The 30 Best Podcasts on Filmmaking
If you have a lot of downtime, and I think we all do right now, a podcast might be a great way to help pass it.
There are so many great pods out there, how can you choose which ones are the best for you? I wanted to select some of my favorite filmmaking podcasts that would be perfect to entertain and inform you.
So let's go through the list of the thirty I selected.
What Are The 22 Best Podcasts on Film and Filmmaking?
1. Unspooled
Want to watch the AFI Top 100 films and dissect them? Unspooled features actor Paul Scheer, who is a lifelong movie buff but has admittedly seen very few of history's most celebrated classic films. On Unspooled, he teams-up with film critic Amy Nicholson to watch all 100 movies and talk about whether or not they really belong on the list.
2. How Did This Get Made?
Ever wonder how terrible movies happen? How Did This Get Made? is a podcast hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas. Each episode, which typically has a different guest star, features the deconstruction and mockery of outlandish and bad films from The Fast and Furious Franchise to Brink!
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
3. Scriptnotes
A-list screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin give advice on breaking stories, coming up with ideas, and navigating Hollywood. It's a wonderful discussion by and for people interested in screenwriting.
4. You Must Remember This
One of my favorite topics is film history, and no one digs deeper than critic Karina Longworth. Her podcast has been running for a while and covers deep dives into different eras and topics within Hollywood history.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
5. Blockbuster
A new obsession of mine, each season follows a different filmmaker's rise to prominence. This year they are covering James Cameron. Each episode is an audio drama with actors and they tell you about the specific events that led to the rise of the person.
6. The Plot Thickens
This one just started, but Turner Classic Movies curates this story of a filmmaker. Season one is about Peter Bogdanovich. Alongside host Ben Mankiewicz, "Peter looks back on his life, trying to make sense of the good and the bad, and reckon with his legacy in an unforgiving industry."
7. No Film School
Shameless self-plug? Maybe. But it's a great podcast about how to build a career in filmmaking. No Film School shares the latest opportunities and trends for anyone working in film and TV. We break news on cameras, lighting, and apps. We interview leaders in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and producing. And we answer your questions.
8. The Q&A
In this interview series, Jeff Goldsmith talks to screenwriters and filmmakers alike about their creative process. He gets down to deep questions and always focuses on breaking in stories, which I think helped me find my footing when I moved here.
9. Filmspotting
It's over a dozen years old, and more than 600 episodes deep, Filmspotting hosts Josh Larsen and Adam Kempenaar, create cinephiles out of casual fans and make sure we always know what's going on in Hollywood. It's educational and inspirational. A must-listen for people who want to be here.
10. The Black List
Franklin Leonard and Kate Hagen of The Black List talk to filmmakers, dissect movies, and get to the heart of Hollywood. They speak to huge names like Spike Lee, Leysle Headland, and Cathy Yan. Hosts dig deep into what's going on inside the town and really focus in on how Hollywood is changing right now.
11. WTF
Hosted by Marc Maron, WTF offers an intimate look into a guest's life each week. Maron is an excellent talker, helping pull stories and factoids out of people we've never heard before. While not every guest is involved in filmmaking, it's a treasure to listen to week in and out.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
12. The Director's Cut
Brought to you by The Directors Guild of America, The Director's Cut brings you the behind-the-scenes stories of today's most talked-about films. Every episode features a new director interviewed by one of their peers, leading to revealing conversations about the grueling but rewarding process of bringing the most interesting stories to life.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
13. The Treatment
Every week, host and critic Elvis Mitchell conducts in-depth interviews with the most innovative and influential people working in entertainment, art, and pop culture. His tone and structure really get people to open up and always captures the zeitgeist of the world. Available on NPR.
14. The Business
Another NPR great, The Business is a weekly podcast featuring banter about entertainment industry news and in-depth interviews with directors, producers, writers, and actors. The show is hosted by award-winning journalist Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter and produced by KCRW. She talks to everyone from Ice Cube to Normal Lear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj5zMg-RlVE&list=P...
15. A24
What's better than filmmakers talking to filmmakers? This show just allows two filmmakers to talk and records it. That simple act not only lets friends catch up but also lets people who have never met have a sort of general meeting. It's really fun and another informal side of the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1kGeUUl1T4
16. Rewatchables
Like a movie so much you've seen more than once? Well, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan are in the same boat. This show has a ton of guests, like Quentin Tarantino, and assembles a long list of movies they love to watch over and over. And even gab about later.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
17. The Big Picture
Another banger from The Ringer hosts Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey in which they talk about the state of Hollywood today. They dig into the viewing numbers on Hamilton, talk with people like David Koepp, and dig into delays in the Academy Awards and other huge news stories of the year.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
18. BingeMode
One of my favorite things to do is watching something all at once. Lucky for me, The Ringer's editor-in-chief Mallory Rubin and senior creative Jason Concepcion do too. Each season they pick something like Harry Potter , Star Wars , or even Game of Thrones , and watch it all at once. They dig into what happens in each chapter and make me laugh along the way.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
19. Just Shoot It
Just Shoot It is a podcast on directing, filmmaking, and how to build a career in entertainment. Join hosts Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan as they interview lots of exciting guests from every walk of life in the industry.
20. Indie Film Hustle
This is a show that really gets down to the nitty-gritty of what it takes to succeed in Hollywood. It profiles jobs, people, news, and really make you take notes as they speak. There is no sugar coating it. You get to hear all the hard lessons.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
21. The Call Sheet
Kris Tapley is one of the best interviewers out there. He gets at the heart of the project and always pulls interesting stories and emotions from them. Entering the second season now, the episodes cover directors, writers, composers, producers, and lots of other people within the industry.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
22. Team Deakins
Want to learn cinematography and filmmaking from Roger Deakins and his wife? Each week they chase a submitted question and go on a quest for the answrr...and who knows where they'll wind up.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
23. On Production
Hosted by Wrapbook’s Cameron Woodward, this show is essential for anyone who wants to understand how the "money" actually becomes the "movie." It dives deep into the intersection of creativity and commerce, covering everything from navigating complex tax incentives to streamlining your workflows on set.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
24. Angle on Producers
Producer Carolina Groppa pulls back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood roles in the industry. Through honest conversations with working producers, she explores both the glamorous wins and the unglamorous, high-stress realities of keeping a project from falling apart.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
25. The Bechdel Cast
Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus provide a necessary and hilarious perspective on cinema through the lens of intersectional feminism. Using the Bechdel Test as a jumping-off point, they examine how women are portrayed in our favorite films, often revealing how much work Hollywood still has to do.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
26. The Cinematography Podcast
Ben Rock and Illya Friedman talk to industry professionals about the specific techniques and visual grammar of storytelling. It’s a great resource for hearing how DPs and directors translate a script into a visual language, focusing on the "why" behind every shot.
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- YouTube www.youtube.com
27. The Wandering DP
If you want a granular, technical breakdown of cinematography, this is your show. Patrick O’Sullivan offers deep dives into lighting setups, camera gear, and the intense pre-production planning required to achieve a high-end look on any budget.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
28. Go Creative Show
A podcast specifically for creators that focuses on the "creative side of the production." It features in-depth interviews with the visual masters behind major TV shows and feature films, breaking down the gear and the philosophy used to create today’s most iconic images.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
29. Producer's Happy Hour
Sister Christian and Lawrence T. dive into the world of commercial and film production with a focus on project management and the "real world" of set life. It’s a great, informal way to learn about the logistical hurdles that producers jump over every single day.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
30. Respect the Process
Filmmaker Jordan Brady explores the world of commercial directing—a path many filmmakers take to hone their craft. He interviews agency creatives and directors to provide insight into the unique craft of creating compelling advertising and short-form content. Listen to it here!
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