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PODCAST

The Filmumentaries Podcast

The Filmumentaries Podcast – Exploring the Unsung Heroes of Cinema. Go beyond the credits and uncover the untold stories of the filmmakers, artists, and craftspeople who bring your favorite movies to life.Hosted by filmmaker, author, and film historian Jamie Benning, The Filmumentaries Podcast offers in-depth conversations with the behind-the-scenes legends of Hollywood and beyond. Each episode features exclusive interviews with art directors, production designers, VFX artists and supervisors,

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

43:16

142 - New Mike Hodges Book - By Jon Spira

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/12/23

Jon's Kickstarter LinkSummaryIn this conversation, Jon Spira discusses his new book 'I'll Settle for Nothingness: Conversations with Mike Hodges', detailing the genesis of the book, his friendship with the legendary filmmaker, and the exploration of Hodges' versatile career. The discussion covers many things including the making of 'Morons from Outer Space', the challenges of unproduced films, and the emotional journey of writing the book. Spira also shares insights into Hodges' legacy, his

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50:16

141 - Rob Spera - Film/TV Director’s Field Manual

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/12/23

Rob Spera is a film and television director, educator, and the author of Film/TV Director’s Field Manual: 70 Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking. With decades of experience directing features, episodic television, and theatre, Rob brings a deeply practical, human-centred approach to directing and leadership. In this conversation, we discuss:Why Rob describes his book as an “anti-textbook”The idea that the camera’s job is to photograph subtextBuilding non-redundant frames that invite the audience to

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36:23

135 - Inside the historic Carlton Cinema with...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/09/23

Cinema historian Nigel Smith joins Jamie to explore the hidden history of London’s picture houses. In particular the Egyptian-style Carlton in Islington. Nigel brings these spaces back to life through stories, archives, and first-hand recollections. In this episode, Nigel and Jamie discuss:How London’s old cinemas became coffee shops, bingo halls, and churchesThe difference between “going to the pictures” in the 1930s–50s and cinema-going todayHow local archives, trade papers, and oral histories

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53:33

129 – The Star Wars Influence: Live at the BFI’s Film...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/06/25

Episode 129 – The Star Wars Influence: Live at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival In this special live episode, I join Doug Weir—Remastering Lead at the BFI—and post-production veteran Paul Collard on stage for a panel titled The Star Wars Influence, recorded at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival. Curated and hosted by Doug, the panel explores how George Lucas’s frustrations with the Hollywood studio system led to a wave of technological innovation that forever changed the filmmaking landscape. From the

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42:44

128 - Anthony Forrest - Star Wars Actor

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/06/10

In this special archival episode, I speak with actor and musician Anthony Forrest, best known to Star Wars fans for playing the sandtrooper who famously waved Obi-Wan and Luke past an Imperial checkpoint with the words: “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.” Originally recorded over a decade ago, this conversation explores Forrest’s original casting as “Fixer” in the cut Tosche Station scenes, his time filming in Tunisia, and how George Lucas unexpectedly tapped him to suit up as a trooper

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65:21

29 – Max Evry on A Masterpiece in Disarray: David...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/05/27

--------------------------------------------------Our Joe Alves GoFundMe Campaign--------------------------------------------------Episode 129 – Max Evry on A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History.In this episode, I speak with film journalist and author Max Evry about his brilliant and in-depth book A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History. What began as a 150-page entry in a cult film series soon grew into a 560-page epic — much like the film it

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99:43

126 - Inside the BFI National Archives - Film on Film...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/05/08

Episode 126 - Inside the BFI National Archives - Film on Film Festival - Special EpisodeFor this early release of the podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes at the BFI National Archive in Berkhamsted. The reason for the early drop? Tickets for the BFI’s excellent Film on Film Festival go on sale to the public tomorrow, 9th May 2025, and I wanted to give you a bit of insight into what makes this event so special. The Film on Film Festival runs from the 12th to the 15th of June and is dedicated

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14:18

BONUS - Star Wars Celebration Japan - Day 1 and 2...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/04/19

As promised, here's report of the goings on in Tokyo at Star Wars Celebration, day one and two from Rachel Pearson. More tomorrow.

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11:51

BONUS EPISODE - Vickie Sampson on those stolen Return...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/04/19

In my previous episode I spoke with ADR specialist and dialoge editor Vickie Sampson. In that conversation she mentioned briefly about the time the Return of the Jedi audio recordings were stolen from her car. "That's a story for a whole other podcast", she remarked. So I contacted Vickie to ask her if she could record the story. She kindly obliged, and so here it is as a short Bonus episode for you folks!

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77:28

Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops with Jim Fredrick

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/02/25

In this conversation, Jim shares his journey into the film industry, detailing how a little film called Star Wars inspired him to pursue a career in filmmaking. He discusses his early experiences in the industry, the evolution of trailer editing, and the critical role of marketing in film success. Jim reflects on his time at Castle Rock Entertainment, the challenges of marketing films like The Shawshank Redemption, and the importance of intuition in making marketing decisions. In this conversation,

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69:33

The Only Female VFX Camera Operator - With Maryan...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/02/11

In this conversation, Maryan discusses her journey into the film industry, detailing her entry point after film school, her experiences at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. She shares insights into the creative environment at ILM, the collaborative spirit among teams, and the innovative techniques used in films like Return of the Jedi. Maryan reflects on her post-ILM career, the changing dynamics in the industry, and the importance

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47:24

The Saga Museum with Gus Lopez

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2025/01/28

In this conversation, Gus Lopez shares his journey as a Star Wars collector, discussing the profound impact of Star Wars on film and culture, the evolution of collecting through the internet, and the importance of storytelling in the collecting community. He also delves into the ambitious plans for the Saga Museum, a collaborative effort among prominent collectors to create a public space for showcasing their collections and sharing their stories with fans. In this conversation, Gus Lopez discusses

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44:33

117 - Colin Cantwell - Concept Artist - My chat with...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/12/19

In this episode of the Filmumentary's podcast, host Jamie Benning speaks with Sierra Dahl, the long-term partner of the late Colin Cantwell, a visionary concept artist known for his work on iconic spacecraft in films like Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The conversation explores Colin's creative journey, his collaborations with legends like Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas, and Sierra's efforts to preserve his legacy through a revamped website and potential documentary. The discussion

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42:07

116 - Nigel Smith - Cinema Historian and Tour Guide

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/12/03

In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with cinema historian and walking tour guide, Nigel Smith. Nigel is the creator of Memory Palaces, a website project dedicated to exploring and preserving the stories of London’s cinemas—both those still standing and those long forgotten. Join me and Nigel as we discuss:Nigel’s early love of cinema, sparked by watching Superman II as a child.The evolution of his passion from movies to the buildings that housed them.The rich history of

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100:01

115 - John Bell - Concept Designer and Art Director -...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/11/19

Welcome to Episode 115 of The Filmumentaries Podcast. This time I’m talking to John Bell, a concept artist and art director whose career has spanned some of the most memorable films of the last four decades. From Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home to Jurassic Park and Back to the Future II and III,John’s work has left a significant mark on cinema. In our conversation, John takes us back to the early days of his career, when he transitioned from designing cars at General Motors to creating video game

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31:28

114 - Laurent Bouzereau - Director of "Music By John...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/11/05

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I’m bringing you some updates on my work with ILM and sitting down with director Laurent Bouzereau to chat about his new documentary, Music by John Williams. We dive into the emotional punch of Williams’ music, the process behind crafting the documentary, and Williams’ lasting legacy as a composer. Laurent opens up about his experience working closely with Williams and the art of storytelling in documentaries, as well as the challenge of sifting through

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86:49

113 - Kevin Jenkins - Production Designer - Star Wars...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/10/29

Episode 113 is up. My conversation with production eesigner, art director, concept designer and VFX artist Kevin Jenkins.We swap stories about our childhood movie experiences and the films that got under our skin—like Jaws, Star Wars, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We talk about how these films not only shaped Kevin's tastes but ignited a passion for storytelling and artistry that's stuck with him. Kevin and I get into the risks filmmakers took back then. We touch on the balance between

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79:08

112 - Jon Spira - Director of "The Life and Deaths of...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/10/07

In this episode, I sat down with Jon Spira to dive deep into the making of his latest documentary, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee. If you’re a regular listener, you know Jon’s been on the podcast a couple of times before, and it’s always a treat to hear him talk about his work.This time around, he takes us through the journey of bringing Christopher Lee’s story to life—literally.Jon kicked things off by sharing what drew him to this project in the first place. Inspired by a mix of

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21:06

BONUS - Kelly Knox - Co-author of "Return of the Jedi...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/09/03

This is a short bonus episode in which I interview author Kelly Knox about her co-authoring of "Return of the Jedi - A Visual Archive".Kelly Knox discusses her love for the Star Wars movies, particularly the original trilogy, and her experience co-writing the visual archive book for Return of the Jedi. The book focuses on the behind-the-scenes details and connections that branched out from the film. Kelly shares her favorite discoveries while researching for the book and the challenge of balancing

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63:39

109 - King Kong - 35mm BFI Screening - Doug Weir and...

The Filmumentaries Podcast ·

2024/08/27

In this episode, Jamie Benning interviews Doug Weir and Kieron Webb from the British Film Institute (BFI) about the restoration and screening of the 1933 classic film King Kong - 8th and 16th Sept 2024. They discuss the historical significance of the film, its pioneering visual effects, and its impact on cinema. They also talk about the process of restoring and preserving old film prints, including the challenges and techniques involved. The conversation highlights the importance of film restoration

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24 results

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