The Filmumentaries Podcast

The Filmumentaries Podcast

31 movie-matched episodes
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The Filmumentaries Podcast - deep dives into practical effects, model making, matte painting, creature creation and prosthetics, animatronics, puppetry, prop restoration and VFX. Hosted by filmmaker, author, and film historian Jamie Benning, The Filmumentaries Podcast features long-form interviews with the unsung heroes of cinema - the production designers, editors, composers, cinematographers, digital artists, puppeteers, model makers, sound designers and effects crews who actually bring our favourite films to life. Each episode dives into the real work of filmmaking, from practical, in-camera effects to cutting-edge digital techniques. You'll hear from art directors, production designers, VFX supervisors, model makers, matte painters, creature and animatronics experts, puppeteers, performance capture artists, motion control specialists, editors, sound designers, re-recording mixers, composers, animators, prop restoration experts and Propstore archivists who helped shape iconic films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Blade Runner, Jaws, Ghostbusters and Alien. With a strong focus on practical effects, physical filmmaking, and the craft behind the illusion, the podcast preserves the knowledge and stories of the people who built, shot and brought these worlds to life long before pixels took over - and those still pushing the boundaries today through performance capture, motion control and modern visual effects. Jamie is also a writer for Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound, and has close ties to the BFI's film restoration and archive teams. Whether you're a cinephile, filmmaker, prop collector or simply curious about how films are really made, this podcast is your all-access pass to film history. What You'll Discover: First-hand stories from the artists, craftspeople and technicians behind the films Deep dives into practical effects, model making, matte painting, prosthetics, animatronics, puppetry, performance capture and VFX Conversations

The Farmer and the Shark
Ep 143 | The Farmer and the Shark — John Campopiano & Jim Beller (Jaws Doc)
Flash Gordon
Ep 142 | Jon Spira — New Mike Hodges Book (Get Carter, Flash Gordon)
Flash Gordon (1980) · Jan 6, 2026
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
138 - Jay Glennie on "The Making of Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time ...In Hollywood"
Beneath London: The Story of Alien War
BONUS - Director Paul King on Beneath London - The Story of Alien War
Her Name Was Moviola
122 - "Her Name Was Moviola" - With Director Howard Berry
Jurassic Park
115 - John Bell - Concept Designer and Art Director - BTTF II, Jurassic Park, Antz etc
Jurassic Park (1993) · Nov 19, 2024
Music by John Williams
114 - Laurent Bouzereau - Director of "Music By John Williams"
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
112 - Jon Spira - Director of "The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee"
Avatar
111 - TyRuben Ellingson - VFX Art Director and Educator - Star Wars and Avatar
Avatar (2009) · Sep 24, 2024
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
111 - TyRuben Ellingson - VFX Art Director and Educator - Star Wars and Avatar
EX MACHINA
110 - Andrew Whitehurst - VFX Supervisor - Ex Machina, Indiana Jones
EX MACHINA (2023) · Sep 10, 2024
King Kong
109 - King Kong - 35mm BFI Screening - Doug Weir and Kieron Webb
King Kong (1933) · Aug 27, 2024
The Empire Strikes Back
98 - The Empire Strikes Back Commentary - With Giles Terera
The Creator
96 - The Creator - With Director Gareth Edwards and his Effects Team
The Creator (2023) · Feb 17, 2024
RoboCop
90! - Robodoc - The Creation of Robocop - With Gary Smart, Eastwood Allen and Chris Griffiths
RoboCop (1987) · Nov 18, 2023
The Creator
86 - Charmaine Chan - ILM Supervisor on "The Creator"
The Creator (2023) · Sep 28, 2023
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie
76 - Michael Harte - Editor of "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie"
Toy Story
68 - Hal Hickel - ILM VFX Animator - Toy Story, Rango, The Phantom Menace, Rogue One etc
Toy Story (1995) · Feb 9, 2023
Rango
68 - Hal Hickel - ILM VFX Animator - Toy Story, Rango, The Phantom Menace, Rogue One etc
Rango (2011) · Feb 9, 2023
The Shining
66 - Lee Unkrich - Author of "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining" Book from Taschen
The Shining (1980) · Jan 6, 2023
Jurassic Park
63 - Dennis Muren - ILM VFX Legend - Star Wars Trilogy, Jurassic Park, T2 etc
Jurassic Park (1993) · Nov 24, 2022
Quadrophenia
36 - Sean Barton - Editor of Return of the Jedi, Quadrophenia, Jagged Edge
Quadrophenia (1979) · Oct 15, 2021
Jagged Edge
36 - Sean Barton - Editor of Return of the Jedi, Quadrophenia, Jagged Edge
Jagged Edge (1985) · Oct 15, 2021
Interstellar
34 - Gabriel Hardman - Comic Book and Storyboard Artist - Logan, Interstellar, Inception, Aliens Dust to Dust
Interstellar (2014) · Sep 21, 2021
Logan
34 - Gabriel Hardman - Comic Book and Storyboard Artist - Logan, Interstellar, Inception, Aliens Dust to Dust
Logan (2017) · Sep 21, 2021
Return to Oz
31 - Walter Murch on Return to Oz
Return to Oz (1985) · Aug 11, 2021
Raging Bull
29 - Dan Perri - Titles Designer - Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Exorcist
Raging Bull (1980) · Jul 1, 2021
The Empire Strikes Back
23 - Madelyn Most - Second Assistant Camera - Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back...
Blade Runner
22 - Ivor Powell - Associate Producer of Alien and Blade Runner
Blade Runner (1982) · Mar 23, 2021
Alien
22 - Ivor Powell - Associate Producer of Alien and Blade Runner
Alien (1979) · Mar 23, 2021
Return of the Jedi
5 - Kevin Pike - Special Effects Supervisor - JAWS, Return of the Jedi, Back to the Future