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!
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Episodes

Can you make an Indie Horror Feature with a Crew of Four? Join Leroy Kincaide & Chloe Chudasma to talk award winning “The Last Rite”

Today, we welcome the brilliant team behind the new indie horror feature film, The Last Rite (2021), writer/director Leroy Kincaide & producer Chloe Chudasama . They chat with our host, Giles Alderson , about how their debut feature film came about, what it’s like to work as a couple, budgeting, location, and collaborating with lens companies. Leroy also talks about his shooting process, what it’s like working in a crew of four, storyboarding, directing actors, and the importance of being me...

Apr 04, 20221 hr 5 minEp. 270

Much Ado about making Feature Films with the Shakespeare Sisters

In this week’s episode, we welcome back the amazing Shakespeare Sisters, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare & Hillary Shakespeare . They chat with our hosts, Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir , all about what’s happened in their filmmaking careers since the last time they had been on the podcast (in the sweet summer of 2019). They talk all about the cinema & festival run of their films Soundtrack to Sixteen (2020) & Much Ado (2022) and what they have learned from it, how to network, and the task...

Mar 28, 20221 hrEp. 269

Financing & Producing 5 Feature Films in 5 years incl. Anna & The Apocalypse, The Kindred and Followers with Tracy Jarvis & Steve Jarvis

On today’s show, we welcome the producer couple Tracy Jarvis & Steve Jarvis . Their credits include the BAFTA-nominated Anna & the Apocalypse (2017), A Christmas Gift from Bob (2020), The Kindred (2021), Followers (2021) & A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2022). With our host Giles Alderson , they not only chatted about why they decided to become filmmakers when they both had “normal” jobs, but also about what it was like to produce their first feature film and the difficulties of that. Th...

Mar 22, 20221 hr 16 minEp. 268

From Short to Feature – LIVE from Kino with Jennifer Sheridan, Giles Alderson and Dustin Curtis Murphy

Today, we have another special episode for you. Giles swapped places with Dustin Curtis Murphy , the festival director of Kino Short Film, who interviewed him live at a Kino event. They are joined by director Jennifer Sheridan , who is known for her film Rose (2020) and the TV shows Rules of the Game (2022) & The Snow Spider (2020). Dustin interviews Jennifer & Giles about their journey as a director, their stories behind their first feature films, how they raised the money and how they ...

Mar 15, 20221 hr 19 minEp. 267

Masterclass on VFX; Directing, Mental Health, and the Making of 'The Wanting Mare' with writer/director Nicholas Ashe Bateman

On today’s show, we welcome the incredible writer-director- actor -VFX Nicholas Ashe Bateman to talk about his debut film, The Wanting Mare! His VFX credits include films such as A24’s The Green Knight (2021), Breaking Bread (2020), Free Solo (2018), and many more. He chatted with our hosts Giles Alderson & Dom Lenoir about how he got started in this crazy business, how he got into VFX, dodgy producers, and how he made his first short films. He also talks about mental health, how he pushed t...

Mar 08, 20221 hr 19 minEp. 266

Producing & Writing a true story with Nicky Bentham, Richard Bean & Clive Coleman

Today on the show, we have the fantastic team behind The Duke, producer Nicky Bentham and the screenwriting duo Richard Bean & Clive Coleman . The Duke is directed by the late Roger Michell , who sadly passed away last year, starring Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Heather Craney, Stephen Rashbrook and many more. Nicky chatted with our host Dom Lenoir about her journey into producing, developing a script that is based on a true story, finding the right cast and what it’s like to produce a big f...

Mar 01, 20221 hrEp. 265

Peter Dinklage & Kelvin Harrison Jr. on Acting, Directors and their latest film Cyrano

Today, we have the second part of our Cyrano (2022) interviews, featuring Peter Dinklage and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Kelvin is known for The Trial of The Chicago 7 (2020), Waves (2019), Godfather of Harlem (2019), and It Comes at Night (2017) to name a few. He talks with our hosts Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir about how he prepares for a role, finding characters, blocking, what he looks for in a role and working with Joe Wright, the director of Cyrano. Peter is obviously known for playing one of the...

Feb 22, 202248 minEp. 264

How to make a Netflix Hit with Blood Red Sky producer Benjamin Munz

Joining the show today is the producer of Blood Red Sky (2021), the most popular non-English speaking film on Netflix, Benjamin Munz . He is also known for films such as Polar (2019), Stung (2015), and the short film The Night Father Christmas Died, which was nominated for a Student Oscars. Ben talks with our hosts Giles Alderson & Tobias Vees all about his filmmaking journey: How he started out in Germany where hardly anyone was interested in making films, how he slowly transitioned into pa...

Feb 15, 20221 hr 3 minEp. 263

Sir Ian McKellen on Acting in Film & Theatre, Producing, Directors & his Career

Today is the day, dear listener. Our hosts Giles Alderson , Tori Butler-Hart and Matt Butler-Hart welcome the one and only Sir Ian McKellen to the show. Yes, THE Ian McKellen. You probably know him from films like The Lord of the Rings series, the X-Men series, Mr Holmes (2015), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Infinitum: Subject Unknown (2021) by Matt & Tori, and many, many more. Giles, Tori and Matt sat down with Sir Ian at his wonderful home to dive deep into his long acting career: Ian talks ab...

Feb 08, 202256 minEp. 262

How to make a one location thriller with writer/director David Beton, Producer Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar and DoP Andrew Rodger

Today on the show, our hosts Giles Alderson , Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar & Andrew Rodger welcome the brilliant writer-director David Beton , who’s known for films and TV shows like I am Soldier (2014), The Hatton Garden Job (2017), and EastEnders (2021), to talk about their latest feature film Confession (2022), which is out now! David, Lucinda and Andrew dive deep into the making of Confession: David talks about writing exposition, POV, tone, and the difference between writing a big film vs wri...

Feb 01, 20221 hr 15 minEp. 261

How to make a critically acclaimed debut feature with Lauren Hadaway writer/director of The Novice

On today’s show, Giles Alderson welcomes writer-director Lauren Hadaway to chat about her brilliant feature debut, The Novice (2021), starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone and many more. They dive deep into her filmmaking career: How she got started in sound as a supervising ADR editor and dialogue editor, working on films like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015), Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (2014) or Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) to name a few. Lauren also talks about how...

Jan 25, 20221 hr 11 minEp. 260

Making meaningful Films based on True Events with David Midell & Enrico Natale - The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain:

Today on the show, Giles Alderson and fellow host Dom Lenoir welcome the team behind the incredible and hugely important film The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain that is based on the true story of the events leading up to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.: Writer-director-producer David Midell and actor-producer Enrico Natale . They dive deep into the making of their feature film: How they found the story, how they reached out not only to the Kenneth Chamberlain’s family but also to the police...

Jan 18, 20221 hr 3 minEp. 259

JOE WRIGHT on Directing Cyrano (starring Peter Dinklage) and with Screenwriter Erica Schmidt

Today, Giles Alderson and co-host Dom Lenoir welcome not one but two amazing guests to this very special episode. First, they talk to the one and only Joe Wright ! Yes, that’s right, Joe Wright, the director of films such as Pride & Prejudice (2005), Hanna (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), Darkest Hour (2017), and The Woman in the Window (2021). But today he’s here to talk about his latest film, Cyrano, starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and many more. He talks about how...

Jan 11, 202252 minEp. 258

How to Make your Movie LIVE from AFM with Gemma Hurley, Jed Shepherd, Ian Sharp & Giles Alderson

Welcome to 2022, dear listener out there! We hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve! Join us today for our LIVE recording from AFM: Giles Alderson and co-host Ian Sharp chatted with the brilliant writer-producer Gemma Hurley & the fantastic writer-director-producer, Jed Shepherd. You might know them from the horror-hit of 2020, Host. Both of them have been on the podcast before, but today they talk all about how a movie actually comes about. Where do good ideas come from? They discuss the d...

Jan 04, 20221 hr 17 minEp. 257

The Writer-Director-Producer collaboration with Luke Bailey, Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar & Ben Mole, the Team behind Krays: Code of Silence

Today on the show, Giles Alderson welcomes the fantastic team behind Krays – Code of Silence (2021), produced by our co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar , director Ben Mole & screenwriter Luke Bailey. Together, they dive deep into the making of the feature film about the Krays and give an honest look at the writer-director-producer relationship and its dynamic in the different stages of production. Luke talks all about his writing process, how he worked with Ben, why writing a treatment is import...

Dec 28, 20211 hr 17 minEp. 256

Filmmaking Film Quiz & looking back on 2021 with The Filmmaker’s Podcast Hosts

It’s Christmas! That’s why we have another special episode for you! Our Christmas present for you, so to speak, lovely listener. Take it – we’re not taking it back. We brought (most of) our hosts together to take part in our annual Movie Quiz! Who will claim Giles’ fancy prize? And we look back on 2021: We not only talk about our favourite films of the year, the most successful episodes on the podcast, but also about the current state of the film industry, keeping focus in difficult times, and m...

Dec 23, 20211 hr 33 minEp. 255

Boiling Point director Philip Barantini on going from Acting to Directing & making a One-Take Film.

Today, Giles Alderson and co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar welcome the incredible Philip Barantini ! He is the writer-director-producer of the Indie One-Take Film Boiling Point (2021), which won multiple BIFA awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress, Best Casting, Best Sound, & and Phil was also nominated for Best Director! Phil dives deep into his filmmaking career: He talks about how he started out as an actor, how he slowly shifted into directing and into the mindset o...

Dec 21, 20211 hr 9 minEp. 254

Working with Netflix: 'The Princess Switch' director Mike Rohl's Masterclass on Directing

On today’s show, Giles Alderson and co-host Christian James welcome the fantastic director Mike Rohl. He’s known for films & TV shows like Shadowhunters (2017-2019), Smallville (2006-2011), Supernatural (2006-2012), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) and the feature films The Princess Switch, of which The Princess Switch 3 (2021) is out now on Netflix. Mike dives deep into this long filmmaking career that began in the 80s: He talks all about his beginnings, his first features fil...

Dec 13, 20211 hr 9 minEp. 253

Lapwing – Making a Historical Drama on a Micro-Budget with writer Laura Turner, director Philip Stevens and lead Hannah Douglas

On today’s show, Giles Alderson welcomes not one, not two, but THREE great filmmakers of the fantastic historical drama Lapwing (2021): Writer Laura Turner, director Philip Stevens and leading actress Hannah Douglas. They dive deep into the making of their feature film: Laura talks about how the film came about, what her writing process was like, and how they turned an initial short film idea into a feature script. Hannah talks about collaboration, how she approaches a role, what it was like on ...

Dec 06, 20211 hr 7 minEp. 252

The Simpsons & F is for Family writer & producer Michael Price about writing Emmy-winning Comedy Shows

Today on the show, Giles Alderson and co-host Tobias Vees welcome 3-time Emmy-winning writer & producer Michael Price. His long lists of credits include The Simpsons, The Simpsons Movie (2007), several Lego Star Wars Specials, F is for Family and many more! Mike dives deep into his writing career, how he got his first jobs, how he deals with rejection, and how he was hired to write for The Simpsons. He also discusses where his ideas come from, pitching and what it takes to write comedy. Aaaa...

Nov 30, 202159 minEp. 251

250th SPECIAL EPISODE! Tips, Tricks and Advice on filmmaking with our Hosts Giles Alderson, Phil Hawkins, Christian James, Dom Lenoir & Tobias Vees

Hello and welcome to episode 250 of The Filmmaker’s Podcast! Another very, very special one for you lovely listeners. 250 episodes!! Today, WE talk filmmaking! In OUR VERY, VERY HUMBLE OPINION! For this special episode, our hosts Giles Alderson , Phil Hawkins , Christian James , Dom Lenoir & Tobias Vees sat down to talk about THEIR filmmaking tips and tricks. They discuss how to build good working relationships, how to approach producers with your script, and what a good pitch deck looks lik...

Nov 23, 20211 hr 24 minEp. 250

REPEAT– How to make a 10k-Feature and sell it around the world with Writer-Director Richard Miller and Lead Actors Charlotte Ritchie & Tom England

Today, we have another special episode for you lovely listeners! REPEAT (2021) is finally OUT! REPEAT (2021) is finally OUT! – The Si-Fi-Thriller that host Giles Alderson and co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar have produced during lockdown. Together, they welcome writer-director Richard Miller and lead actors Charlotte Ritchie & Tom England! Richard dives deep into his filmmaking career, what he learned from making his first feature, how Repeat came about, how he brought Giles on board by sendin...

Nov 16, 20211 hr 26 minEp. 249

Alice Eve- Starring in Indie Films to Blockbuster Movies - & the making of ‘Warning‘

Today, in this special episode, Dom Lenoir welcomes the wonderful actress Alice Eve to chat about her latest film Si-Fi feature film Warning (2021), which is out now! She is known for films like Men in Black 3 (2012), Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013), She’s out of my League (2010), Bombshell (2019), and The Stolen (2017), to name a few. Dom and Alice sat down to talk about the deeper themes of Warning and Si-Fi as a reflection on current issues. Alice also discusses downtime between projects, how...

Nov 12, 202155 minEp. 248

The War Below – Making High Concept Indie Films with debut feature director JP Watts

Today on the show, Giles Alderson and co-host Tobias Vees welcome the amazing writer-director JP Watts to talk about his debut feature film, The War Below (2021). During World War I, a group of British miners are recruited to tunnel underneath no man’s land and set bombs from below the German front in hopes of breaking the deadly stalemate of the Battle of Messines. JP talks about how the movie came about, how he co-wrote the film, how he got producers on board, and why connections in the film i...

Nov 09, 20211 hr 1 minEp. 247

Lord & Miller on Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street and The Mitchells Vs The Machines‘ Phil Lord & Christopher Miller talk Making Animation Blockbusters

This week, Giles Alderson and co-host CJ , Christian James, welcome the incredible producing-writing-directing duo Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. They are known for animation & live-action films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), 21 Jump Street (2012), The Lego Movie (2014), and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) to name a few. Phil & Christopher dive deep into their filmmaking career: Where they met each other, how they became friends by burning someone’s hair, an...

Nov 02, 20211 hr 3 minEp. 246

Making a Blumhouse Film for Amazon Prime with The Manor Writer-Director Axelle Carolyn

On today’s show, Giles Alderson and co-host Dom Lenoir welcome the fantastic writer-director Axelle Carolyn! Her credits include Soulmate (2013), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Creepshow (2021), American Horror Story (2021), and she’s here to talk about her latest feature film, The Manor (2021), which is part of the Welcome to the Blumhouse series on Amazon Prime. Axelle dives deep into her filmmaking career. She talks about how she made the transition from actress to director and how she mad...

Oct 25, 20211 hr 6 minEp. 245

Jim Cummings & PJ McCabe on The Beta Test - Writing, Directing, Editing, and Starring together in your Indie Film.

Today on the show, Giles Alderson and co-host Dom Lenoir welcome writer, director and actor duo Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) & PJ McCabe to talk about their latest indie feature, The Beta Test (2021). After working together on the studio film The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020), they talk about the differences between indie and studio films. They also discuss what it’s like to direct and act at the same time, why film festivals matter, and how to make your day on set. And obviously, they dive deep...

Oct 18, 20211 hr 8 minEp. 244

How to make Indie Films in the current market with Bizhan Tong

On today’s show, Giles Alderson welcomes writer, director & producer Bizhan Tong to the show to talk about his latest feature film Lockdown (2021), starring Xander Berkeley, Kevin Leslie, Olivia Moyles and many, many more! Bizhan was on episode 81 of the podcast, now he’s back to talk about how he shot Lockdown during lockdown! He dives deep into the making of the film: How he came up with the idea, how he turned it into a script, and how he financed the movie. He also talks about directing ...

Oct 11, 202158 minEp. 243

Masterclass in Indie Documentary Making with One Man and His Shoes producer Will Thorne & director Yemi Bamiro

On today’s show, Giles Alderson welcomes producer Will Thorne and director Yemi Bamiro to talk about the journey of their latest documentary, One Man and His Shoes (2020). Will and Yemi dive deep into the making of their indie documentary. How it all started with a little short, how they financed the movie themselves in the beginning, and how they managed to bring on more and more people. They discuss what it was like to do all the paperwork for their first feature project, why hiring a lawyer i...

Oct 04, 202157 minEp. 242

Sound of Violence Writer & Director Alex Noyer talks going from Short to Feature, Clubhouse Horror Movies and fuding & making a hit directorial debut.

On today’s show, Giles Alderson and co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar sit down with Alex Noyer, the writer and director of Sound of Violence, which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2021. Alex dives deep into Clubhouse of Horror, what the room is about, what it’s like to be a judge on the latest competition, and not just what you need to do to get your horror short script financed, but also how to make an ace short. Coming from documentaries, he discusses how he made his first na...

Sep 27, 20211 hr 18 minEp. 241
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