The Filmmakers Podcast - podcast cover

The Filmmakers Podcast

Giles Aldersonthefilmmakerspodcast.com
A podcast about how to make film and TV by filmmakers who actually make them. Interviewing guests from the film-making world from Indie film to Hollywood and everything in between. Hosts Giles Alderson (The Dare), Dom Lenoir (Winter Ridge) Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar (Wolves of War), Tori & Matthew Butler-Hart (Two Down), Phil Hawkins (Prancer: A Christmas Tale), Stephen Follows (Film Data Analyst), Christian James (Fanged Up), Andy Rodger (Three Day Millionaire) and many others explore the world behind-the-scenes of making films and TV, talking to the actors, writers, directors and producers who make them!

Episodes

Business of Film: Cannes, Festivals, Indie Films, AI and Trumps' Tarrifs. Join Giles Alderson, Enfys Dickinson, Dom Lenoir and Stephen Follows for this SPECIAL Ep

Our brand new Business of Film SPECIAL: Join Enfys Dickinson, Dom Lenoir, Stephen Follows and Giles Alderson, as we talk Cannes, Festivals, Indie Films, AI and What Makes an American Film. Plus we do the QUIZ! On this special MASSIVE BUMPER episode we are joined by the wonderful Stephen Follows who's website stephenfollows.com is a must read by an indie filmmaker. PLUS we are also joined by the wonderful Enfys Dickinson who has more than 250 productions under her belt incl: HIGH FIDELITY, CHOCOL...

May 26, 20252 hr 4 min

Waypoint Entertainment's Ken Kao on Producing Hollywood Movies with Ryan Gosling from The Favourite to The Nice Guys

This week, Giles Alderson is absolutely thrilled to be joined by one of the most influential and respected producers in independent cinema today: the visionary Ken Kao! As the co-founder and President of Waypoint Entertainment, Ken Kao has been the driving force behind an incredible slate of diverse and thought-provoking films and has recently formed a strategic partnership with the acclaimed distributor Neon. Ken has produced a dozen feature films, with an impressive filmography that includes w...

May 21, 20251 hr 6 min

How to Sell and Distribute Your Film with The Exchange's Sales Agent Itzchak Maghen

This week we are joined by Sales Agent Itzchak Maghen! Itzchak has works on indie gems to studio movies including THE ABSENCE OF EDEN starring Zoë Saldana and Adria Arjona, DREAMIN' WILD with Casey Affleck and Zooey Deschanel, THE CUT featuring Orlando Bloom and John Turturro, and MASERATI: THE BROTHERS with Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Alba. He talks to Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir about why he picks projects, what filmmakers should do when speaking to sales agents. They also talk: Does your proje...

May 12, 20251 hr 28 min

Rosie Fellner & Ross Clarke on Indie Filmmaking, Financing, Sales & Cinema Distribution of their produced feature The Uninvited.

Joining us this week are Feature film producers Rosie Fellner & Ross Clarke to chat to Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir on their latest indie feature starring Walton Goggins, Elizabeth Reaser, Lois Smith and Pedro Pascal. Directed by Nadia Connors. They talk the intricacies and difficulties of Indie Film-making. Financing a feature film. What comes first, cast or money? Being a parent while trying to create movies. Sales & Cinema Distribution of their produced feature The Uninvited. The Uninvited i...

May 05, 20251 hr 7 min

Making an indie feature on a shoe string budget with Mitchell Tolliday, Lauren Cornelius and Neil Rickatson on Murder Ballads

Making an indie feature on a shoe string budget and getting it released around the world with today's guests director, writer and producer Mitchell Tolliday, producer and actress Lauren Cornelius and producer and writer Neil Rickatson on Murder Ballads: How to Make it in Rock and Roll. Host Giles Alderson talks with Mitchell, Lauren and Neil about how they made 'Murder Ballads', how they went from Short to Feature. How their raised finance and Crowdfunded the movie. How 'issues' on set can creat...

Apr 28, 20251 hr 41 min

Gareth Evans - 'Havoc', 'The Raid' and 'Gangs of London' Director and writer on his process

Gareth Evans - 'Havoc', 'The Raid' and 'Gangs of London' Director and writer on his process. Welcome back to The Filmmakers Podcast, where we delve deep into the world of cinema with the artists who bring unforgettable stories to the screen. This week, your host, Giles Alderson, is beyond excited to welcome a true master of action and suspense, the phenomenal director Gareth Evans! Gareth Evans isn't just a director; he's a cinematic force. He exploded onto the global stage with his groundbreaki...

Apr 21, 202545 min

'The Amateur': Shooting an Action Thriller around the world with director James Hawes & actress Caitríona Balfe

Today on the show, we’re joined by the brilliant James Hawes - director of Slow Horses, Black Mirror, and One Life - alongside the wonderfully talented Caitríona Balfe, acclaimed for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Outlander and her standout role in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. They each sat down with host Dom Lenoir to dive into their latest feature film, The Amateur (2025), an edge-of-your-seat espionage thriller starring Rami Malek, Jon Bernthal, and Rachel Brosnahan. In this wide-ran...

Apr 14, 20251 hr 3 minEp. 449

Natalie Dormer & Ami Mann on making the indie feature 'Audrey's Children'

She's an actress who commands the screen with her intelligence, intensity, and undeniable presence, bringing complex characters to life with remarkable depth. Please welcome the incredibly talented Natalie Dormer! Known for her unforgettable roles as the cunning Anne Boleyn in "The Tudors," the politically astute Margaery Tyrell in "Game of Thrones," the rebellious Cressida in "The Hunger Games" franchise, and her captivating performances in films like "Picnic at Hanging Rock," "The Professor an...

Apr 07, 20251 hr 17 minEp. 448

Making successful Comedy Features in 2025 with "You're Cordially Invited" & "Back in Action" writer-directors Nicholas Stoller & Seth Gordon

On today’s special episode, we welcome not one but two incredible guests to the show: Nicholas Stoller, writer-director of the comedy film You're Cordially Invited (2025), starring Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, and Seth Gordon, writer-director of the action-comedy Back in Action (2025), starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz. They each sat down individually with Dom Lenoir to chat about their movies, including: Writing and directing a successful comedy The actor-director collaboration on a c...

Mar 31, 20251 hr 18 minEp. 447

Companion: Crafting a smart genre blend with Writer-Director Drew Hancock & Editors Brett W. Bachman & Josh Ethier

Today, we welcome the brilliant creative team behind the highly entertaining and thought-provoking feature film Companion (2025): writer-director Drew Hancock and editors Brett W. Bachman & Josh Ethier. They sat down with our hosts, Giles Alderson & Dom Lenoir, for a fantastic conversation about the filmmaking process - diving deep into: How the script evolved from idea to screen Finding one’s unique voice as a filmmaker The challenges and rewards of directing a debut feature Mastering the delic...

Mar 25, 20251 hr 39 minEp. 446

ADOLESCENCE: Creating the new Netflix One-Take hit series with actors Stephen Graham & Erin Doherty, director Philip Barantini & writer Jack Thorne

On today’s episode, our primo host Dom Lenoir sits down with the team behind Netflix’s latest hit, Adolescence – a groundbreaking mini-series where every episode is shot in a single take. It’s an incredible achievement from the entire cast and crew, and we couldn’t wait to find out how they pulled it off. Joining us for this fascinating conversation are: Stephen Graham & Erin Doherty (actors) Philip Barantini (Director) Jack Thorne (Writer) Together, they dive into: How Stephen, Jack, and Philip...

Mar 18, 20251 hr 20 minEp. 445

'Casino Royal', 'The Legend of Zorro' director Martin Campbell on how to shoot big budget action films and his latest 'Cleaner’

We had the distinct privilege of sitting down with the legendary director Martin Campbell for an exclusive, in-depth conversation about his remarkable career. Martin Campbell's filmography speaks for itself. He's the director who not only breathed new life into the James Bond franchise with the explosive "Golden Eye," but also delivered the critically acclaimed and emotionally resonant "Casino Royale," introducing Daniel Craig as 007. He gave us the thrilling "The Mask of Zorro," the politically...

Mar 11, 20251 hr 12 minEp. 444

Food For Thought: Why make a passion project documentary and give it away for FREE with Giles Alderson & Dan Richardson

Today’s episode is a special one! First for all, the brilliant Phil Hawkins takes the reins as our host. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, the one and only Giles Alderson finally joins us to present his brand-new film! Alongside his longtime friend and co-director/-producer/-writer, Dan Richardson, he’s celebrating the release of their powerful and thought-provoking documentary, Food For Thought. What began as a simple idea (years ago) has grown into a phenomenal feature-length film - one that...

Mar 04, 20251 hr 4 minEp. 443

Small Things Like These & Peaky Blinders Director Tim Mielants on collaborating with Cillian Murphy and making movie and TV magic

Joining is today is acclaimed director Tim Mielants. Tim's career has been a captivating blend of genres and styles, from his work on the visually stunning and mind-bending series "Legion" to his contributions to the historical drama "Peaky Blinders," where he directed Cillian Murphy as the iconic Tommy Shelby. Now, he brings his unique vision to "Small Things Like These," a powerful film exploring themes of faith, family, and community in 1980s Ireland. Tim talks with Dom Lenoir about collabora...

Feb 25, 202557 min

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy director Michael Morris on Bridget, Tone and Making TV and Film

Welcome back to The Filmmakers Podcast! This week, we're revisiting a beloved character and diving headfirst into the world of Bridget Jones, but with a modern twist! We're joined by the talented director who brought us "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," Michael Morris! Michael's career has been a fascinating journey through the worlds of film and television. He's directed episodes of critically acclaimed shows like "Better Call Saul," "Bloodline," "Halt and Catch Fire," "13 Reasons Why," and m...

Feb 18, 202555 min

MAKING OF 'September 5' cast & writer-director SPECIAL with Peter Sarsgaard, Leonie Benesch, Ben Chaplin, John Magaro & Tim Fehlbaum

On today's epic episode, host Dom Lenoir sits down multiple times with the team behind the Oscar-nominated film September 5. He speaks with writer-director Tim Fehlbaum and cast members Peter Sarsgaard, Leonie Benesch, John Magaro, and Ben Chaplin. Together, they dive deep into the making of September 5, discussing the brilliance of the script developing the character the actor-director collaboration creating authenticity good & bad notes from directors and so much more! Enjoy the episode! SEPTE...

Feb 11, 20251 hr 30 minEp. 440

Zoë Saldaña, ‘Emilia Pérez’, Juliette Welfling and Oscar-longlisted short film ‘Dovecote’ dir Marco Perego

On today's show, host Dom Lenoir sat down for two conversations with three guests. First, he chatted with the one and only Zoë Saldaña and Marco Perego all about how they made their new Oscar-longlisted short film Dovecote (2024). And then, Dom discussed how Emilia Pérez (2024) came about and what the editing process was like with Oscar-nominated editor Juliette Welfling. Epic! All this is coming up for you. Enjoy! EMILIA PÉREZ is out in cinemas NOW | Trailer Emilia Pérez follows four remarkable...

Feb 04, 20251 hr 10 minEp. 439

Guy Pearce on Acting, On set tips, Working with Directors and 'The Brutalist'

The wonderful actor Guy Pearce joins us this week to talk acting and his new feature film The Brutalist. Already nominated for a BAFTA and an OSCAR for Best Supporting Actor, Giles Alderson sat down with the aforementioned nominated Guy Pearce to chat working with inspirational directors, how he creates his roles and what sparks choices in him as an Actor. Plus Guy discusses: Reading Memento for the first time, Why scripts appeal to him and why he loves rehearsals. We chat about his audition for...

Jan 30, 202541 minEp. 438

The Brutalist writer-director Brady Corbet & production designer Judy Becker on making an Oscar-nominated epic

This is the first of two episodes of our chats centred around the Oscar-nominated epic The Brutalist. First, Dom Lenoir sits down with writer-director Brady Corbet. Starting out as an actor, he seamlessly transitioned into a highly successful career behind the camera. Some of his acclaimed works include The Childhood of a Leader (2015) and Vox Lux (2018). Today, he talks all about: Writing and directing The Brutalist Putting the cast together Storyboarding and rehearsals The challenges of making...

Jan 28, 20251 hr 22 minEp. 437

From 'Director Jail' to Blockbuster Movies with Nick Hamm, director & writer of William Tell, White Lines and The Hole

He launched the career of Keira Knightley with the cult classic thriller The Hole. He explored the complexities of Northern Ireland in The Journey. He took us on a wild ride with the crime drama Driven, and unraveled a sun-drenched mystery in White Lines. Now, Nick Hamm takes aim at a timeless legend with his latest film, William Tell. Join Giles Alderson as we sit down with the acclaimed filmmaker, Nick Hamm. We'll delve into his diverse career, from his early days in theater with the Royal Sha...

Jan 21, 202553 min

From Editing to Making Amazon Prime Directorial Debut with 'Unstoppable' director William Goldenberg

Renowned editor William Goldenberg (Argo, Transformers, Air, Zero Dark Thirty, The Imitation Game) joins us talk making his directorial debut, the Jennifer Lopez starring Unstoppable! William chats with Dom Lenoir about working with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, creating long term relationships in the film industry. Editing and working with Michael Mann on Heat. Talks the process of cutting, mood and tone of his film. Directing ad working with Jennifer Lopez. and making a real life true story spor...

Jan 14, 202558 min

Coralie Fargeat on making The Substance - A body horror psychological thriller starring Demi Moore and Margret Qualley.

We are delighted to welcome on director and writer Coralie Fargeat. The award winning director of Revenge joins us to chat about her latest feature, the much hyped The Substance. The Substance stars Demi Moore, who won the Golden Globe best actress award this week, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid and is a stunning sophomore feature from Coralie. A truly award winning film that is remarkable achievement. Coralie chats to us about how she got the film made: Why it s 'Never Give up' kind of busin...

Jan 07, 20251 hr 17 min

Showrunning, Directing and writing on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with Jon Watts and Christopher Ford

Skeleton Crew showrunners Christopher Ford & Jon Watts chat with Dom Lenoir about their ace 'Goonies in Space' Star Wars spin off series. They chat how they pitched the series, working on a Star Wars show and getting the tone right. Phil Hawkins joins Giles Alderson and Dom for the intro and outro as they discuss the topics on today's show, working with,casting and directing children and the Film Term of the Week. Skeleton Crew now on DISNEY + WATCH our interview with Jon and Christopher here ht...

Dec 31, 20241 hr 4 min

FILMMAKING QUIZ 2024, XMAS Special with hosts Giles Alderson, Phil Hawkins, Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar, Andrew Rodger and Stephen Follows!

Join us as your hosts of 2024 compete in the annual Christmas QUIZ. Who will be victorious? Who will take the filmmaking quiz crown from Dom Lenoir,which actual guest was the most played episode of the year in our top 9 rundown, what do we expect for 2025, why has Giles' voice gone and why does Phil get two answers? Find out this and more on this last episode of 2024! Thank you all for listening to the podcast this year. If you like any guest episodes mentioned go to www.thefilmmakerspodcast.com...

Dec 30, 20241 hr 34 min

Tyler Perry and Nicole Avant on making 'The Six Triple Eight' for Netflix

The incredible one man studio Tyler Perry joins us to chat about The Six Triple Eight his latest written and directed feature film as well as his inspiration producer Nicole Avant!! Tyler and Nicole sit with Giles Alderson about how they made their true story WW2 epic. They discuss: Finding ideas and sizzle reels. Pitching to studios and not waiting for anyone to tell you that you can't. How Nicole pitched the idea, inspiration and Netflix. Directing, Producing movies, Quincy Jones and Ted Seran...

Dec 20, 202444 min

A24's HERETIC writers & directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods on crafting a modern day masterpiece

Hello and welcome! This show’s guests: the writer-director duo Scott Beck & Bryan Woods. You might know them from movies like A Quiet Place (2018) or The Boogeyman (2023). Today, however, they’re here to talk about their latest film, Heretic (2024), starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East. In their honest conversation with hosts Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir, they discuss the challenges of directing Heretic working with Hugh Grant & A24 how the edit can shape a movie the importance ...

Dec 17, 20241 hr 28 minEp. 430

Sarah Brocklehurst on financing and producing The Outrun starring Saoirse Ronan

Ace Producer Sarah Brocklehurst (Black Pond, Animals) chats with Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir about how she made her latest feature 'The Outrun' which stars and was also produced by Saoirse Ronan. We talk who she got the rights to the book. How a letter can work and why tenacity is key. How Saoirse came on board and became a producer along with Jack Lowden. How she raised the finance. And how they braved the elements to make The Outrun in Orkney, Scotland. The Outrun has made over £2M at the bo...

Dec 10, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 429

Richard Linklater & Glen Powell on hit movie 'Hit Man'

The brilliant filmmaker Richard Linklater (Boyhood) and the uber talented Glen Powell (Any One But You) joins us to chat about their brilliant comedy movie Hit Man! Richard Linklater and Glen Powell discuss how the movie came about. Why they wrote it together on spec and how they made it with Giles Alderson & Dom Lenoir. From his debut feature "It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books" – a film he made with almost no budget, Richard Linklater kick started his career. Shot on Super 8, an...

Dec 03, 202448 min

'Joy' and 'Sex Education' director and Exec Ben Taylor on making a NETFLIX feature and hit TV Show.

Sex Education director and exec producer Ben Taylor joins us to chat making his feature film Joy starring Thomasin Mackenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy. He discussed casting, working with incredible actors, pitching and the difference between TV and Film with Dom Lenoir Joy is OUT NOW on NETFLIX WATCH our interview with Wicked director Jon M Chu on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEKxXs8F2A PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, onset water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. h...

Nov 26, 202455 min

Jon M Chu director of Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights.

The wonderful director Jon M Chu joins Giles Alderson to talk directing WICKED! The director of Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights, Step Up 3D discusses how he pitched for the film, what he wanted to do with colour, tone and the edit and making Wicked! Wicked is OUT in cinemas NOW! WATCH our interview with Jon M Chu on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEKxXs8F2A PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, onset water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. https://my-store-11604768.creator-...

Nov 21, 202428 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast