How I Shoot

Amelia Wyeth Ponirakis is a filmmaker currently based in Syracuse, NY. She makes experimental films and has worked as a production assistant on films and served as a teleprompter and camera operator for live television.In this conversation, we discuss how to start a career in the film business, shooting animated films combined with live action, techniques to help you advocate for yourself on set, and Amelia's upcoming film festival QUIET ON SET: A Short Film Festival for Finger Lakes Youth.You can find her work at: https://www.ameliawyethponirakis.comHOW I SHOOT is a series of conversations between Alan McIntyre and filmmakers, cinematographers, and other film workers.For more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Alan McIntyre speaks with Amanda Sweikow, an L.A.-based filmmaker who has won awards for many of her short films, including "That's Not My Mother," which we discuss in this episode, as well as her plans for an upcoming feature film, "Unclaimed."You can find more at: https://wtfstop.substack.com/Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he is currently shooting in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Joshua Caldwell likes to direct with a camera in his hands, knowing how the lens is going to affect performance and get the moment he needs. Caldwell speaks with Alan McIntyre about his collaborative planning process on films, why the technical decisions matter, and why it's good to get some pushback from creative partners.The films we discuss are Mending the Line, starring Brian Cox, Infamous, starring Bella Thorne, and Layover.You can see Joshua's work at: https://www.meyd-ent.com/Joshua's Substack: https://joshuacaldwelldirector.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chipsFor more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Dorian Celestain has helped shape the lighting and look of movies and TV series such as Netflix's BOOTS, Ava DuVernay's QUEEN SUGAR, and Peacock's 2022 reboot of QUEER AS FOLK. I worked with Dorian on the film MOTION, which was shot in New Orleans in the fall of 2025, starring Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Cymphonique Miller, Terry Crews, and Master P.In this conversation, we discuss the changes that have come to lighting movies and TV in the past few decades, how to get your start on set, mentorship, and go into detail about the lighting setups on several of Dorian's past TV shows.Find more: https://wtfstop.substack.com/About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.