The Filmmakers Podcast

We are keeping the focus entirely on craft this week with a deep dive into one of the most affecting, emotionally rigorous films of the year. In a brand new Academy Masterclass, Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir sit down with director Marie Kreutzer and her incredible lead actress, Léa Seydoux, to discuss the creation of Gentle Monster.

The film relies entirely on the unspoken, exploring the devastating fallout of a fractured family dynamic and a mother forced to confront a reality she cannot change. Marie and Léa break down the incredibly intimate, often silent collaboration required to bring such a heavy, insular world to life without ever slipping into melodrama.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

Directing the Unspoken: How Marie and Léa built trust on set, relying on a shared shorthand rather than over-talking a scene, and why sometimes the best direction is giving an actor the freedom to simply be.

The Weight of the Silence: Why the hardest moments to film were the quietest, and the specific scene in the office that forced Léa to tap into a completely raw, unfiltered vulnerability.

Embracing the Uncomfortable: The process of stripping away theatricality and forcing an audience to sit in the discomfort of a character who is actively resisting her own grief.

The Director-Actor Bond: Why Marie specifically wrote the role for Léa, and the unique, almost wordless connection they shared when navigating the film's darkest moments.

PODCAST MERCH
Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more on our Creator Spring store.

COURSES
Want to learn how to finish your film?
Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE at Cutting Room Info.

PATREONBig thank you to:Serena GardnerMark HammettLee HutchingsMarli J MonroeKaren NewmanWant your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides and feedback on your film projects!

SUPPORT THE PODCASTCheck out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com

CREDITSThe Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesaldersonLogo and Banner Art by Lois Creative
Theme Music by John J. Harvey
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are taking a break from the creative side this week to get straight into the hard reality of the industry: the money. If you want to make films, you need to understand how the numbers work. Giles Alderson is joined (in his hotel room) in Bulgaria by Tony Cook and Zak Fenning to completely demystify the business of independent film finance.

Tony and Zak have just launched their new production banner, Cult Films, and they break down exactly how they are structuring the company, how they are actively pitching private investors and how they utilise UK tax credits to de-risk independent filmmaking.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

Company Structure: Why Tony and Zak chose to establish a parent production company (Cult Films) that manages individual Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for each film, rather than relying on one messy, overarching entity.

SEIS and EIS Explained: A rigorous breakdown of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)—and exactly how these government initiatives offer massive tax relief to private investors willing to back your film.

The Power of the AVEC: How the newly reformed Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) allows filmmakers to claim back a significant percentage of their UK spend, and why understanding this is crucial to cashflowing your indie.

The Recoupment Waterfall: The stark reality of the ROI. We break down the exact percentages and the strict order in which investors, the production company, and the creative team actually see their money back (or don't) after a sale.

The BFI Network Reality: A candid conversation on public funding, the complexities of BFI applications, and the importance of remembering that public money should be seen as a stepping stone rather than a complete financial strategy.

PODCAST MERCH

Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more on our Creator Spring store.

COURSES

Want to learn how to finish your film?

Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE at Cutting Room Info.

PATREON

Big thank you to:

Serena Gardner

Mark Hammett

Lee Hutchings

Marli J Monroe

Karen Newman

Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides and feedback on your film projects!

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com

CREDITS

The Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson

Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative

Theme Music by John J. Harvey

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Giles is away working on his own feature, the brilliant Conor Boru has stepped into his shoes to co-host (and edit) alongside Dom Lenoir, and they have delivered an absolute belter of an episode. Today, the lads sit down with director and co-writer Brian Duffield and author and co-writer Daniel Kraus to dig into their staggering new survival thriller, Whalefall.

The film, starring Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin, takes a terrifying concept—a scuba diver swallowed alive by a 60-ton sperm whale—and turns it into a masterclass in tension, technical filmmaking and emotional storytelling. Brian and Daniel get right into the weeds of how you construct a cinematic, 90-minute thriller inside a pitch-black, scientifically accurate biological setting.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

The Viral Spark: How a viral video of kayakers getting caught in a humpback whale's mouth inspired Daniel to dive into the research of whether a sperm whale could actually swallow a human.

Creative Constraints: The absolute joy and torture of writing a script that is entirely restricted by the physical, anatomical boundaries of a real whale.

The Father-Son Dynamic: Balancing a popcorn thriller with the messy, complex reality of a broken family, and using the belly of the beast to force a character to face his demons.

Visualising the Pitch Black: How Brian and his team took an incredibly claustrophobic, dark environment and made it visually dynamic for the big screen without losing the realism.

PODCAST MERCH
Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more on our Creator Spring store.

COURSES
Want to learn how to finish your film?
Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE at Cutting Room Info.

PATREON
Big thank you to:
Serena Gardner
Mark Hammett
Lee Hutchings
Marli J Monroe
Karen Newman
Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides and feedback on your film projects!

SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com

CREDITS
The Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson
Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative
Theme Music by John J. Harvey
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the inaugural episode of our brand new series, The Academy Masterclasses, Dom Lenoir sits down with director, writer and producer Jennifer Peedom and actress Thinley Lhamo to discuss the monumental task of bringing the true story of Tenzing to the big screen.

Jen shares how her 23-year history with the Sherpa community in the Himalayas laid the groundwork for this epic feature. Together, they explore the complexities of adapting the historic Everest ascent, the logistical challenge of shooting at 3,500 metres in New Zealand and the vital importance of cultural authenticity on a massive set.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

Finding the Truth: How Jen approached the immense responsibility of telling a culturally specific story as a white Australian filmmaker by relying heavily on Sherpa cultural consultants like Dr. Lhakpa.

The Audition Process: Thinley breaks down her journey to landing the role of Dawa, starting with a camera test in Nepal.

Mountain Logistics: The brutal realities of filming at 3,500 metres altitude in New Zealand and creating a believable, immersive physical environment.

Sonic Landscapes: Building the intricate sound design of the film, from wind chimes and baby yaks to the roaring elements of the mountain.

Directing Performance: The collaborative push and pull between the director, actors and acting coach Miranda Harcourt to strip away theatricality and find true naturalism on set.

PODCAST MERCH

Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. https://my-store-11604768.creator-spring.com/

COURSES

Want to learn how to finish your film?

Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE https://cuttingroom.info/post-production-demystified/

PATREON

Big thank you to:

Serena Gardner

Mark Hammett

Lee Hutchings

Marli J Monroe

Karen Newman

Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides and feedback on your film projects! https://www.patreon.com/thefilmmakerspodcast

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com

CREDITS

The Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson

Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative

Theme Music by John J. Harvey
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Filmmakers, welcome to the podcast! We've got a brilliant episode for you today. Dom Lenoir and Conor Boru are sitting down with the incredibly talented Kitao Sakurai. You probably know Kitao's work as the regular director of The Eric Andre Show and the hit film Bad Trip, but he's here to talk about his massive upcoming project: directing the live-action Street Fighter movie!

Kitao dives deep into what it's like adapting such an iconic game, managing a huge ensemble cast, and how his background in comedy and chaotic TV perfectly prepared him for bringing Street Fighter to life. It's a fascinating look at the pressures and the creative process behind a major studio film. Let's get into it!"

Show Notes

Title: Directing Street Fighter: Kitao Sakurai on Adapting a Video Game Legend

In this episode, Dom Lenoir and Conor Boru are joined by director Kitao Sakurai. They discuss his transition from the wonderfully chaotic world of The Eric Andre Show to taking the helm of Legendary and Capcom's highly anticipated live-action Street Fighter movie, set for release in October 2026.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

From Comedy to Action: How Kitao's background directing The Eric Andre Show and Bad Trip translates to the world of big-budget action.

Approaching an Icon: The pressure and excitement of adapting Street Fighter, one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.

World-Building: Translating the vibrant, larger-than-life aesthetic of the games into a live-action feature film.

The Cast: Working with a massive ensemble, including Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, and Jason Momoa.

Pitching and Collaboration: Kitao’s process for pitching his vision to the studios and collaborating with a massive team to bring the project to life.

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Kitao Sakurai, Street Fighter movie, Street Fighter 2026, Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip, video game movies, directing action, Dom Lenoir, Conor Boru, The Filmmakers Podcast, Noah Centineo, Jason Momoa, film directing, behind the scenes

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