Filmmaker U

https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Cinematographer John Brawley, ACS, talks about his experience on the acclaimed series "Shrinking." Brawley shares insights into joining the show in its second season, discussing the collaborative process with showrunners and writers to maintain and evolve the series' unique comedic and emotional tone. He details his approach to naturalistic lighting and multi-camera setups, emphasizing techniques that foster actor improvisation and enhance narrative depth.

00:00 Introduction to John Brawley
00:54 Shrinking" Evolution & Tone
06:23 Bill Lawrence's Influence
08:46 Tone Meetings & Collaboration
10:10 Filming Techniques & Actors
20:37 Blackmagic Ursa Camera Workflow
26:30 "Shrinking" Therapy Themes
28:59 John Brawley's Passions
30:18 Concluding Remarks

John Brawley ACS’s credits include such hit series as Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell; Bill Lawrence’s “Bad Monkey” starring Vince Vaughn and Michelle Monaghan; the Emmy-nominated period dramedy “The Great” starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult; the true-crime limited series “The Thing About Pam” starring Renée Zellweger; and the upcoming series “Scarpetta” starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Brawley’s recent feature credits include the Peter Farrelly-directed comedies “Balls Up” starring Mark Wahlberg and “Rickey Stanicky,” starring John Cena, Zac Effron, and William H. Macy; Tim Sutton’s indie feature “Taurus,” starring Machine Gun Kelly, which premiered at Berlinale 2022 before its theatrical release; and Phillip Noyce’s indie thriller “The Desperate Hours” starring Naomi Watts, which had its premiere at TIFF in 2021.

In 2017, Brawley arrived in the U.S. to shoot the drama series “Queen of the South” starring Alice Braga. The first-year medical drama “The Resident” immediately followed, and he also shot season two and made his directorial debut on the series. Other credits include the pilot “Gone Baby Gone” for director Phillip Noyce; the series “Hunters”; and “The Beautiful Lie,” a contemporary retelling of Anna Karenina, starring Sarah Snook, which received considerable critical and audience acclaim and earned him an AACTA nomination for Best Cinematography in Television.

Brawley began his career shooting many of Australia’s most beloved series and graduated with an MA from the prestigious Australian Film Television and Radio School.

He is a member of the DGA and ACS (Australian Cinematographers Society).

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

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https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Go behind the lens of horror thriller Bodycam with cinematographer Clayton Moore as he breaks down the creative and technical process behind crafting the film’s intense found-footage style. From his early roots in photojournalism and love of ’80s adventure films to the cutting-edge camera techniques used on set, Moore shares how modern technology shaped the movie’s immersive visual language. Learn how the team blended practical filmmaking, innovative rigs, and post-production VFX to build tension, realism, and fear in this in-depth conversation on contemporary horror cinematography.

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

Follow, like and share on Social Media
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https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Go behind the scenes of “They Will Kill You” with Crafty Apes’ VFX Supervisor Marc Smith and Compositing Supervisor Nicole Smith as they break down the film’s most intense visual effects.

In this in-depth conversation, they reveal how practical effects and digital VFX were seamlessly combined to create realistic gore, high-impact sequences, and visually striking moments. From early pre-production planning to final compositing, discover the techniques, tools, and creative decisions that brought the director’s vision to life.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, VFX artist, or film enthusiast, this interview offers valuable insight into professional visual effects workflows, collaboration on set, and the artistry behind complex cinematic scenes.

Topics Covered:
-VFX breakdown of “They Will Kill You.”
-Practical vs digital effects in film
-Creating realistic gore with VFX
-Compositing techniques and workflows
-Collaboration between the VFX team and the director
-Behind-the-scenes filmmaking process

Subscribe for more filmmaking interviews, editing breakdowns, and VFX insights.

With over 23 years of VFX experience across multiple disciplines and global locations Marc Smith is a well rounded and versatile VFX Supervisor with extensive experience in both pre and post production. Some of his notable credits include "Alita: Battle Angel" (2019), "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011) and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014).

Nicole Smith has 14 years of experience in the visual effects industry and is a compositing supervisor with a passion for seamless visual storytelling. With a strong eye for detail, she specializes in integrating live action and CGI into cohesive, cinematic images. Her background includes leading teams across high-end film and television projects, most recently on They Will Kill You, where she oversaw the delivery of visuals that met both creative and technical goals. She is always looking for ways to refine the work and elevate the final result. Outside of work, she enjoys home renovation projects, experimenting with new recipes, and spending time exploring with her dog.

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

Follow, like and share on Social Media
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https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Explore the intricate world of film and TV sound design in "The PItt" season 2 with Bryan Parker of the Formosa Group. Discover his journey from engineering to sound mastery, his philosophy on controlling live events, and the creative techniques used to evoke emotion and enhance storytelling. Learn about the distinct challenges and innovative solutions in both film and television sound production.

Bryan Parker has worked in storytelling since his first job at the age of 14, running sound and lights for a theater in his hometown in Ohio. With a drive for seeking out elegant solutions under ever-changing constraints, he worked in live sound reinforcement and recorded bands through college. He was then presented with a new challenge and offered an opportunity to enter the realm of sound for picture in Los Angeles. Bryan has worked in both broadcast and features, coming up at first through the fast-paced world of nonfiction television and then on to more creative film projects. For over 10 years, he has customized his approach and workflow to each project's unique needs. He is especially interested in the musicality and nuance of human speech, in the expressive power of different vehicle engines, and in the way

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

Follow, like and share on Social Media
https://www.linkedin.com/company/filmmaker-u
https://www.facebook.com/FilmmakerU/
https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_u/
https://www.twitter.com/filmmaker_u
https://www.youtube.com/FilmmakerU

https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Explore the collaborative editing process behind "The Night Manager" season two. Editors Dan Crinnion, Izabella Curry, and Napoleon Stratakins detail their unified approach, fostering shared scene discussions and a deeper understanding of character arcs. They discuss the meticulous handling of violence and the art of crafting compelling narratives, focusing on character development and emotional resonance.

Izabella Curry, is a film editor based in Brighton and London. Her credits include the feature film 'Two For Joy', the series ‘Sex Education’ and ‘The Night Manager’, as well as commercials and music videos.

Napoleon Stratogiannakis is a London-based film and television editor whose work spans high-end drama series, independent features, and documentaries. He has edited projects for the BBC, Apple TV+, Netflix, and the British Film Institute, including "The Night Manager" Season 2, "The Responder", "The Essex Serpent", and features such as "Sister Midnight", "Apostasy", "Suntan", and "Monday". His films have screened at major international festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, London, Rotterdam, and SXSW, and his work has been recognized with multiple BAFTA and British Independent Film Award nominations.

Dan Crinnion has worked in the cutting room for the last 25 years in the UK. His first editing opportunity came on Jed Mercurio's critically acclaimed medical drama "Critical". Since then, he has worked on numerous shows including Netflix's "The Last Kingdom", Amazon's "Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power", and HBO'S "Pennyworth". He was nominated for an Emmy, a Bafta, and won an EDDIE award for his work on "Killing Eve", and has recently been nominated for the BFE award for best comedy on Disney's "Extraordinary".

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

Follow, like and share on Social Media
https://www.linkedin.com/company/filmmaker-u
https://www.facebook.com/FilmmakerU/
https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_u/
https://www.twitter.com/filmmaker_u
https://www.youtube.com/FilmmakerU

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https://www.filmmakeru.com/, Contact [email protected] for information and inquiries.

Editor Shelby Siegel, ACE, takes viewers inside the edit of "The Beast in Me," revealing the creative decisions that shaped the series’ distinctive visual and emotional tone. She discusses her collaboration with the creative team to achieve the show’s rich, filmic aesthetic, marked by textured grain, saturated imagery, and moody, atmospheric visuals.

Through scene breakdowns and behind-the-scenes insights, Siegel explores how editing was used to deepen character development, enhance performances, and guide audiences through complex emotional journeys. She also examines the role of pacing, visual storytelling, and temporal structure in conveying trauma, memory, and perspective, offering a fascinating look at the craft behind one of television’s most compelling dramas.

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Filmmaker U Chats is sponsored by Manhattan Edit Workshop

Manhattan Edit Workshop is a New York Film Editing School offering a full range of basic to advanced training courses, from Avid, Autodesk, Assimilate, Blackmagic, and Apple products to the complete suite of Adobe applications.

Manhattan Edit Workshop's mission is to provide the highest-quality education for filmmakers and editors, focusing on the art and technology inherent to our craft. We foster a "learn by doing" approach in an atmosphere where mistakes are encouraged as part of the process and the only "silly" question is the one that isn't asked.

Please go to https://www.mewshop.com for more information.

Every week, Filmmaker U is joined by award-winning filmmakers and creatives from the film and television industry. Please join us weekly to ask your questions live with our guest, or watch our vast catalog of a talented lineup of past interviewees on our YouTube page or page.

Go to https://www.filmmakeru.com for more information on our courses and past interviews.

Follow, like and share on Social Media
https://www.linkedin.com/company/filmmaker-u
https://www.facebook.com/FilmmakerU/
https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_u/
https://www.twitter.com/filmmaker_u
https://www.youtube.com/FilmmakerU