Education

Ep. 34: David Mendez - Special Effects Makeup

Ep. 34: David Mendez - Special Effects Makeup

Sometimes you find yourself with some fake blood in your mouth and a couple of drinking straws - because that's how you get things done in this business. At least, it is when you're a special effects makeup artist, like this week's Cinematic Immunity guest, David Mendez.

Listen as the multi-talented Mendez brakes down the makeup department for us, with a special focus on special-effects. We talk about the tools of his trade (fake blood and drinking straws are only two of them), the challenges and fun of creating makeup looks for film, his influences, and how Captain Kirk taught him to fight. He also explains how being a U.S. Army Infantryman compares to working on a movie set, and how it has helped his stunt coordinator work

Ep. 33: Billy Badalato Jr. - Producer, Part 2

Ep. 33: Billy Badalato Jr. - Producer, Part 2

Here's what it's like to shoot a moving train from a moving helicopter, who wins a budgets-vs.-creative battle in the studio system - or budgets and efficiency vs. safety. The answers to questions like, why are we still waiting to shoot? Why are studios the way they are? What goes into the machinery of studio financing? ...and how Billy knew he had finally made it in the business when no one would sit with him at lunch.

Ep. 32: Billy Badalato, Jr. - Producer, Part 1

Ep. 32: Billy Badalato, Jr. - Producer, Part 1

The wait is over! Producer and 3rd-generation movie-makerBilly Badalato, Jr., stopped by Cinematic Immunity recently to school us on the ins and outs of international and domestic film consulting, the logistics of Navy fighter-jet refueling, and some of the difficulties of using trains, planes and boats in your movie.  We discuss what happens when you go to shoot in the middle of nowhere, and how to climb the showbiz ladder from personal assistant to president of a global production and consulting company

Ep. 31: David Stump, A.S.C. - Cinematographer

Ep. 31: David Stump, A.S.C. - Cinematographer

Today on the Cinematic Immunity podcast, we bring you an interview with award-wining cinematographer, David Stump, A.S.C.. Get ready for stories about some of your all-time favorite films!  In this episode, we discuss the unforgettable  train sequence in Stand By MeRambo III's "muscle lighting," Beetlejuice, and Army of Darkness. Plus, we talk about Quantum of Solace and forgetting to steal things, Star Trek: First Contact and Patrick Stuart's eyeball work, and we visit post-apocalyptic Kansas, go for a ride in a certain time-traveling Delorean once more, and Louis loves on David's timely new book, Digital Cinematography: Fundamentals, Tools, Techniques, and Workflows

Over last thirty-plus years, David Stump has worn many filmmaking hats. He's been a producer, a director, a cinematographer, an author, a visual effects supervisor, an effects cameraman - and he even has an Academy Award for Scientific & Technical Achievement. He's worked on some of the most memorable films from the last three decades, and is generous enough to share his knowledge with the world through his excellent book and insightful articles on filmmaking. Enjoy the interview! 

Let us know what you think of Cinematic Immunity! You can leave us a comment in the space below, send us a message through the Get In Touch page, and, of course, follow us on the social media platform of your choice. Catch up on old episodes here, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunesSoundCloud and Stitcher

We'll see you back on Thursday for a preview of our next interview: Producer Billy Badalato, Jr. 

 

Ep. 30: Dan McMellen - Post-Production Supervisor - Part 2

Ep. 30: Dan McMellen - Post-Production Supervisor - Part 2

For the Pros out there, this time we get into the technical side of the post-production process, talking in depth about editing technique and theory.  Plus, Dan and Louis share a few valuable lessons learned from renowned editor and author, Walter Murch.

Ep. 28: Karyn Wagner - Costume Designer

Ep. 28: Karyn Wagner - Costume Designer

This week on Cinematic Immunity, stylish and talented costume designer Karyn Wagner joins us to talk about how she went from being "the best-dressed camera assistant ever" to designing the costumes forThe Green Mile, Friday Night Lights and The Notebook, where she finds the inspiration for her designs, and how a she can make you hate a character without him ever saying a word. 

 

Ep. 27: David Lawrence - Composer

Ep. 27: David Lawrence - Composer

Thanks to David Lawrence's impressive musical pedigree, the successful composer can include "being around Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra" on his list of the many life-altering experiences he had growing up as the son of legendary entertainers, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé.  

Lawrence sat down with Cinematic Immunity and discussed his greatest influences, his artistic process, the nuts and bolts of being a film & television composer, working successfully with extreme time-tables, and the creative tug-of-war between directors and studios. From adding hairpins on the strings, to subtracting that repeating drum loop, it's an introduction into a whole new area of the filmmaking process that you won't want to miss! 

Special thanks to Pancho Burgos-Goizueta, for his help in welcoming David Lawrence to the Cinematic Immunity podcast!

Ep. 24: Dean Cundey - Cinematographer Part 2

Ep. 24: Dean Cundey - Cinematographer Part 2

Dean returns in Part II.  We discuss the challenges of Roger Rabbit not existing on location, to getting some assistance from the Oval Office to solve pesky gravity problems on a certain spaceship set. In-between, we breakdown some select scenes of the greatest Trilogy ever about a time-traveling teen and his friend the "Doc".

Ep. 23: Dean Cundey - Cinematographer Part 1

Ep. 23: Dean Cundey - Cinematographer Part 1

Jurassic Park! Halloween! Big Trouble in Little China!

Acclaimed cinematographer Dean Cundey sat down with Cinematic Immunity for an interview and knocked our socks off.  In part one of our two-part discussion, we learn how Cundey got his start in Hollywood, his turning point in film school, and the surprising keys to success that they don't teach in school, such as, "Always try to get someone else to take the blame." He says with a wry smile. 

Dean was also kind enough to share his stories of pioneering the use of Steadicam with the multi-talented John Carpenter in "Halloween" (1978), how his innovative, Oscar-nominated work on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) paved the way for the groundbreaking visual effects of "Jurassic Park" (1993), how the military precision of the "Jurassic Park" film crew wowed the actual military after Hurricane Iniki hit on their last day of filming, and much more.

We'll see you back next Tuesday, September 16th, 2014, for part two of our interview with the great Dean Cundey, A.S.C..