Film Riot

Making a Creature Feature

Pierce Brothers

Brett and Drew Pierce are the writer/director team behind the new horror film THE WRETCHED, an old school creature feature with more going on under the hood than just scares.

While having a background in Hollywood productions, the brothers still approach their work with a “do-it-yourself” attitude and a complete willingness to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to make their film happen. Their infectious passion has led to them releasing their latest feature under IFC Films and will undoubtedly grant them more great features to come.

Find music to fit any project!

More from the Pierce Bros

Produced by Ron Dawson

Edited by Emily Connolly

Emotionally Impactful Cinematography w/ Jody Lee Lipes

As the cinematographer for such beautiful work as A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Manchester by the Sea, and I Know This Much is True, Jody Lee Lipes brings an emotional honesty to all his work.

Of course, every element within the filmmaking process is a part of delivering on that honesty, with arguably two of the most important aspects being the performance and cinematography. Those two elements work together in a creative dance – if one is out of step with the other, the intention won’t land and the emotional impact would be lost. Imagine the scene in Contagion where Matt Damon’s character learns his wife has died, but with constant dolly moves and lens flares.

That emotional honesty is something that Jody pulls off with ease. Today he and Ryan chat about leaning into that meaning and honesty, working with technically difficult scenes (like the twinning in his latest HBO show), and what made him want to be a filmmaker.

More of Jody's work

PRODUced by ron dawson

Edited by Emily Connolly

PODCAST: EPISODE 26 – BRENT CHRISTY

Brent Christy is a director and DP with a deep wealth of knowledge.  He’s worked on everything from big-budget projects to the tiny passion project and makes every one of them stand out. Today we chat about directing, cinematography, set life, and balancing all that with family.


Connect with Brent:
Brent on Instagram
Brent’s Website

Connect with Ryan
Ryan on Twitter
Ryan on Instagram
Ryan on Facebook
Ryan on IMDB
Ryan’s Website

MORE FROM BRENT

 

 

 

PODCAST: EPISODE 21 – ZACH LIPOVSKY

Zach Lipovsky is a director that has recently finished two feature films – one that he did for Disney and the other a small indie film he made on his own with directing and writing partner Adam Stein.

Check out Zach’s amazing app, Shotlister: shotlister.com

Musicbed

Musicbed is packed with excellent music that you can license for your project. Now they have a subscription for less than $10 a month to get all the music you want and a free 30-day trial. Check it out here: MUSICBED

 

MARK DUPLASS: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming

 

PODCAST: EPISODE 17 – JOSH TANNER

Listen to the podcast:

Other Places to Listen/Subscribe
ITUNES – GOOGLE PLAY – STITCHER – OVERCAST – YOUTUBE – SOUNDCLOUD – PODBEAN SPOTIFY

Josh Tanner is a writer/director from Australia with some amazing short films like The Landing, The Rizzle, and Reverse. Today Ryan and Josh talk about directing horror, the transition between low budget shorts and larger productions, and getting their films seen by the right people.

 

Episode Sponsor: 

The folks at Westcott are the originators of the Flexible LED system and the Ice Light2, which are two pieces of gear I always find myself reaching for. Check out our full review of the two lights on Film Riot: FLEX LIGHT REVIEW

PODCAST: EPISODE 11 – DANIEL ROUTH

Listen to the podcast:

Other Places to Listen/Subscribe
ITUNES – GOOGLE PLAY – STITCHER – OVERCAST – YOUTUBE – SOUNDCLOUD – PODBEAN SPOTIFY

Daniel Routh talks about his experience as the cinematographer on his first feature film.

 

Episode Sponsor: 

The folks at Westcott are the originators of the Flexible LED system and the Ice Light2, which are two pieces of gear I always find myself reaching for. Check out our full review of the two lights on Film Riot: FLEX LIGHT REVIEW

Cinematography Tips from Bradford Young

I’ve been a big fan of Bradford Young for a while now. His work on films like ‘Selma’, ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’ and ‘A Most Violent Year’ are all standouts and absolutely gorgeous.

Then there is my personal favorite, ‘Arrival’. That film blew me away on every level, especially Young’s visuals…

So, you can imagine my excitement when I found these short interviews with Bradford from CookOpticsTV. In them, Bradford gives tips on using practicals, negative fill, and bounce. He also briefly goes into staying flexible while working on a production that has huge changes, like replacing directors in Solo.

Find more from CookOpticTV on their YouTube channel.