Behind The Lens

Another big episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to filmmakers SEAN PATRICK FLANERY and TYLER WAYNE! First up, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with SEAN PATRICK FLANERY talking about his new film BORN A CHAMPION. While you may know Sean best for all of his work in front of the camera, with BORN A CHAMPION, together with co-writer and director Alex Ranarivelo, Sean does double duty as screenwriter and actor. A passion project that took years to bring to fruition, Sean talks candidly about the screenwriting process, "recollective storytelling", the importance of jiu-jitsu in his life and in telling this story, the cast, hiring real-life jiu-jitsu and martial arts champions for the film, and more. And then writer/director/actor TYLER WAYNE joins us talking about his feature directorial debut with GOODBYE, BUTTERFLY. An intriguing murder mystery that explores a father's grief and rage as he sets out to find the man who murdered his 5-year old daughter. In addition to writing and

It's another big week on BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome writer/director/producer RENJI PHILIP live to the show talking about his new film, THE WAKE OF LIGHT, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with none other than musician/actor/songwriter and all-around good guy FRANK STALLONE talking about the new documentary about him, STALLONE: FRANK, THAT IS. Joining us live at the midpoint of the show is RENJI PHILIP talking about his new feature film THE WAKE OF LIGHT. Visually and emotionally exquisite, the film has the thematic and emotional feel of an existential Malick, but with more visual clarity (and some fabulous sun flares!). Complementing some beautiful performances and the thematic cinematography is a beauteous score punctuated with the exquisite delicacy of piano music. Take a listen as Renji goes deep into the making of THE WAKE OF LIGHT and the cinematic tools and components he employed to create this emotionally experiential film; working with his cinematographer Rainer Lipske, finding unscri

BEHIND THE LENS is back for its SEVENTH YEAR and what a show we've got for you to start the New Year and Year Seven! First up, is our exclusive interview with the incomparable JASON ISAACS talking about his explosive new film, SKYFIRE, an action-disaster film which finds Isaacs playing an entrepreneur named Jack Harris who has built a luxury resort on a volcano located in the "Ring of Fire", aimed at delivering the ultimate up close and personal travel experience. Adding to the mix is a young team of scientists led by a volcanologist named Meng who has developed an early warning system in the hopes of preventing the kind of loss she suffered at the mouth of a volcano – the death of her mother when Meng was only about 8 or 9 years old. Needless to say, things go horribly wrong when the volcano erupts and Harris has ignored Meng's warnings of volcanic instability. And then take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with one of the best (and a personal fave) action directors, no

It's the final #BTLRadioShow of 2020 and we are ending the year with fun! First up, we've got two fantastic prerecorded exclusive interviews for you – writer/director/cinematographer/editor ROBERT RODRIGUEZ and YA YA GOSSELIN & VIVIEN LYRA BLAIR – talking about their new film WE CAN BE HEROES! This is THE family film of the year! And I can think of no better Christmas present from Netflix than premiering this on Christmas Day. Take a listen as ROBERT RODRIGUEZ talks about the genesis of WE CAN BE HEROES, inclusivity, diversity, imagination, inspiration for characters, scoring, family, and more! Then hear what YA YA GOSSELIN and VIVIEN LYRA BLAIR have to say about their characters, Missy and Guppy, respectively; performing their own stunts, the freedom of creativity that Robert gives them as well as treating them like professionals, the fun of the film (including Vivien having an idea that Robert used – a big deal for a 7 yr old), developing their onscreen relationship and more. And the fun

It's all about the women on film this week on #BTLRadioShow thanks to writer/director BRIAN CAVALLARO and his latest film 32 WEEKS, and our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director JULIA HART talking I'M YOUR WOMAN. We open the show with our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director JULIA HART talking about her latest film, I'M YOUR WOMAN. (Hart is also the force behind Disney's Stargirl which you can watch on Disney+.) We've all seen mafia crime thrillers before and with rare exceptions, all are told from the male perspective with the wives, girlfriends, and children relegated to background window dressing. Stepping outside of the box, together with co-writer Jordan Horowitz, Hart gives us the story of Jean with Rachel Brosnahan delivering one of the best performances of her career in the role, along with Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinze Kene, Frankie Faison, and Bill Heck. A mob wife with no skills and no street smarts, Jean is oblivious to what her husband Edd

It's all about family, friendship, and forgiveness on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to our very special guests GENE POPE and ROXI POPE, and our prerecorded exclusive interview with RANDALL BATINKOFF. First up, it's all about THE LAST CHAMPION thanks to RANDALL BATINKOFF who goes in-depth about the film, his character "Bobby Baker", and how his real-life 30+ year friendship with Cole Hauser impacted this role and his performance. Directed by Glenn Withrow and written by Glenn, wife Hallie Todd, and daughter Ivy Winthrow, THE LAST CHAMPION stars Cole Hauser, Sean Scully, Randall Batinkoff, Hallie Todd, and Peter Onorati in this story about a former small-town hero and his fall from grace and the power of friendship and forgiveness. A "must listen" conversation about this "Must See" film! And as an added bonus, how about another "Must See" film starring Randall? Randall also talks about his other film that is also out now, ANGIE: LOST GIRLS, an important

This week we welcome old friends and new with our special guests TYLER Q. ROSEN and JOAN CARR-WIGGIN as they talk about their latest films, DOIN' MY DRUGS and GETTING TO KNOW YOU, respectively. First up, writer/director/cinematographer/editor/producer TYLER Q. ROSEN joins us live to talk about his feature documentary directorial debut – DOIN' MY DRUGS. Now, I bet you're thinking this documentary has something to do with drug abuse. If you are, then you'd be wrong. DOIN' MY DRUGS is an inspiring documentary that tells the story of musician Thomas Muchimba Buttenschon and how he is using his music to help wipe out HIV/AIDS in his native Zambia. Born in 1985 and diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as an infant, Thomas' parents both had the disease and moved the family to Denmark where they could receive proper medical care. Although Thomas' parents both succumbed to the disease, Thomas has been healthy for decades thanks to an antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and has gone on to be a husban

It's an eclectic week showcasing diverse talents on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to our special guest actor/comedienne/author ELAINE BALLACE who joins us live, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with composer BRIAN TYLER talking about the scoring of CLOUDS. First up, take a listen to our exclusive interview with composer BRIAN TYLER talking about CLOUDS. A definite FYC frontrunner this awards season for this exquisite score, Brian goes in-depth as we talk about musical motifs, instrumentation, his approach to scoring given the original material from musician Zach Sobiech on whose story this film is based, the emotionality of the film and the music, some interesting musical history that led to some of Brian's choices with scoring and instrumentation, and so much more. To see and hear Brian in action as composer, orchestrator, conductor, musician, and providing non-verbal vocals, check out this music video for his ethereal theme from CLOUDS. As you can see in this video, Brian is one of

Comedy is king on this week's episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we take a look at two very different types of comedy through the lenses of their creators. FREE LUNCH EXPRESS is a balls-to-the wall political satiric farce from LENNY BRITTON and SAM BRITTAN about Bernie Sanders while brothers and co-writers/directors IAN and ESHOM NELMS deliver a deliciously dark comedic look at Santa Claus with FATMAN. First up, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with IAN and ESHOM NELMS as we unwrap the secrets, and the heart, behind FATMAN. A rich dark comedic gem glittering in the twinkling holiday cinematic light, FATMAN dleivers the real deal Santa; the guy who has the potential to be jolly but centuries of greedy and grousing kids (and adults) has just taken its toll on him, so much so that Santa's packin' (and we're not talking just presents) when he takes off in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. But before he even gets to next Christmas, Santa's got to deal with cash flow issues thank

This week's BEHIND THE LENS has a focus on cinematic drama and tension thanks to our special guest ANDRE WELSH talking about his new film DISRUPTED, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with Academy Award winner ROBERT PORT and acclaimed author RICHARD BAUSCH who talk about their very special film, RECON, timed for release on Veteran's Day on November 11th. First up, take a listen as Academy Award winning writer/director ROBERT PORT and acclaimed author and Air Force veteran RICHARD BAUSCH (2 novels, 8 short story collections, a volume of poetry and prose) talk about RECON, a stellar adaptation of Bausch's NYT best-seller, PEACE. Based on the true story of four young GIs in Italy during WWII (one of whom was Bausch's father), RECON takes place over the course of one day as each reflects on his own life, his own fate, his own hopes and dreams, their collective commonalities and differences define the course of things to come amidst the hell of war. Can they find humanity in the horror?

It's a fun-filled episode of #BTLRadioShow this week thanks to our special guests, co-writers/directors JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY talking their debut narrative feature WRITER'S BLOCK, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with cinematographer turned director SHANNON KOHLI talking about her feature film directorial debut, ALL JOKING ASIDE! We kick off this episode listening to director SHANNON KOHLI talk about her feature film directorial debut with ALL JOKING ASIDE. An acclaimed cinematographer, Shannon made the leap into the director's chair some time ago with episodic television. Best familiar with her work as cinematographer, it was earlier this year that I had the chance to appreciate her directorial talents thanks to Dirty John: Betty Broderick starring Amanda Peet Christian Slater, the 12-part mini-series of which she directed the climactic final episode. With that, Shannon showed a true command of storytelling and finding that balance of emotion through performance and visuals. Needle

A show so chock full of fun thanks to our special guests that we expanded this week's episode of #BTLRadioShow to 90 minutes!! Filmmakers and brothers, CHARLEY and VLAS PARLAPANIDES, who join us talking about their new anime series on Netflix, BLOOD OF ZEUS. But in addition to Charley and Vlas, we've also got our pre-recorded exclusive interview with director LYDIA DEAN PILCHER and co-director/writer GINNY MOHLER talking about their new film, RADIUM GIRLS. I first met Charley and Vlas nine years ago for the blockbuster film Immortals which they co-wrote. Their love of mythology, which gave rise to some of the most ancient oral forms of storytelling, was at the heart of that film. And while they have had other projects since Immortals, nothing compares to what they now bring us as the Executive Producers, creators, and writers of BLOOD OF ZEUS. If you love Greek mythology, you'll love the series. If you love anime, you'll love this series. If you love mythology and anime together, you wil

Some sticky gooey fun (turpentine not included) for you on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT talking PAINTER, while TAR is the watchword of the day for writer/director AARON WOLF. Take a listen to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT who joins us live talking about his debut feature directorial, the exquisitely haunting (and twisted) PAINTER. A portrait of obsession and jealousy, every frame, every word, every look, every movement, is painted with cinematic deliberateness, drawing one ever deeper into this tale of a wealthy matronly patron and a young talented painter who has become the object of her desire on multiple levels. Cory and I dig deep into the construction of this hypnotic work, starting with the story of wealthy matron Joanne who is obsessed with Aldis, a young painter who is obsessed with the success of rival artist Ryan West. Former elementary schoolmates, Ryan bullied Aldis back in the day, something that Aldis has never gotten over and is obsessed with g

It's another diverse and interesting #BTLRadioShow this week as we take chat live with director and documentarian SARAH COLT about her independent feature directorial debut with THE DISRUPTED. Plus, hear what writer/director MARK WILLIAMS has to say in our exclusive interview about his latest film, HONEST THIEF. First up, take a listen to writer/director MARK WILLIAMS as he talks about his latest film HONEST THIEF starring Liam Neeson and Kate Walsh, along with Robert Patrick, Jeffrey Donovan, Jai Courtney, and Anthony Ramos. And let's not forget Tazzie the dog! Perhaps best known for his work as a producer behind films like A Dark Place, The Accountant, Flawless, and The Canyon, as well as producing and writing the Emmy-winning tv series Ozark, and directing Gerard Butler in the feature A Family Man, Williams now steps back into the directing chair with his sophomore feature, HONEST THIEF. With a comfortable and familiar feel thanks to Liam Neeson in well-trod territory of the action crime th

A jam-packed #BTLRadioShow that kicks off with comedy as we take a listen to our exclusive interviews co-writers/co-directors ALEX HUSTON FISCHER and ELEANOR WILSON, and writer/director BREA GRANT. Then we move into a more serious tone as writer/director/editor PETER JOSEPH joins us live. First up is our exclusive interview with ALEX HUSTON FISCHER and ELEANOR WILSON talking about their debut feature film, SAVE YOURSELVES! Just what would you do and how would you react if you unplugged for a week or even a weekend, only to plug back in and find out there's an alien invasion taking over the world??? Number One, could you even divest yourself of all electronics (computers, smartphones, phones, notebooks, radios, Sirius, etc.), and Number Two, how prepared are you to handle the end of the world? And what would you do if you suddenly found adorable looking Pouffes (think humongous "Star Trek" tribbles) in the house and on the roof but your sourdough bread mix and all the alcohol in the house gone

We've got a tasty treat for you on this week's edition of #BTLRadioShow – especially for the filmmakers out there – thanks to our special guests, STEVE BALDERSON, and DAVE NEWBERG and MOLLY DWORSKY. First up is filmmaker/author/lecturer STEVE BALDERSON. An accomplished filmmaker of many years and in the many disciplines required for the making of a film, Steve has taken some of that hard-earned, practical, on the job knowledge, and written FILMMAKING CONFIDENTIAL. This is one of the handiest books of filmmaking tips to come around in a while. It's not about what's the right lens or camera or sound equipment. In this book, Steve breaks down the filmmaking process based on his years of experience and gives great suggestions in an entertaining and fun prosaic style on topics like approaching budgeting, distribution, writing, storyboarding, intent versus practicality, shooting for the "stars" or not, the importance of sound, to fest or not to fest, editing, making a film shoot a fu

BEHIND THE LENS goes from THE SHANNON O'BRIAN CHRONICLES to the Salton Sea this week with our special guests, JENNESS ROUSE and GREG BASSENIAN. First up is the incredibly talented JENNESS ROUSE who is back for her third visit to #BTLRadioShow and boy does Jenness have a lot to talk about thanks to her award-winning improv web series of shorts – THE SHANNON O'BRIAN CHRONICLES. If you haven't watched this series, you need to. Now! Jenness as her alter ego Shannon O'Brian is HILARIOUS. Listen as Jenness tells us how the flu and a tube of neon pink lipstick led her to Shannon and how that turned into a global festival love fest for the web series, the character, and for Jenness as creator, director, performer. Energetic and effervescent as always, a fun time will be had by all with Jenness around! And then we move on to a very sobering subject – our environment and California's Salton Sea – with filmmaker GREG BASSENIAN who joins us to talk about his latest documentary MIRACLE IN THE

It's an extended edition of BEHIND THE LENS this week thanks to the release of some terrific films and some wonderful filmmakers as we explore the human condition through cinema and individual introspection with our guests TOM PUTNAM, WILLIAM NORRETT, and T. ARTHUR COTTAM, plus our exclusive interview with ROGER MICHELL. First up is writer/director TOM PUTNAM talking about THE DARK DIVIDE. Adapted by Putnam and based on the best-seller WHERE BIGFOOT WALKS: CROSSING THE DARK DIVIDE by Robert Pyle, one of the most foremost authorities on wildlife and acclaimed nature writers, the film is as much about Pyle's exploration of the "Dark Divide" as it is of himself. Starring David Cross and Debra Messing and showcasing some of the most beautiful wilderness this country has to offer, the visuals and soundscape alone make THE DARK DIVIDE a "must see" film! Then, novelist, screenwriter, and actor WILLIAM NORRETT, and director/cinematographer T. ARTHUR COTTAM are on hand for their first

It's a show filled with festival fun on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to festival filmmakers and creators, JESSIE McCORMACK and KEL THOMPSON! Already in full swing is the 2020 virtual edition of Dances With Films. Earlier in August we welcomed writer/director Ryan Barton-Grimley who talked about his DWF world premiere film, "Hawk & Rev: Vampire Slayers". This episode we continue to showcase some DWF films, and share some laughs, with filmmakers JESSIE McCORMACK and KEL THOMPSON. First up, take a listen as writer/director/actor JESSIE McCORMACK joins us live talking about her new comedy series, PISS OFF, I LOVE YOU, which premieres on September 5 and 6 as part of the DWF Web Pilots section. Irreverant hilarity that focuses on a Yank transplanted to jolly old England, nothing is off-limits when it comes to laughs and Jessie's own performance as our "heroine", Murica aka Sandy. Listen as Jessie goes in-depth (in between all the laughter) talking about the concept fo

And what a show we've got today thanks to our special guests, writer/director RYAN BARTON-GRIMLEY and Emmy-nominated Editor NENA ERB! First up, RYAN BARTON-GRIMLEY "stakes" his place on the show to talk about the upcoming Dances With Films world premiere of his latest film – HAWK & REV: VAMPIRE SLAYERS! Always a fan of vampires and slaying, HAWK & REV is pure hilarity with fun performances and 80's pop culture references (poor George Clooney), not to mention solid production values. And, in addition to writing and directing HAWK & REV, Ryan stars in the film as Hawk, and does editing work as well. Listen between the laughter as Ryan talks about the concept, his love for the 70's and 80's films which are the basis for the design of the film, characters and casting, cinematography and working with cinematigrapher Sean Ayeres, the use of color, time lapse, VFX and VFX, the importance of pre-vis and storyboarding, Robbie Elfman's scoring, and more! HAWK & REV