NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW

For filmmakers, musicians, & creative people who do amazing things and want to make the world better in some way.

Commentary: HBO’s Treme, The Wire, & Tom Piazza

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In this episode I reflect on my podcast interview with writer Tom Piazza and share more of my thoughts about HBO’s Treme and how it compares to The Wire, both of which were created by David Simon.

Afterwards I share some updates about some possibilities on the horizon.

My conversation with Tom Piazza:

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My commentary about Treme and the interview with Tom:

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Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make friendly, engaging videos for earnest people.
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This music video was one of the things that brought me to Louisiana.
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More of my videos are here.
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Related Episodes

On this podcast commentary from the 2018 Cutting Edge Music Conference, I share some takeaways about the New Orleans music community. My interviews episode from Cutting Edge 2018 includes a story about Clarence “Frogman” Henry.

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Related Things

Tom (indirectly) helped to make this photo happen.

  • Treme on Amazon Prime
  • Recommended episodes of Treme
    • Honorable mention: 1.8 “All on a Mardi Gras Day”
    • 1.10 “I’ll Fly Away”
    • 2.4 “Santa Claus, Do You Ever Get the Blues”
    • 2.7 “Carnival Time”
    • 2.10 “That’s What Lovers Do”
    • 4.5 “… To Miss New Orleans”
  • The Wire on Amazon Prime 
  • Tom’s site

Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

Shows Mentioned

  • Better Call Saul
  • Goliath
  • Idiocracy
  • Nashville 
  • The Practice
  • The Princess and the Frog
  • Rolling Thunder Revue
  • Treme
  • Waiting for Godot
  • The Wire

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Books Mentioned

  • City of Refuge
  • Devil Sent the Rain: Music and Writing in Desperate America
  • The Executioner’s Song 
  • A Free State
  • Le Morte d’Arthur
  • Why New Orleans Matters
  • Understanding Jazz: Ways to Listen

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Musicians and Albums Mentioned

Went to hear Clay and Jodi’s set for inspiration before recording this episode. Picked up their CD to say thanks. 

  • Allen Toussaint
  • Big Freedia
  • Bob Dylan
  • Clarence “Frogman” Henry
  • Clay Parker and Jodi James – The Lonesomest Sound That Can Sound
  • Elvis Costello
  • Fats Domino
  • Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
  • Lost Bayou Ramblers
  • Louis Armstrong
  • Tom Waits

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Treme & Why New Orleans Matters: Writer Tom Piazza

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Author Tom Piazza has written 12 books, many of which feature New Orleans, music, or both. His post-Katrina manifesto Why New Orleans Matters helped to inspire the HBO show Treme, and the show’s co-creator David Simon brought him on as a staff writer largely because of it. Tom received a Grammy Award for his album notes to Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey and has also written for numerous publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Oxford American.

Treme writer Tom Piazza Grammy winner podcast interview nicksav.show I met with Tom at the historic Columns Hotel in New Orleans to talk about his work and the city that has shaped so much of it. Some of the things we discuss in the episode include

  • Highlights from the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest
  • How to write about a place like a local
  • What not to do when writing music criticism
  • Research that went into his album notes for Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues
  • How the writing room on Treme worked together to flesh out challenging story points

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This is the commentary track, where I share my take on Treme, how it relates to The Wire, and some reflections on my conversation with Tom:

Show notes for the commentary track are here.

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Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories.
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This is the video I put together to commemorate The Rayo Brothers’ performance at Jazz Fest 2018. For part of their set they were joined by Grammy-winning musician Louis Michot from the Lost Bayou Ramblers.
This wedding video I shot includes some classic New Orleans elements including Brennan’s, where Bananas Foster was invented; the Pontchartrain Hotel, where Tennessee Williams worked on his play Streetcar Named Desire; streetcars; and jazz.
More of my videos are here.
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Related Episodes

One of the bands featured in Treme is Papa Gros Funk. On this episode I interviewed the filmmakers behind Do U Want It, a documentary about the band that focuses on their final performances before their indefinite hiatus.

This episode features an interview with Laura Cayouette, a New Orleanian actress who played Kay, a recurring character on Treme. Laura is often recognized for her role in Django Unchained, where she played the sister of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character.

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Related Things

Treme writer Tom Piazza

Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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Books Mentioned

  • An American Dream by Norman Mailer
  • City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
  • Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
  • La Vita Nuova by Dante
  • The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
  • Understanding Jazz: Ways to Listen by Tom Piazza
  • Why New Orleans Matters by Tom Piazza

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Musicians Mentioned

  • Barbecue Bob
  • Bill Monroe
  • Bob Dylan
  • Bonnie Raitt
  • The Carter family
  • Diana Krall
  • Elvis Costello
  • Hank Williams
  • Jimmie Rodgers
  • John Prine
  • Muddy Waters
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Shows Mentioned

  • Deadwood
  • Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey
  • Treme 
  • The Wire 

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Acting in Deepwater Horizon & Bonnie & Clyde: Garrett Kruithof

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Garrett Kruithof was managing a hotel in Louisiana when a conversation with a guest convinced him that it was not too late to pursuit an acting career. He took an acting class, got connected with the actors in his community, and went on a number of auditions across the country.

After landed a recurring role on the Starz series Magic City, Garrett was able to turn acting into a full-time career.

Some of his other notable projects include Bonnie & Clyde, which was the third most-watched basic cable miniseries of all time, and Deepwater Horizon, where he played Karl Kleppinger Jr., one of the 11 workers who died when the rig erupted.

Actor Garrett Kruithof on The nsavides Podcast

Some of the things we discuss include

  • What goes into researching a historical figure
  • Techniques for finessing a performance that isn’t working
  • How getting connected to an acting community helped Garrett find success
  • Building rapport with colleagues when you have just a few hours to make a connection
  • The lore around Bonnie & Clyde and the fascination that continues to this day
  • What it’s like playing a real-life character who has died and meeting his family
  • Learning how to be comfortable in your skin, onscreen and in reality
  • Exploring a life of crime on screen

 

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If you’d like to hear another interview with an actor and acting coach, you can listen to my interview with Laura Cayouette, who you might recognize as the sister of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Django Unchained. We discuss her approach to acting and instructing other actors, her collaborations with Tarantino, and more.

Show notes for that episode are here:

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Sponsor for this Episode

 

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!
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Let’s talk about what we can do together.
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Some of the team from Fable House and I will be doing a special live podcast at SXSW 2018.  It happens on March 14, at 11:00 AM. Details are here. If you plan to attend the festival, we hope you’ll join us.  Email: podcast@nsavides.com.

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Related Things

Actor Garrett Kruithof on Deepwater Horizon

Garrett as Karl on Deepwater Horizon

  • Garrett’s website & IMDb page
  • Garrett teaches acting at Northwood Acting Studio
  • Garrett on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
  • I interviewed Garrett briefly as part of my coverage of LA Film Prize 2016. That interview is here.
  • The Iceman, features a brief but significant appearance by Garrett.  I once had the opportunity to interview Bradley Greer who did the color grade on that film, and we discussed how the grade helped to convey the story in this episode.

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow

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Films & Shows Mentioned

  • 48 Hrs.
  • Bonnie & Clyde (2013)
  • Burn Notice 
  • Common Law
  • Deepwater Horizon 
  • Devil’s Acid
  • Free State of Jones
  • The Iceman 
  • Magic City
  • Mr. Right 
  • Shakespeare on the Range 
  • St. Jude’s Crossing
  • Underground
  • Ya Albi 

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Book Mentioned

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Commentary: Hope Hanafin, The Newsroom, & Impossible Dreams

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Last episode I had the opportunity to interview Hope Hanafin, the costume designer on shows like 500 Days of Summer, The Newsroom, and Thank You for Your Service. Normally I do the commentary at the end of each interview, but the interview with Hope ran longer than usual.

Hope shared a lot of great insights, so rather than try to cut down the interview’s length, I decided to do my commentary on a separate episode. It would also give me the opportunity to think more about Aaron Sorkin’s work and to delve more deeply into The Newsroom, which I watched all the way through for the first time in preparation for the interview.

While The Newsroom came out in 2012, it still feels relevant in today’s political landscape. It dares to imagine what the news could be like if more of its practitioners were focused on telling the truth, and not merely entertaining for the sake of ratings or succumbing to the pitfalls of partisan politics.

The Newsroom commentary on The nsavides Podcast

It’s a big vision, but does the show live up to its potential and its own ideals? What if anything can we take away from the show as we try to navigate the often polarizing waters of today’s current events?

That’s what I set to examine in my commentary. The Newsroom involves a number of political discussions, so I couldn’t see a way to thoughtfully discuss the show without touching on its political outlook. My podcast is not primarily a political one, but I do believe it is important to address challenging issues on occasion, even if they do touch on politics.

I understand that politics can be polarizing, so I was hesitant to dive in, but the stakes felt substantial enough, and just because certain terrain is tricky to navigate doesn’t mean we should avoid it entirely. On the contrary, it can be important to engage and to do so in a civil way. Otherwise only the most belligerent and extreme voices will be heard.

My perspectives might be a little different than how you see things or what you might expect based on other film and TV commentaries, but they are earnestly offered.  Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, I’m hoping that you’ll consider my outlook and that we can continue the conversation in a thoughtful and considerate way.

Let’s work together to make things better, shall we?

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The Newsroom includes ongoing references to Man of La Mancha, a musical that has also meant something to me over the years. I discuss it in the commentary and briefly mention it in my prior discussion with Steve Kaplan, Hollywood’s go-to comedy consultant. Check out the interview with him below to get a better sense of how comedy works and why it matters.

Show notes for that episode are here:

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Sponsor for this Episode

 

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!
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Let’s talk about what we can do together.
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Some of the team from Fable House and I will be doing a special live podcast on March 14 at SXSW 2018. If you plan to attend the festival, we hope you’ll join us.
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Related Things

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow

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Films & Shows Mentioned

  • 500 Days of Summer
  • I, Tonya
  • Man of La Mancha
  • Molly’s Game
  • The Newsroom
  • On the Waterfront
  • The Post
  • Thank You For Your Service

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Books Mentioned

  • Elia Kazan: A Life
  • Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials

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Frank Oz: The Man Behind Yoda, Miss Piggy, & Fozzie Bear

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Frank Oz is the puppet performer and voice of several beloved characters from The Muppets and Sesame Street. Some of the Muppet characters he’s performed include Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam the Eagle. His popular Sesame Street characters include Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover.

Frank is also an accomplished director. The first feature film he directed was Dark Crystal, which he co-directed with Jim Henson. He then went on to direct films like The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What About Bob, and Bowfinger. To many though, myself included, Frank is best known as the performer who brings Yoda to life in the Star Wars films.

Frank Oz: The man behind the puppets

 

Recently he directed a documentary about what it was like for him and his colleagues to work with Jim Henson on the Muppets. The documentary is called Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched and will be available online for viewing on the film’s site on March 16.

The Muppets and the Star Wars films have meant a lot to me throughout the years, so I was eager to do the interview, one I’ve been pursuing ever since I met Frank at SXSW 2017. The interview finally happened recently, but it didn’t go as expected.

Instead of editing out the complications, I decided to include them and offer some commentary about what happened. It felt like doing so could offer a more honest look at what a creative collaboration can involve.

In this episode we discuss

  • What it was like collaborating with Jim Henson
  • Whether there is a place for films to convey a moral outlook
  • How Frank gained the confidence to do voices along with his puppetry
  • How the character of Yoda developed and what if anything inspired the character
  • What kind of influence a good creative leader can have on others
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Want to hear another puppet-related episode? You might appreciate this interview with Clay Achee. His Dark Crystal fan film got featured on the Jim Henson YouTube page, which led to him getting an exclusive tour of The Jim Henson Company’s studio space. Show notes for that episode are over here.

 

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Sponsor for this Episode

 

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!
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Let’s talk about what we can do together.
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Some of the team from Fable House and I will be doing a special live podcast at SXSW 2018. If you plan to attend, we hope you’ll join us.  Email: podcast@nsavides.com.

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Related Things

 

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow

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Films & Shows Mentioned

  • Boiler Room
  • Bowfinger
  • The Dark Crystal
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Empire Strikes Back
  • Fraggle Rock 
  • In Their Own Words: Jim Henson
  • Little Shop of Horrors
  • Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched
  • The Muppet Show
  • The Muppets Take Manhattan
  • The Producers
  • Star Wars
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  • What About Bob
  • Walk With Me

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Books Mentioned

  • Jim Henson: The Biography
  • Poetics
  • The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery
  • Sesame Street: A Celebration—40 Years of Life on the Street
  • Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

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Emmy-Winning Director Explores NASCAR’s Winningest Team

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Filmmaker Cynthia Hill earned an Emmy for her work on the PBS show A Chef’s Life, which gets over 4 million views per episode and is seen around the world. Her latest project is Road to Race Day, a documentary series executive produced by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) that offers unprecedented access into the world of Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful stock car racing team in NASCAR history. The team is co-owned by Jeff Gordon and some of their other driver include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, and Jimmie Johnson.

Road to Race Day podcast interview with director Cynthia Hill

Some of the things that we discuss include

  • Filmmaking as a way to bridge cultural divisions
  • How Cynthia earned the trust of an exclusive, occasionally secretive, organization
  • What it’s like getting notes from a filmmaker like Peter Berg
  • The appeal of NASCAR and what makes it a quintessential American past time
  • What we can learn from the collaborations of top-performing race teams and pit crews
  • Cynthia’s unconventional directing approach that allowed for real-time storytelling in the midst of race-day chaos
  • How Cynthia and her team was able to record crisp sound even in the midst of a noisy speedway

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Sponsor for this Episode

PODCAST SUCCESS STORY 
I interviewed filmmaker Austin Alward during my Louisiana Film Prize 2016 coverage. After getting to know him, I felt like he might get along well with Sam Claitor, a producer friend over at Fable House.
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Austin and Sam hit it off and decided to partner on Le Grand Remix, one of the more ambitious short films I’ve come across. (It involves a crew larger than some feature films.) In April Sam and Austin were awarded a a $32,500 French Culture Film Grant from #CreateLouisiana and their partners.
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a podcast success story
Former podcast guests Austin Alward and Jolene Pinder pose with Sam Claitor after the award ceremony. Photo from CreateLouisiana’s Facebook page.
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At the time of this episode, they are finishing up the shooting for the film and are prepping a Kickstarter campaign to pay for the film’s finishing touches. Congratulations to Austin, Sam, and the rest of the Le Grand Remix team for bringing your ambitious vision to life!
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The nsavides Podcast made things a little better for Austin and Sam. How can it make things better for you? 
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Related Things

Director Cynthia Hill also records sound for the series.

 

  • Cynthia’s production company, Markay Media
  • Composer Chuck Johnson’s website
  • Watch Road to Race Day on go90.com
  • Cynthia on
  • Chuck on
  • Road to Race Day on
  • Audio equipment used to record the series
    • Sanken COS-11D omni lavalier mics (paired with Lectrosonics SRb5P dual-channel wireless receivers and SMQV transmitters)
    • Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun microphone
    • Zaxcom Maxx mixer/recorder

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Films & Shows Mentioned

  • Boxing 24/7 
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild 
  • A Chef’s Life
  • Friday Night Lights 
  • Patriot Day   
  • Raw
  • Road to Race Day

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