Cinematic Immunity

This week on the Cinematic Immunity Podcast, Kimberley Browning gives us great insight into the world of independent film making. As a film festival director herself for Hollywood Shorts, she has screened, programmed and been an active participant in the complex world of independent film where crtically acclaimed and financially viable films go to live or die.  We dig deep into how new forms of technology are good for people that dont have other outlets of expressing themselves and how race plays into the politics of the entertainment business.

This week on Cinematic Immunity we discuss the world of post production effects with Nuke Compositor, Evan Langley. This is a show where we dig into the nitty gritty of how to keep up with the scale of VFX and how a movie can have 1000 names in the post production credit sequence and still come out on schedule by sourcing the work out worldwide. Check out our home on the web www.cinematicimmunitycast.com or on Instagram and Twitter @immunitypodcast

Picking up where we left off, we dig into the gritty detail of visual effects in the entertainment industry with Visual Effects Director of Photography Mark Weingartner. In this part of the conversation, we talk about the aesthetic of visual effects and how the audience reaction has changed over the years. We discuss the difference between special effects, visual effects and how they have advanced to where they are now. Mark explains the the ACES color correction system in detail and we also talk in depth about his work shooting extensive visual effects for some of Hollywood's biggest movies including his work with a custom designed "plate mobile" and more from the "Batman" trilogy.

On this week's show, we air the first half of our interview with Mark Weingartner, Visual Effects Director of Photography, who came down to the studio and took the time to explain some of the most complex visual effects sequences and talk about his experiences that led him to be one of the leading Directors of Photography for Visual Effects in Hollywood. We talk about how to make "grist for the digital mill" and the distinction between visual effects and practical effects and we discovered that sometimes, talking about guilty movie pleasures can be more fun than talking about the big shows as we loop back around three times to Under Siege!

Today's episode of Cinematic Immunity, our guest is the amazing Libby Ward @sneakyvarmint. She is currently writing for “Scooby Doo” and has a short film in festivals titled “The Audition” with Simpsons director Mark Kirkland. This week in the studio, we talk about Alice in Wonderland, Clara Bow and Girl Power in Hollywood. We also talk about being in the writers room and some of the early steps of being a working writer and an Improv Comedian. Check out Libby’s site and more about her work at http://www.sneakyvarmint.com. Or you can check out her amazing podcast that strikes the same chord as ours; "Occupassionate" is about people who are passionate about whatever it is that they do. Check out some of Libby Ward’s other work at#Occupationate or Occupationate.com, or on twitter @Sneakyvarmint. Make sure to subscribe to our feed below.

Join us for this week's episode of Cinematic Immunity with James Neihouse, A.S.C. as we talk about his experience training astronauts for the 70mm IMAX movie, "A Beautiful Planet". Along with his passion for adventure, space exploration and NASA, James has a great passion for education which made with the perfect candidate to work with NASA astronauts on how to photograph and troubleshoot IMAX cameras over the course of this film. After years shooting more than 30 IMAX films with topics ranging from the wonder of air flight to the destructive power of volcanoes. We also talk about his time working with the late Haskell Wexler as well as a few other war stories from along the way.

We have all heard the analogy that a director's film is his or her baby. In this episode of Cinematic Immunity, we discuss that analogy as a partnership with the distribution or sales company as a partnership in nature. "How do we Make Better Movie Babies" is an episode that helps to dispel the myth of feature film distribution and sales market by interviewing 2 experienced distribution agents and 1 sales agent and 1 filmmaker who knows how to make it happen. Thanks to everyone joining us again for this episode of cinematic Immunity. This week, our panel of guests include Daisy Hamilton of ,Alex Saviliev of Vision Films, and Morris Ruskin of Shoreline Entertainment. These amazing guests represent the distribution side of making movie babies. We also speak with writer/director Byron Yee who knows how this whole thing works. Enjoy the show everyone! A special thanks goes out for all of the extra work of some amazingly talented people. This week's story was produced and co written by Zoe Lane. It was great to have her keeping the points consistent and flowing as we gathered these viewpoints. Editorial by Tyler Nisbet and thanks to him for all the extra effort.

Hey everybody and welcome back to the first episode of the new season of Cinematic Immunity. Its been 18 months since we brought you the last episode so we figured to pick up the new season right where left off with Visual Effects Cinematographer Christopher Lee Warren. But before we get into that, Bryan and I just wanted to say thanks to all of you out there that have supported and continue to support us. Bryan Hart, who will be back with us live next week, sends his regards Wed like to give a special thanks to some friends out there in podcast land who have repped us and we appreciate it. Carl Olsen and his guest Rick Delgado from the Digital Convergence Podcast sent a major shout out last week, thanks for that fellas. Earlier this year in January, Jason Marin from the casting Light podcast rebroadcast the full episode of our interview with Haskell Wexler shortly after his passing. For those of you that don’t know, Haskell Wexler has been a part of film history and political action for over 5 decades and has had an amazing list of credits and achievements too long for me to list here. Jason, we thank you for making sure that that podcast got out there again. Haskell was our very first guest at the studio and we were happy to have had the time. All though at the time of his passing we had already begun recording interviews and were beginning to start the show up, we were not ready to start up the podcast engine just yet, so Jason, thanks for showing the love. And now, on with the show.

Sometimes you find yourself with some fake blood in your mouth and a couple of drinking straws - because that's how you get things done in this business. At least, it is when you're a special effects makeup artist, like this week's Cinematic Immunity guest, David Mendez. Listen as the multi-talented Mendez brakes down the makeup department for us, with a special focus on special-effects. We talk about the tools of his trade (fake blood and drinking straws are only two of them), the challenges and fun of creating makeup looks for film, his influences, and how Captain Kirk taught him to fight. He also explains how being a U.S. Army Infantryman compares to working on a movie set, and how it has helped his stunt coordinator work. Plus, we talk set safety, the process of getting union membership, and the wonders of technology - because walkie-talkies are your friend. Enjoy! Check back on Thursday for a sneak peek of next week's episode, with very special guest, Chris Warren.

Part two of our interview with the great Billy Badalato, Jr., is finally here! These are just a few of the things you'll hear in Episode 33: Questionable John Woo impersonations, what it's like shooting on a moving train from a moving helicopter, who wins a budgets-vs.-creative battle in the studio system - or budgets and efficiency vs. safety - how our guest climbed the ladder in production, the answers to questions like Why are we still waiting to shoot? Why are studios the way they are? What goes into the machinery of studio financing? ...and how Billy knew he had finally made it in the business when no one would sit with him at lunch. Next time, our guest is special effects make-up artist, David Mendez. Check back Thursday for a preview of David's interview. And remember, you can catch up on every episode of the podcast here, and follow the show on all of those social network thingies.

The wait is over! Producer and 3rd-generation movie-maker, Billy Badalato, Jr., stopped by Cinematic Immunity recently to school us on the ins and outs of international and domestic film consulting, the logistics of Navy fighter-jet refueling, and some of the other difficulties of using planes, trains and boats in your movie. We discuss what happens when you go to shoot in the middle of nowhere, and how to climb the showbiz ladder from personal assistant to president of a global production and consulting company. Next week, catch part two of our interview with Billy Badalato, Jr., right here on CinematicImmunityCast.com, or subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and send us a message anytime. We love hearing from all you Cinemaniacs out there! Thanks for listening and sharing your thoughts and questions.

Today on the Cinematic Immunity podcast, we bring you an interview with award-wining cinematographer, David Stump, A.S.C.. Get ready for stories about some of your all-time favorite films! In this episode, we discuss the unforgettable train sequence in Stand By Me, Rambo III's "muscle lighting," Beetlejuice, and Army of Darkness. Plus, we talk about Quantum of Solace and forgetting to steal things, Star Trek: First Contact and Patrick Stuart's eyeball work, and we visit post-apocalyptic Kansas, go for a ride in a certain time-traveling Delorean once more, and Louis loves on David's timely new book, Digital Cinematography: Fundamentals, Tools, Techniques, and Workflows. Over last thirty-plus years, David Stump has worn many filmmaking hats. He's been a producer, a director, a cinematographer, an author, a visual effects supervisor, an effects cameraman - and he even has an Academy Award for Scientific & Technical Achievement. He's worked on some of the most memorable films from the last three decades, and is generous enough to share his knowledge with the world through his excellent book and insightful articles on filmmaking. Enjoy the interview! Let us know what you think of Cinematic Immunity! You can leave us a comment in the space below, send us a message through the Get In Touch page, and, of course, follow us on the social media platform of your choice. Catch up on old episodes here, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. We'll see you back on Thursday for a preview of our next interview: Producer Billy Badalato, Jr.

On this week's episode of Cinematic Immunity, we bring you part two of our interview with post-production supervisor, editor, writer and director Dan McMellen. This time we get into the more technical side of the post-production process, talking in depth about editing technique and theory, the gear and equipment used, and the role of Digital Imaging Technicians and Digital Downloaders. Dan also shares a few valuable lessons learned from renowned editor and author, Walter Murch. Enjoy part two of our interview with Dan McMellen! P.S. We love hearing from you guys, so feel free to leave your comments in the section below, or get in touch with us via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our email form, and don't forget that you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and listen to the show on SoundCloud and Stitcher. Thanks!

On this week's episode of Cinematic Immunity, we talk to Dan McMellen, post-production supervisor, editor, director, producer, and all around awesome podcast guest, about how he got his start in the entertainment industry, mastering his craft, and what professionals like himself look for in an assistant. Plus, he separates the fact from the fiction when it comes to editing one oft-maligned programming genre: reality TV shows. Read more about Dan McMellen here, and be sure to check back next Tuesday for Part 2 of his interview, in which we discuss some the equipment and technical know-how essential to the post-production process. c Immunity, we talk to Dan McMellen, post-production supervisor, editor, director, producer, and all around awesome podcast guest, about how he got his start in the entertainment industry, mastering his craft, and what professionals like himself look for in an assistant. Plus, he separates the fact from the fiction when it comes to editing one oft-maligned programming genre: reality TV shows.

Karyn Wagner began by telling us about her Hollywood upbringing, family history (another 3rd generation set brat!), her education, and her start in the biz. She is Cinematic Immunity's first guest from the Costume Department, so we take a lint-roller to the politics, crewing, and unique challenges of dressing actors for film and television. It was an eye opener to learn just how much work and effort goes into yet another area of filmmaking that gets far too little attention. From Wardrobe Supervisors to Key Costumers to Cutters to Fitters to Milliners, we find out who is making it all happen. Hear how Karyn went from being "the best-dressed camera assistant ever" to designing the costumes forThe Green Mile, Friday Night Lights and The Notebook, where she finds the inspiration for her designs, and how a costume designer can make you hate a character without him ever saying a word, all on this week's episode of the Cinematic Immunity podcast.

Thanks to David Lawrence's impressive musical pedigree, the successful composer can include "being around Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra" on his list of the many life-altering experiences he had growing up as the son of legendary entertainers, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé. Lawrence sat down with Cinematic Immunity and discussed his greatest influences, his artistic process, the nuts and bolts of being a film & television composer, working successfully with extreme time-tables, and the creative tug-of-war between directors and studios. From adding hairpins on the strings, to subtracting that repeating drum loop, it's an introduction into a whole new area of the filmmaking process that you won't want to miss! Special thanks to Pancho Burgos-Goizueta, for his help in welcoming David Lawrence to the Cinematic Immunity podcast!

Did Ken ruin Dennis Leary's movie career? Was Bryan a happiness oasis on 'Olive Juice'? Do Backstreet Boys cause security problems? Did Louis get us that coffee? Is Liz Hurley calling Ken in the W.C. right now? Is structured writing like creative waterboarding? Did we sneak the tag 'boobs' in this post? Who will Ken book next on 'The Tom Green Show'? Will we now do the podcast with 6-packs in hand? Find out now!

  Steven Poster, the President of the International Cinematographers Guild, represents camera workers and film publicists across the United States.  Poster was kind enough to sit down with Cinematic Immunity and share his stories about getting started in filmmaking and working on such films as "Blade Runner" (1982) "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) and "Donnie Darko" (2001). Hear these stories and more now in our interview with Steven Poster, ASC.

Dean returns in Part II-> We discuss the challenges of Roger Rabbit not existing on location- to getting some assistance from the Oval Office to solve pesky gravity problems on a certain spaceship set. In-between, we breakdown some select scenes of the greatest Trilogy ever about a time-traveling teen and his friend the 'Doc.

Dean Cundey- Cinematographer Part 1

We also discuss some of the movies Harris had a larger involvement in - such as the groundbreaking 1999 indie hit, "The Blair Witch Project" - and what he's learned from sitting through tens of thousands of short and feature-film submissions over the years. And, yes, we get his expert opinion on that classic movie about a galaxy far, far away...

In our final interview recorded during our trip to New York in June, comedian and actress, Carrie Gravenson, sat down with Cinematic Immunity in our secret Illuminati lair (a.k.a. the International Cinematographers Guild Local #600 New York office) and took us behind the curtain of the New York stand-up scene. Listen to Carrie's story of taking on the competitive world of stand-up comedy, co-producing The Tomfoolery Hour comedy showcase, and the frustrations and comedic gold that ensue from traveling the country with the talented women of her Pink Collar Comedy Tour. Learn all that, plus how to fit into a dish washer, in Episode 21 of the Cinematic Immunity podcast.

Listen in as Doug continues to tell his tale of being a 1st AC in New York for more than four decades. You'll learn all about the odd way John Landis likes to start conversations (and what jokes you should never tell in his presence), how hard it is to pull focus on the elusive Robert Redford, the wonderful paychecks from the Brooklyn Bridge, how much fun stunt work can be on films like 'The Hardway,' and how nimble Spike Lee can be when things really start to heat up on set..

We sit down with famous focus puller Doug Hart to talk about his experiences with Woody Allen and Gordon Willis.

Jendra Jarnagin sat down with us on to talk about her experiences with television production and how she worked her way up through the lighting department and is now a working cinematographer. Learn how she got her start working with Ellen Kuras, one of the most distinguished female cinematographers of all time. For more detailed info and the gallery of photos, check out our site at www.cinematicimmunitycast.com

Actor psychology vs the still photographers, trust among the team and photo ownership. The caste system on set, being stealthy to get the shot and a family breaking boundaries. Sabotage. The blacklist and the politics of crew taking photos.  Jessica tells us how to get it in frame this week on Cinematic Immunity.

Executive Producer and Progressive Humanitarian Laurie Meadoff sits down with us for this week on Cinematic Immunity

We sit down with Tom Weston to talk about his time as an Operator and Director of Photography on many hit movies from the 80's and 90's and how he became so active in union politics. We also talk about how getting your movie made can take a long time but in the same breath how much perserverence pays off.

We sit down with Skip Van Leeuwin to discuss his time racing motorcycles and doing stunts with Evol Knievel. His time in the music business and how that led to 30 years of sobriety.

Aspiring to be a cinematographer? Ted Hayash joins us here on Cinematic Immunity to talk about how to stage two camera blocking with the changing needs of the director, how to walk on to any set and be as effective as possible and how to make sure that every shot count. Louis and Ted set the wayback machine 12 years to revisit the first time Louis worked for Ted as an electrician and with Ted's extensive background in lighting, he brings his knowledge and experience into the modern world of professional film making.

Standup comedian, host of the Grabbing Lunch podcast ( http://www.grabbinglunch.com/ ) and former Boom Operator, Matt Knudsen. They talk about being a Highlander, sniffing glue and how Louis is not a great broadcaster. Recorded at the famous Improv Olympic stage in Hollywood, the first stage Louis saw Matt perform improv in 2009 with the L. Ron Jeremy improv troop.

Michael Uva sits down with us on Cinematic Immunity to discuss transferring his skills from the U.S. Marines to the world of being a grip in the entertainment industry in 70's.  Michael Uva is one of the select entertainment technicians who have written "The Book" on his craft. Uva's Grip Book has been the one consistent reference manual for all things Grip for nearly 25 years and it's still going strong with the 2014 publishing of the 5th edition.  This episode was one of the earlier Cinematic Immunity episodes and captures a great perspective on how to do a hard job in hard conditions but still stay professional all day long.  We also break down some basics of how to set a C-stand and why regular practice is so important, and how sharing the knowledge brings it back around in the long run.

Part 2 of our discussion with cinematographer Bruce Logan, A.S.C.. We talk about his experiences on "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and some of his other epic stories. For more information check out our blog "I Want him in the Games until he Dies Playing" at www.cinematicimmunitycast.com

Louis and Bryan sit down with legendary cinematographer Bruce Logan, A.S.C. to discuss his work on Star Wars, Tron and 2001: A Space Odyssey

We have a huge episode this week. Jim Edwards, veteran editor, director and producer. We talk about getting his start with "Bullitt", taking car commercials to the next level and barking with the Tramp. Also, we talk about creating shows like Deadliest Catch, playing with the Beach Boys and of course, why an iron-clad contract is worth its weight in gold.

The pilot episode that got Cinematic Immunity going. Recorded in 2012, Louis Normandin sits down with legendary Visual Effects master Gene Warren Jr. to talk about his time at Walt Disney Studios, working for Blake Edwards and Jerry Lewis in the Hollywood Studio System and how we got to where we are now in the modern age of Visual Effects.

What was that crew on the train tracks supposed to do that day? Should the movie ever be able to film again? Why has the reaction been so strong? Can anything good can come out of this complex tragedy? Cinematic Immunity tries to find answers in this week's podcast. 

Cinematic Immunity held a panel last week to discuss the state of the entertainment business since the passing of 2nd camera assistant Sarah Jones.  How can this can be prevented? What are the logistics of production that were not followed?  Join us for part one of this very important discussion, the complex tragedy of Sarah Jones and the future of on set safety right here at Cinematic Immunity. Our panelists Danelle Hand, Ted Hayash and Vannessa Manlunas discuss the boiled down facts as presented by Bryan Hart and the Cinematic Immunity team.

Cinematic Immunity sits down with the director/producers of "Wheels". The story of how to make a truly independent feature film in Los Angeles.

Legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. joins us at Cinematic Immunity Studios and discusses turning down cigarette commercials, documentary film making and the shifting landscape of the entertainment business. Check out the rest of our content at www.CinematicImmunityCast.com

Here is a sneak preview of our next podcast.  Haskell Wexler, A.S.C., joins us here at the Cinematic Immunity Studio to talk about worker safety, turning down Marlboro commercials, and the state of the business with how it has changed over the last 60 years.  Make sure to check in Tuesday, April 22nd as Haskell Wexler, A.S.C., joins us as our first special guest!

Welcome to our first episode! Introductions are in order.