Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast

For this special Halloween Edition, we flash back to Ghostbusters II with VFX legend Bill George who shares stories from the model shop. We talk with Bill about the evolution of visual effects over his 40-year career. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:03:45] Questions from the mailbag [00:16:20] Lighter Darker - origin of the name [00:19:10] Rejection letters [00:22:28] Ghostbusters II and the evolution of the artist toolbox [00:44:51] The Martini [00:52:19] Outro Episode Links  Bill George - IMDb Artist Benton Jew Shares ILM Memories and the Story Behind Lighter Darker Innerspace (1987) - IMDb Ghostbusters II (1989) - IMDb METHOCEL™ Water-Soluble Cellulose Ethers, IFF - ChemPoint. The Martini Todd -Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - IMDb Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - IMDb  Bill - Sasquatch Sunset (2024) - IMDb Paramount + / rent on Amazon Prime Jenny - Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions | HISTORY Jenny's Slimer Halloween Costume by Adam J. Ely on IG Rob -  Scriptnotes Follow Us ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn  Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram Todd Vaziri Jenny Ely on Instagram Email us at [email protected] Transcript  https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/ep-005-ghostbusters-2-with-bill-george/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters) and executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) discuss working together to balance science and storytelling with their latest film, Twisters. They share stories from the set, including real-life challenges from Mother Nature. The filmmakers and the Lighter Darker hosts chat about films that inspired them to choose their career paths and some roadblocks they faced along the way. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:12] Questions from the mailbag [00:10:42] Rejection letters [00:19:44] Film foundations [00:28:20] The quiet power of nature [00:45:30] Final question [00:48:24] The martini [00:53:50] Outro Episode Links  Ashley Jay Sandberg - IMDb Lee Isaac Chung - IMDb Twisters The Abyss (1989) - IMDb Back to the Future (1985) - IMDb E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - IMDb Kar-Wai Wong - IMDb The Wizard of Oz (1939) - IMDb Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - IMDb Phil Tippett on the set of The Empire Strikes Back Ben Snow - IMDb ILM VFX Supervisor Ben Snow on the set of Twisters Florian Witzel - IMDb The Martini Rob - The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) - IMDb Todd - Schlage Encode Plus™ Smart WiFi Deadbolt | Wifi smart lock Jenny - Norsepaints (@norsepaints) • Instagram  Isaac - StarTalk Radio Ashley BEATER BOARDS – Catch Surf USA Follow Us ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn  Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram Todd Vaziri Jenny Ely on Instagram Email us at [email protected] Transcript: https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e004-twisters-with-lee-isaac-chung-and-ashley-jay-sandberg/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Summary Beth D'Amato, ILM digital paint supervisor, joins Todd and Rob to discuss their favorite camera moves, compositions, and notable oner’s. Beth shares how she got her start in VFX and we learn that sometimes, "We will keep your resume on file" is a good thing! The ILM pros answer questions about basic VFX terminology, and we bust an internet myth. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:50] Questions from the mailbag [00:11:07] Rejection letters [00:16:20] Misinformation corner [00:21:20] Camera and composition  [00:43:19] The Martini [00:49:32] Outro Episode Links  Beth D'Amato - IMDb @star_wars_battlegrounds) • Instagram Maya Houdini Raiders of the Lost Ark Clip THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) "Joker Blows Up Hospital" Clip Booksmart (2019) - IMDb "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - Floorplan Animatic Taxi Driver - phone call scene Client Camera Movement Guide (Reddit) Camera Movement Terminology The Martini Todd recommends his favorite black and white films. The Third Man (1949) and Ripley (TV Mini Series 2024) Beth is learning all the behind-the-scenes stories from The West Wing with the new book, What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service Jenny is flexing her internet sleuthing skills with Unsolved Mysteries Volume Four Rob suggests Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself (2020) for a delightful exploration of the illusory nature of identity.  Follow us ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram Todd Vaziri Jenny Ely on Instagram Email us at [email protected] Transcript: https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e3-camera-and-composition/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Summary In this episode, the Lighter Darker team welcomes director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Transformers One) to talk about combining humor and heart in filmmaking as he does so well in his films. Josh shares the story of getting his dream shot at Pixar and how he almost had a very different job! Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:41] Questions from the mailbag [00:04:46] What is virtual production? [00:13:00] Rejection letters [00:17:05] Humor and heart in animation [00:33:15] The Martini [00:39:21] Outro Episode Links  Josh Cooley - IMDb Joe Ranft - IMDb Toy Story 4 (2019) - IMDb Transformers One (2024) - IMDb Nathan Camp - Mocap The Martini Rob (and the rest of the internet) is obsessed with the Star Tours StarSpeeder Play Set 2005 Star Tours - Original - Disneyland Anaheim Jenny scrambled to come up with something last minute because Rob stole her martini (see above). She is reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë | Goodreads and obsessing over the Oxford comma debate. What Is the Oxford Comma (or Serial Comma)? | Grammarly. Yes, she is boring. Josh is staying true to the current Transformers hype by adopting a Flagship Optimus Prime from Robosen. Featured Music The Lighter Darker theme was created by Khatsho Orfali. This episode features music by Ben Charles aka chromasy. Follow ILM ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn Follow our team Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram Todd Vaziri Jenny Ely on Instagram Questions Email us at [email protected] Transcript  https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e2-transformers-one-with-josh-cooley/ Share this episode https://www.ilm.com/lighterdarker/s1e2-transformers-one-with-josh-cooley/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices