On this podcast episode I interview Hannah about her work on The Planters, a quirky, character-driven comedy that won Best of the Fest, Best Cinematography, and Best Song at Nashville Film Festival. Along with Alexandra Kotcheff, Hannah co-wrote, co-directed, co-starred, and co-shot the film. The Planters ended up taking 127 days to shoot, and Hannah and Alexandra were the only crew members on set.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How to shoot a high-quality film with a two-person crew
• The camera and lighting setups they used for the film
• How the stop-motion sequences in the film came together

At the end of the episode you can hear a preview of “You and Me Together,” the film’s award-winning song from Phil Danyew.

Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make friendly, engaging videos for earnest people.

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This is Up to Date, a short comedy about a blind date gone wrong. It’s the first live-action short I directed a few years ago, and it was written by Stephen Hoover. His script Damage Control was a finalist in the Nashville Film Festival’s screenwriting competition, and he helped to make possible my podcast festival coverage.

More of my videos are here.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

Related Episode

If you’d like to learn more about how comedy works, then check out this interview I did with Steve Kaplan. He teaches comedy workshops around the world. Companies like Dreamworks, Disney, HBO, Paramount, and Touchstone regularly hire him as a consultant and script doctor. 

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Related Things

• Nashville Film Festival
• The Planters
  • Facebook, IMDb, Instagram
• More of my podcast coverage of Nashville Film Festival

• Shortcut for the podcast: nicksav.show

Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

If You Liked the Show

• Donate $1 to help keep the show going.
• Sign up for The nsavides Newsletter.
• Subscribe or leave an honest review:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Overcast

• Say hello on Twitter:  @nsavidesPRO

Thank you for visiting!

The post How to Make an Award-Winning Film with a Two-Person Crew: The Planters appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

During the Nashville Film Festival, I had the chance to interview director Brian Richard, writer-producer Hunter Burke, and actor Jackson Beals about the film.

Some of the things we discuss include

• Honoring, not exploiting, the Cajun faith-healing community
• Getting the Cajun accents right and using them for story purposes
• Working with the Grammy-winning band Lost Bayou Ramblers on the soundtrack
• Nurturing a family-like atmosphere on set
• Exploring a crisis of faith on screen

Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make friendly, engaging videos for earnest people. My videos are here.

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

Related Episode

A few years ago I had the opportunity to interview Brian and Hunter about their short film Atchafalaya. That conversation is included in my coverage of the New Orleans Film Festival 2015.

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Related Things

• Nashville Film Festival
• Lost Bayou
  • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

• Good for What Ails You, the doc directed by Glen Pitre that explores Cajun faith healers.
• Lost Bayou Ramblers, the band that provided the music for the film
• If you are in or near New Orleans, you can catch Lost Bayou on Oct. 17 & 23 at the New Orleans Film Festival.

• Shortcut for the podcast: nicksav.show

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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If You Liked the Show

• Sign up for The nsavides Newsletter.
• Subscribe or leave an honest review:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Overcast

• Say hello on Twitter:  @nsavidesPRO

Thank you for visiting!

The post Capturing Authentic Cajun Culture on Screen: Lost Bayou appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Nathaniel Glass was one of the producers on As It Is in Heaven, and he returned as producer on Luke & Jo. This time around, he was also the director of photography, his first feature-length cinematography credit. The film has a memorable look, a testament to the work he did as a cinematographer and colorist.

… filmmaking is about telling truthful stories that change the world” – Nathaniel Glass 

Josh and Nate came on the podcast along with Andie Morgenlander, who was a co-writer, co-producer, costumer designer, and the lead actress in Luke & Jo. Having the three of them together allowed us to explore the filmmaking collaborative process in a really detailed way.

Some of the things we discuss include

• What to do when conflict arises during a shoot
• How to shoot a film that allows for improvisation from the actors
• The importance of a good camera operator on a micro-budget shoot
• Whether creative people should be more like brick walls or rubber bands
• Why asking for and receiving forgiveness is so important but so difficult to do
• Whether the coincidences or serendipities have higher significance
• How to not be that guy at film festivals

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As I mention in the episode, Josh was one of the judges of our #KnowMonologues challenge that I did with actress Laura Cayouette. This is the episode with Laura that led to the challenge. In it, she shares her experiences working with Quentin Tarantino and gives some practical advice to actors and filmmakers alike.

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The post A Filmmaking Conversation on Collaboration, Forgiveness, & Serendipity appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

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.

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

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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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

• The Organic Actor: Insider’s Secrets to Auditioning for Film and Television

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The post Acting in Deepwater Horizon & Bonnie & Clyde: Garrett Kruithof appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

In that film, Papajohn was taking hits for Dennis Quad.  He made an impression on director Taylor Hackford, who helped him get established as a stuntman.  Papajohn soon discovered that he enjoyed performing, and that transitioned into an extensive acting career. This summer he had roles in both Jurassic World and American Ultra. Recently he’s also been featured on Nashville (the TV show), Selma, and Nightcrawler, but to many he’s best known as the guy who killed Uncle Ben in Spider-Man.

Papajohn recently came on The nsavides Podcast and we discussed his recent work, his transition from stuntman to actor, and how to succeed in an industry that involves taking hard hits again and again, whether physically or emotionally. Stick around to the end, and you’ll hear our sports predictions for this year’s World Series and College Football Championships. Plus, I make a bold commitment if certain sports-related things happen this year.

Listen to the Podcast

The post Stuntman & Actor Michael Papajohn: Spider-Man, Sports, & Perseverance appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.