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PODCAST

We Need to Talk About Oscar

We Need to Talk About Oscar offers in-depth interviews with filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals. Although inspired by titles you expect to be represented at the Oscars, our conversations extend to buzzy indie projects and TV shows, exploring both the technical aspects of filmmaking and the personal stories behind them.

tv & film social sciences

All Episodes

18:47

Ray Fisher goes from stage to screen in 'The Piano...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/11/22

Following the widely successful stage production of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Malcolm Washington has chosen the story as his feature directorial debut, with the film produced by his father, Denzel Washington, and Netflix.Three actors reprise their roles from the stage production, bringing their immense talent to the screen: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, and, last but not least, today’s guest, Ray Fisher!Ray was kind enough to join us on the show to discuss the evolution of...

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26:35

DoP Benjamin Kračun on concocting ‘The Substance’

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/11/08

Without a doubt one of 2024’s biggest cinematic events is The Substance. Coralie Fargeat’s body horror premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to great critical acclaim and has been gathering more and more attention ever since. We managed to sit down with the film’s cinematographer Benjamin Kračun for an interview.If you’ve seen the film, you surely know just how gripping it looks and feels. The Substance has a very distinct visual style, and Ben was kind enough to share some behind the...

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50:05

When everything falls into its right place, with...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/11/01

Despite Sean Baker’s impressive track record, his seventh feature, Anora, might be what brings him the next level of critical- and, more importantly, commercial- success.Baker, who shoots his projects on film, reteamed with DoP Drew Daniels for the second time after Red Rocket. Drew, whose work you might know from projects such as Waves or It Comes at Night (both directed by Trey Edward Shults), was kind enough to join us for an extensive conversation and gave a detailed rundown of the challe...

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19:29

Genre dynamics, with ‘Don’t Move’ co-directors Adam...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/28

If you're wondering what legendary director Sam Raimi is up to these days (besides prepping his next project Send Help, rumored to star Rachel McAdams), he’s busy producing films. His latest project is Don’t Move, directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, and headlined by Kelsey Asbille.In our conversation with Type AB, we touch on the duo's directing history, the production set in Bulgaria, and the thematic exploration of distances within the story and its characters.(Photo credit: Vladisl...

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21:38

A memory to live by, with the Director of ‘The...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/25

Spending too much time within the confines of your home, in front of your computer, might lead some to tell you to “touch some grass”. But what do you do when that’s not an option? You touch others’ hearts in the world of World of Warcraft and make a difference in the digital world that translates into the real one. That’s exactly what Mats 'Ibelin' Steen did during his short yet impactful life. His story came to life in director Benjamin Ree's genre-bending documentary The Remarkable Life of...

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12:09

College life on 'The Line', with director Ethan Berger

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/22

No story is easy to tell, and you can always complicate it for yourself, but that might be beneficial for your purpose.Taking on the conflicting institution of fraternities presented a similar challenge for first-time director Ethan Berger, who remained committed to his vision and wasn’t afraid to make changes to his script as time passed and life evolved.Ethan’s film, along with our conversation with him, explores feelings of responsibility, the limits we push within ourselves and each other...

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19:25

Fiction in truth, with 'Woman of the Hour' writer Ian...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/18

A directorial debut is always a significant event, not just for the director, but for everyone involved in the project. And no film can truly succeed without a strong script, which is the case for Woman of the Hour, starring and directed by Anna Kendrick, and written by our next guest, Ian McDonald.In this episode, we explore the film, based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala and his appearance on a televised dating show. Ian shares insights into his script's journey from page t...

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41:29

Timeless timelines, with 'Caddo Lake' co-directors...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/11

We all have our 'most anticipated films' that we can't wait to be released, but of course, sometimes filmmakers have to wait for their projects to see the light of day. The incredibly talented director duo, Celine Held and Logan George, shot Caddo Lake three years ago, and now we finally get to see it!In our little conversation with them (0:57), we cover the dynamics of their directing relationship and M. Night Shyamalan's involvement in the project.Then, providing context to the entirety of ...

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34:05

An out-of-body (swap) experience, with 'It's What's...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/10/04

If you’re wondering where the term “anxiety chic” comes from, It’s What’s Inside!This time around on the show, you can listen to our conversations with the film's writer-director Greg Jardin (0:52), and actor David Thompson (17:32). First up, Greg shares his experience working on trailers, the core idea's journey from script to screen, and creating a comfortable atmosphere for actors on set. Then, David joins us to talk about the contradictions in acting, ownership over characters, and the co...

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21:41

Familiar grief and familial dynamics, with 'His Three...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/09/20

Following the release of Sing Sing, another breakout title from last year’s TIFF is finally here, in the form of His Three Daughters! This three-hander, starring Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon, and Elizabeth Olsen, is written and directed by Azazel Jacobs. Harrowingly gorgeous and at times lovingly funny, the film offers a subtle depiction of grief, mortality, and familial dynamics.We were fortunate enough to sit down with Aza and pick his brain about one of the most well-written scripts in rece...

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23:49

Rewind #1: Director (of Photography) Paul Cameron...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/09/06

Dear Listener,From time to time, we’ll treat you to different themes and formats, like our new series, “Rewind”. This special edition of the show will drop in your feed every month or so.The very first episode of “Rewind” is, needless to say, a special one. We are excited to welcome cinematographer turned director Paul Cameron. The two main titles we cover are Man on Fire and Collateral, both of which celebrate their 20th anniversary this year.In addition to Paul’s anecdotes and experiences o...

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30:51

The fever dream - like tragedy of ‘Lady in the Lake’

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/08/23

For a few years now, Apple has been consistently building out its streaming platform with the help of great artists and prestigious projects. Their new release, Lady in the Lake is a limited series starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram. Áron had the pleasure of welcoming the show’s cinematographer Lachlan Milne, and production designer JC Molina to the show.As Lady in the Lake takes place in 1960s Baltimore, there were plenty of topics to discuss about the visuals of the project. Having t...

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40:11

We Need to Talk About Emmy #14: Immersed in the world...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/08/13

We had the director-cinematographer duo of Shōgun Episodes 1-2, Jonathan van Tulleken and Chris Ross, on the show back in April. Since then the series received 26 Emmy nominations, including two for cinematography. One of these nominations went to Chris, and now we're joined by the other incredibly talented DOP nominee, Sam McCurdy.Sam has an impressive résumé in television, having worked on shows like Game of Thrones, Peacemaker, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.This provides the perfect oppo...

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26:05

Finding freedom within a system, with editor Parker...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/08/02

Now that Sing Sing is expanding to new theaters, we’re ramping up our coverage of the film! In our interview with cinematographer Pat Scola, we talked about both A Quiet Place: Day One and Sing Sing. Today we’re pleased to share Áron’s conversation with the editor of A24’s big title contender, Parker Laramie!This interview sheds some light on the evolution of Parker’s collaboration with director Greg Kwedar and co-writer Clint Bentley, the question of runtime, screen time, and expectations.

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30:43

Indie, Studio Film, and the Middle Ground with...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/30

Next up on the show, with A Quiet Place: Day One hitting VOD, we are thrilled to welcome Michael Sarnoski, the director behind the movie. You might also know his debut feature from three years ago, Pig starring Nicolas Cage. In this captivating episode, Áron had the opportunity to talk with Michael about his journey from indie filmmaking to the world of a studio blockbuster. Michael shares his views about the challenges and exciting opportunities that come with joining a major franchise and w...

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53:05

We Need to Talk About Emmy #13: The timeless tragedy...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/25

We really hope you watched Hulu’s Under the Bridge (if not, honestly, what are you doing?!), cause this time we have the absolute pleasure of welcoming actress Vritika Gupta (0:37), who plays Reena Virk, and director Kevin Phillips (19:23), who directed episodes 2 and 8, to the show.In their conversation, Áron and our two fantastic guests cover topics like career decisions, the challenges of playing and directing teenagers and their flaws, or the responsibility and weight of telling Reena’s s...

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29:03

We Need to Talk About Emmy #12: Production designer...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/18

It's been about a week since the series (or season?) finale of Julio Torres' Fantasmas aired. Whether or not there will be a follow-up to these six episodes, we have another spooky treat for you: our chat with the show's production designer, Tommaso Ortino!In this episode Tommaso and Áron go down the rabbit hole of building sets on a stage, blending the projections with the physical (previously discussed in our interview with cinematographer Sam Levy), and he even gives a small update on Todd...

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34:12

Capturing humanity on different budgets, with...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/14

The release of a new project is always special, and if the release of two of your projects is within two weeks, it is, well, one, really special, and two, your name might be Pat Scola!As a part of this interview, Pat tells Áron about the past, present, and future of his collaboration with director Michael Sarnoski, shooting on another scale for A Quiet Place: Day One, constructing a true indie in the form of the prison drama Sing Sing, his experience on the set of Alex Russell’s directorial d...

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28:12

We Need to Talk About Emmy #11: Cinematographer Sam...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/12

In this episode, Áron sits down with Sam Levy, the cinematographer behind the surrealist comedy series, Fantasmas. Created, directed, and written by the multi-talented Julio Torres, who also stars in it. Fantasmas takes viewers on an extraordinary journey as Torres searches for a golden oyster earring, meeting a number of eccentric characters along the way.As a part of the conversation, Sam delves into his collaboration with Julio Torres, offering an insider’s perspective on the creative proc...

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23:01

Setting up a film to be shot solely in a taxi, with...

We Need to Talk About Oscar ·

2024/07/09

Next up on the show, Áron’s joined by Kristi Zea, a production designer whose work we’re sure you’ve come across over the years! Kristi’s previous projects include Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas or The Departed, Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs or Philadelphia, and Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road. Her latest is Christy Hall’s feature directorial debut, Daddio.The themes covered in this episode include the difficulties and advantages of shooting on a stage, a production designer's collab...

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129 results

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