The Indy Mogul Podcast

  A cinematographer, like a painter or musician, is an artist, and every artist has their own personal tastes. It's easy to fall into the artistic trends of the decade, but what's more important is what the artist brings from within, according to Natasha Braier, ASC. For the acclaimed cinematographer of indie classics such as Neon Demon and Gloria Bell, it's all about being able to experiment with fantastical colors and techniques on a film to leave an imprint, encouraging others to be more free within the medium. In this episode, we talk about the difference between indie and Hollywood films, colored lighting, and what it means to be a cinematographer.    

  If you thought moving your entire life to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking as a career was scary, you're absolutely right. It can be grueling to make it as a director or cinematographer on your own, which is why it's important to connect with the filmmakers around you. Jakob Owens, a director/cinematographer who founded the YouTube channel TheBuffNerds, was in this exact position too, and he tells us all about how he was able to make films and find collaborators, both successfully and unsuccessfully at times. In this episode, we talk about Jakob's journey to Los Angeles, creating a social media following as as filmmaker, and establishing his company PrismLensFX.  

Shooting a TV show is vastly different from shooting a movie. Period. Instead of a director, you are met with the visions of show runners and producers. Instead of one cinematographer, there could be multiple working on the show at once. As the director of photography for the pilot and/or first season of a show, establishing the look is everything, but how does it happen?  Cinematographer David Mullen, ASC, who has show episodes of Mad Men and Westworld, educates us on the pre-production process of a television show, specifically for his latest work Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. On this episode, we go over David's upbringing, his studies in camera and lighting, and the difference between film and digital.

  The popular, Emmy-winning series Chernobyl is hailed for its commitment to realism and historical accuracy, and the cinematography makes sure to uphold such values.  On this episode, Jakob Ihre, the show's DP, talks about his career leading up to the production of Chernobyl.  

  Everyone ha a different story.  The struggles, the victories, the golden days, and the failures. Shawn talks about his path to become a creative photographer and cinematographer.  This story can give inspiration & hope for others on similar roads.  

  Think about your favorite music videos. What do they have in common? Whether they're hip hop, electronic, or country music videos, they follow at least one of these few tenants that we talk about. Justin Jones, who has shot more than 400 music videos, knows what makes a good video and bad video, so we invite him into the studio to learn exactly what that is.  On this episode, we talk about music videos, and what you should avoid when producing one.   

  This week, cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., a renowned filmmaker for his work with Francis Ford Coppolla and Paul Thomas Anderson, sits down with us in the studio to talk about his latest project, JoJo Rabbit. We also cover his journey as a cinematographer and what it was like shooting films in Europe.    

The road for filmmakers and cinematographers is a long one, full of obstacles and setbacks along the way. This was true for Todd Banhazl, a successful commercial and feature DP who has worked with artists such as Lorde and Janelle Monae. While talking about his preeminent work, he comforts us with stories about what it was like out of film school and the challenges he faced.  In this episode, we learn about Todd's journey as a cinematographer leading up to the production of the movie Hustlers.

Not all movies are made for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the case of The Peanut Butter Falcon, Nigel Bluck, the cinematographer, had to be aware of his limitations and utilize the classic phrase, "Less is always more" to make, what is now a new Classic American Film.  A true minimalist filmmaker, Nigel talks about his upbringing and the important essentials of a working cinematographer.

  Directors and actors aren't the only people needed to make a movie. You have the unsung heroes of the grip and electric department, whose job it is to set up complicated lighting schemes and heavy rigs. It's often a thankless job that requires being on set for long days without very much idle time. That's why we have Martin Torner, union grip for movies such as Iron Man 2 and Thor, to illuminate this side of the industry with on-set horror stories and what is required to get into gripping.    On this episode, Ted and Martin talk about gripping on Hollywood sets and what you need to know to start working in G&E.   

  You may notice LED lights popping up on your film sets more and more often as RGB lights are becoming a normal lighting staple. With so many options out there, it's hard to differentiate the look and color accuracy between them. Companies like to use a measurement called CRI (Color Rendering Index) and TLCI to measure how accurate the color is to everyday daylight, but what if we told you that it's actually an indicator of how bad an RGB light is? There is so much we don't understand about RGB lights yet, so we invited Tim Kang, color scientist at Quasar lighting, to talk to us about the fundamentals of color science and what the problems are about RGB lighting today.  In this episode, we talk about the way we perceive color, color science, and how we should measure color accuracy.  

  Second Unit - they're the unsung heroes who shoot the extras, inserts, and secondary inserts for a film or TV show. They're the ones who provide the editors with stuff to cut to. They're the ones that have to use their creativity to blend their visual style to the vision of the cinematography. Jaron Presant, ASC cinematographer who has shot second unit on Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Looper, tells us what goes on in his mind when he's shooting alongside Steve Yedlin, director of photography for those movies, and what it's like to be on second unit. In this episode we talk about Jaron's early beginnings in cinematography, his crazy obsession with VFX and lighting, and what it's like to shoot on second unit.    

  Everyone knows that music is important in a film, but just exactly how does it influence the way the film is edited? There are not many people that can say they have edited and composed a big Hollywood film besides Oscar-winning editor John Ottman, who has edited and composed for films such as X-Men: Days of Future Past, Superman Returns, and most notably, Bohemian Rhapsody. John talks to us about his start in filmmaking, how to navigate the studio environment, and what every editor should know.   In this episode, we talk about tips on becoming a professional editor and break down the music and editing of Bohemian Rhapsody.  

  We tend to talk about music videos a lot at Indy Mogul - how to light them, how to make them for no money, etc. Today, we go over a bigger question - how do we produce them? With so many filmmakers out there wanting to shoot music videos and gain exposure for their work, the knowledge of how to conduct a set and production can get lost in translation. Not everything is just what you see in front of camera, so we sit down with seasoned music video producer, Moses Israel, to learn what first-time producers need to know before they step on set.    On this episode, we talk about music videos, producing, and tips on how to manage a film set.  

Ted sits down with Dan Kneece to learn more about why Steadicam can still be better than gimbals, what makes good steady shots cinematic, and why shot lists don't always help a movie.

In the film industry, there aren't a lot of sure-fire avenues towards success. Many dreamers have wondered - do you go to film school? Do you make a smash hit at Sundance? Do you find an agent right away? It's not that making Oscar-worthy feature films is inconceivable; it's that the road to it often comes across as a mystery. That's why Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan, represented commercial and narrative directors in LA, break down the journey of numerous successful filmmakers and summarize the five different ways to "make it" as a key creative in the industry.    On this episode, we talk about directing, filmmaking, and the many pathways toward producing a feature film or commercial hit. 

From the cinematographer that brought you 300, Super 8, and Batman v. Superman, Larry Fong sits down with us to talk about camera, lighting, and that extra bit of "secret sauce" that makes his films look unique. He tells us about his first encounters with renowned directors such as JJ Abrams, and his humble beginnings in Hollywood.    On this episode, we talk about visual storytelling and how to communicate certain emotions and moods through Larry's past films. 

From the indie short film to the Hollywood blockbuster no one can afford to own every single piece of equipment they use. That's where rental houses come in. But with all the options out there it can be a daunting task to rent equipment, so we asked Mike Grady, the General Manager at Magnanimous Rentals, to break down several go-to rental packages at three different budget levels as well as why you would want certain gear for your type of production.   On this episode we talk to a rental professional to figure out the best way to maximize your rental package at any budget you may find yourself at.

Stock footage has always been trivial in the eyes of filmmakers, mostly because nobody wants to shoot solely for stock and not much money can be made from it. But what if we told you that you can just upload the stuff that you are going to shoot for that future narrative film and make passive income on the side? Well, Luke Neumann, founder of Neumann Films and commercial cinematographer, tells us that we as filmmakers should look at stock footage differently and start making money off of the stuff that we have today.   On this episode, we learn how to successfully shoot and sell stock footage, namely lifestyle and aerial footage.    

Water - could it be the best free tool to up your filmmaking game? It's something you often don't notice in your favorite sci-fis and dramas, but you'll start to see it everywhere once you begin to notice. Water has a specular quality to it that brings out the texture of surfaces and instantly increases contrast the moment you spray it onto your setting. Of course, you can produce steam with water to add visual interest into your backgrounds as well.   On this episode, we explore with writer Phil Rhodes the ways you can use water in cinematography to make any shot look better.