SEASON 2 - EPISODE 135 - Simon Hayes - Production Sound Mixer

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production sound mixer Simon Hayes (WICKED, LES MISERABLES, SHAUN OF THE DEAD). At 14, Simon followed his father to set to learn sound. At 15, he then won the European BMX Championship. And at 16, he quit school, immersed himself in the industry, and honed his skills during the boom times of British commercials. Simon shares how early-career nights at Soho bars led to his professional relationships with directors Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, and we discuss the lessons he learned about protecting live performances on those early films. Simon reveals how an idea from Meryl Streep changed the approach to recording the songs of MAMMA MIA!, and he later shares his own views on the effectiveness of boom mics and radio mics. Simon also reveals how they actually recorded the live vocals of LES MISERABLES without pre-recorded backing tracks, and he reflects on how his experiences in recording studios enabled him and his team to coordinate the complex musical numbers in WICKED with seasoned recording artists and leading actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Plus, Simon reveals where he hid Elphaba’s radio mic.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 134 - Nathan Crowley - Production Designer

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Nathan Crowley (WICKED, DUNKIRK, INTERSTELLAR). After growing up in England, Nathan’s dreams of selling secondhand sports cars in LA were cut short after a run in with set designer and fellow countryman Joe Hodges at a bar outside Paramount, and we learn how Nathan dove headfirst into the art department after assisting Joe on HOOK. Nathan later shares how he made the jump to heading the department himself, and we discuss his approach to production design throughout the episode. We uncover the reasoning behind the aesthetic choices of DUNKIRK, and Nathan shares how he accounted for the practicalities of filmmaking during a globetrotting location scout to help realize the vision of INTERSTELLAR. In the back half of the episode, we discuss Nathan’s recent work on WICKED, and he shares what attracted him to the film and what scared him about designing one of the most well-known worlds in the American imagination, and he reveals how Donna Langley, the head of the studio, helped convince production to plant millions of tulips for the film. Plus, Nathan shares a key lesson he learned while working with director Michael Mann about following his instincts.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 133 - Lisy Christl - Costume Designer

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with costume designer Lisy Christl (CONCLAVE, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, FUNNY GAMES). Originally from Bavaria, Lisy did just about everything she could do to avoid the film industry, and she shares several moments from her career when other filmmakers would not take her “no” as an answer. Lisy later reflects on her 10-year-long collaboration with director Michael Haneke, and she reveals the inspiration for the all-white outfits of the two men in FUNNY GAMES. We also discuss Lisy’s work on CONCLAVE, and she reveals what inspired her to adjust the typical garb worn by the cardinals. During our discussion of her work in TIME OF THE WOLF, Lisy shares the costuming decision she made to bring the audience to the present in a scene that recalled a scenario out of the Middle Ages, and she reveals the lengths she and her team went to design silent puffy jackets out of consideration for the sound department. We also discuss Lisy’s work in ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, and she describes how and why she empowered herself to make choices that may not have been exactly period appropriate.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure