single shot. We also discuss Fiona's work in HAMNET, and she reveals the key piece of direction she received from director Chloé Zhao that unlocked the design of the film's version of The Globe Theatre. Plus, we learn what it's like to make a movie while pregnant.
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This episode is sponsored by Picture Shop & Aputure