How “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” DP Fraser Taggart Pulled Off That Insane Train Sequence
Editors’ Note: This story contains mild spoilers. The action in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One rolls out like a conveyor belt of delicious candy, leaving you wanting more. And director Christopher McQuarrie delivers those highs again and again. The global affair treks from Abu Dhabi for a swirling desert shootout and on to Rome ...
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” Production Designer Gary Freeman Creates an Artificially Intelligent Palace
The bespoke work of production designer Gary Freeman on Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One might be overlooked by most moviegoers. A few of the reasons might be because of a then 60-year-old Tom Cruise out stunting himself yet again or the scene-stealing performances by Hayley Atwell as a wily thief and Pom Klementieff as ...
“Lakota Nation vs. United States” Director Jesse Short Bull & Editor Laura Tomaselli Bring a Profound Injustice to Life
Director Jesse Short Bull knew he’d found the right collaborator in editor Laura Tomaselli when he watched her early cut of Lakota Nation vs. United States, their documentary about the Lakota’s ongoing quest to reclaim the Black Hills of South Dakota, sacred land that was stolen by the government in violation of the Black Hills ...
“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” Songwriter Justin Tranter on Capturing That ’50s Musical Magic
The Tony-nominated Broadway musical Grease captured a generation following its theatrical release in 1978, an era-defining film that starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as a pair of unlikely teens falling in love. Since then, the beloved musical has been revived on Broadway, produced a movie sequel, and turned into a live television show. Debuting ...
“The White Lotus” Emmy-Nominated Music Supervisor Gabe Hilfer on Mia’s Musical Chops, Tanya’s Swan Song & More
Season two of Mike White’s killer satire The White Lotus established, from that gorgeous opening title sequence, that it was going to be a thing of beauty to hear as well as behold. Sure, you can hardly find a more lush location than Sicily, where this particular outpost of the titular resort chain is located, but Italy ...
“Poker Face” Costume Designer Trayce GiGi Field on Dealing Out Vintage Vibes
“The show was a huge challenge, and I love a good challenge,” costume designer Trayce GiGi Field (Dead to Me) shares about working on Rian Johnson’s (Glass Onion, Knives Out) clever crime drama Poker Face. The breakout series stars Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) as Charlie, a no “bullsh*t” crime solver on the run from her ...
“Star Trek: Picard” VFX Supervisor Jason Zimmerman on Charting The Series’ Final Course
The legacy of Star Trek lives on through an entertaining trio of shows. Star Trek: Discovery (2017), Star Trek: Picard (2020), and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2023) have brought new cosmic adventures for fans of the beloved franchise while tying back to the mega-narrative of the Star Trek universe, which has been taking viewers ...
“The Last of Us” Cinematographer Ksenia Sereda on Shining a Light in the Darkness
The Last of Us, HBO’s thrilling, best-in-class adaptation of Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed video game, provided 2023’s first certifiable must-watch series. Co-created by the video game’s mastermind, Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, the series followed a pair of intrapersonally opposed survivors of a fungi-borne apocalypse as they picked their way across a devastated American landscape ...
“Joy Ride” Screenwriters Cherry Chevapravatdumrong & Teresa Hsiao Embrace the Raunch
Adele Lim’s feature directorial debut Joy Ride cruised into theaters this past weekend, boasting critical raves. The laughs come early and often in Lim’s ensemble film, thanks in large part to screenwriters and producers Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao. The talented duo began writing the script for Joy Ride on spec, and that sense of ...
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” VFX Artists on De-Aging Indy
Brad Pitt did it. Robert DeNiro did it. Samuel Jackson, Jeff Bridges, and Will Smith did it, too. Now, 80-year-old Harrison Ford has embraced digital de-aging in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (in theaters now) so he can fight Nazis looking like a 37-year-old version of his iconic action hero. Ford’s cinematic rejuvenation ...
“Godfather of Harlem” Production Designer Patrick Howe on Handling History in Season 3
The story of gangster Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) continues to unfold with the third season of Godfather of Harlem, from creators Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein. This prequel series to Ridley Scott‘s 2007 feature American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, cleverly intertwines a kinetic group of characters in a period crime drama well ...
“Fatal Attraction” Production Designer Nina Ruscio on Creating Design With an Edge
The famed 1987 film Fatal Attraction, starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, made its way to the small screen with Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan as the unfaithful couple tearing each other’s lives apart. Reinvigorated by Alexandra Cunningham (Physical), the psychological thriller unravels over eight gripping episodes, taking place 15 years after Dan (Jackson) is ...
“Beef” Production Designer Grace Yun on Mixing Real & Surreal Into a Simmering Style
Beef creator Lee Sung Jin (Dave, Undone), who goes by Sonny Lee, reached out to production designer Grace Yun (Past Lives, Ramy, Hereditary) to share his vision of the series that pins Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a failing contractor, and Amy Lau (Ali Wong), a self-made entrepreneur, against one other following a heated parking lot ...
How “Stranger Things” Editor Dean Zimmerman Cut Eddie’s Epic Guitar Solo & That Wild Season 4 Finale
“Divide and conquer while keeping our heads above water was how we approached episode nine,” says editor Dean Zimmerman, who has been on the juggernaut Netflix series Stranger Things since the beginning. Season four sees its beloved characters continue their fight against Vecna, a mind-controlling arch-villain wreaking havoc on the town of Hawkins. It was ...
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” DP Phedon Papamichael on Capturing That Iconic Indy Look
Days before the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, its director James Mangold and cinematographer Phedon Papamichael watched the final version of the film with original franchise helmer Steven Spielberg and his long-time cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, who lensed Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Afterward, there was nothing but praise. “Hearing ...
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” Production Designer Adam Stockhausen on That Thrilling Opening Sequence
“There is a lot to draw from, but there’s also a very high bar in terms of how visually exciting these films have been,” says production designer Adam Stockhausen (The Grand Budapest Hotel) of the Indiana Jones franchise. The four previous films – Raider of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), Last Crusade ...
“Extraction 2” Director Sam Hargrave on Lighting Chris Hemsworth on Fire, That Helicopter Scene & More
Extraction 2 is one of the most relentlessly action-packed movies of the summer, with the excitement of an 80s action epic paired with explosive, cutting-edge stunts that rival the thrills of Mission: Impossible and John Wick. In the second installment of the smash hit Netflix franchise, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is back from the brink ...
“Swagger” Creator Reggie Rock Bythewood on Soaring to New Narrative Heights in Season 2
When looking for their next favorite series, fans of engaging drama—bonus points if you’re a lover of basketball—should look no further than creator and director Reggie Rock Bythewood’s series Swagger, which just premiered its second season on Apple TV+. Based on the youth basketball experience of NBA superstar Kevin Durant, the story is centered around ...
How “Kandahar” Location Manager Félix Rosell Mapped Out Gerard Butler’s Afghan Escape
The road to filming Kandahar had to be built, literally. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen, Greenland), the espionage thriller stars Gerard Butler as CIA operative Tom Harris turned Afghanistan’s Most Wanted after his operation is exposed by a whistleblower. Though the movie title references the Afghan city, it was Saudi Arabia that ...
How the “Wednesday” VFX Supervisor Created Thing, Nevermore, and More
The “mysterious and spooky” Addams Family gets revitalized in Tim Burton’s hit series Wednesday, which stars Jenna Ortega as the emotionally reserved child, complete with pigtails, black attire, and a deadpan affect that suggests this youngster is the oldest of souls. The story, from creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, is directed by Tim Burton ...
