WRAP DRINKS

Before he escaped set life, Matthew Borgatti was working for legendary set shops designing animatronic props for films like Snakes on a Plane, Garfield, and Alien vs. Predator. Tune in as we chat with Matthew about the elements that go into deciding how much function an animatronic prop needs in order to be picture ready and what some of the on the fly solutions are that this type of work inspires.

If you're down in South Florida, chances are your production has rented gear from Unique Producers Service. On this mini episode, we chat with Adam Roback, the Operations Manager and what it's like to work with local productions to provide equipment. We touch a bit on their history as a rental house, the importance of maintaining their gear, and their customer service approach.

Before he was working on nonlinear edits, NYC based editor Davy Gomez was taking the commercials out of VHS rips of his favorite TV shows. Today, Davy's resume includes work on music videos, commercials, and a popular TV show called "The Bear." Tune in as we pick Davy's brain about post production teams, workflows, bin management, and his methodology when approaching a project.

Miami based Director of Photography Alexandra Taupier discovered her passion for film making while in school. Through mentorship and on set learning, Alexandra quickly discovered that she has a natural talent for camera operating. This boost of confidence from other operators and cinematographers helped pave the way for her career as a DP. Tune in as we talk with Alexandra about her jump into camera department, what it’s like to learn to pull focus, and her work on the fan sponsored YouTube series, "Cassius".

A trained dancer, Emily's career came to a halt after an injury kept her from performing. Luckily, her experience in the theater world made the transition to film & television easy when she was offered a costume PA gig. Fast forward to present day, Emily is costuming for popular films like Scream, Halloween, and TV shows like Daredevil: Born Again. Tune in as we talk with Emily about what it's like to rebuild costumes for established franchises, collaborate across a bunch of departments, and how her experience as a dancer helps her design clothing for stunt actors.

Although he isn't a native Floridian, Gaffer Chris Hill has made the sunshine state his home for the last 15+ years, but that doesn't keep him from traveling for work. In his trusty van, he often finds himself on the road moving to wherever the work is. Not surprising for someone who nearly joined the circus before deciding to enter the film business instead.Join us as we talk with Chris about his experience working on the Oscar winning film "Anora", his approach to working with local crews when he's not lighting in his backyard, and why Florida is such an important base of operations for him.

Rian Johnson has been making movies with his friends since he was a kid. By the time he graduated high school he had amassed a portfolio of over 100 shorts. Though he says, "they weren't all great," his tenacity proved to be essential in his career. After graduating he spent years looking for the money to finance his first feature, "Brick", which led him to make his own European romp-around feature "The Brother's Bloom" before taking off with "Looper". Today he's best known for directing whodunnit murder mystery films for his tentpole "Knives Out" series and producing other projects through his company T-Street. The scale of the work might have changed, but Rian's love for being on set and making films with friends remains at the core of his relationships on set. Tune in as we have a chat with Rian about his career as he tries to convince us that he's a fan of our show.(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:00) 100 Shorts(00:04:18) Relationships from Childhood and Brick(00:06:15) Directing is the Only Entry Level Position on Set(00:09:52) Brick: Lessons on Coverage and Sound Design(00:16:54) The Brothers Bloom: More Money, More Problems(00:23:55) Growing as a Director through Experienced Actors(00:27:10) It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere(00:28:52) Practical Props and Set Design(00:34:54) Set Friends(00:39:29) TV Pacing Takes Away the Preciousness(00:46:10) The Star Wars Call(00:52:09) Noah Segan is on a Real Journey(00:54:44) Meeting Ram / Director's Jail(01:01:14) Studio Notes(01:09:11) Wake Up Dead Man Locations(01:17:55) Does Editing Experience Help You Be A Better Director(01:26:51) Talking to Another Director(01:33:50) Is the Producer the Enemy? Not at T Street.

Sergio Lazarov is an international live producer and multi-cam director. Starting his career abroad, now based in the United States, his Spanish language productions of The Voice, X-Factor, and The Grammys have taken him around the world. Sergio leans on his background in post-production and love for music to help inform his camera cuts during live events. In addition to live shows, Sergio’s resume also includes work in scripted content. He is currently reconnecting with his late father, a former TV director, through the development of documentary about his life. Join us as we chat about with Sergio about what it’s like to navigate hurdles on the fly when you only get a moment to get the shots right.This episode of Wrap Drinks is sponsored by Unique Producers Grip & Lighting based in South Florida. Thank you Unique for supporting our podcast and for hosting us at your wonderful warehouse. For more info on their grip & lighting rentals visit their website - https://uniqueproducers.com/

When most people hear the title makeup artist, they think this responsibility only focuses on beauty, but luckily for us, Anna Stachow came on the podcast to clarify this misconception. As a makeup designer, Anna's job is to figure out how best to visualize a character's backstory. Whether that's a fighter that needs special effect bruises, a creature that needs prosthetics, or a teenager who just loves lip gloss, Anna's got a wealth of experience preparing her actors for these roles. Join us as we explore this world of makeup through Anna's journey that started in a bar and catapulted her into a world where she gets to translate the creative ideas of multiple departments into one cinematic look.(00:00) Intro(00:46) Bar Story(09:06) Projects that inspired Anna(14:01 ) No Formal Training, to Hunger Games(18:42) How Are Departments Collaborating(33:50) Reg makeup on top of SFX Makeup(47:57) Collaborating with Actors(01:03:08) Working on John Wick(01:20:27) Bald Cap Not Hair(01:23:36) Tattoo Work(01:26:29) Matching Looks(01:36:20) First Stop for Gossip(01:56:52) More on Tattoo Work(02:09:51) Makeup Union

While most cinematographers seem to have a fixed trajectory that eventually lands them a tentpole Marvel series, Hillary Spera's came almost from left-field. Before her contribution to the the Daredevil Born Again series, Hillary was traveling the world as a documentary DP filming on fishing boats, documenting Insane Clown Posse shows, and filming in abortion clinics in the Mid-west. Still, the pursuit has always been the same, challenging herself and finding unique ways to tell stories through the lens. Tune in as we chat with Hillary about her incredible journey as a cinematographer from making her first film about carving Venison, to working in the freezing cold in Massachusetts on Dexter, and everything in between.(0:00) Intro(3:34) Vennison(5:40) Documentary and Fiction(12:47) When To Cut for BRoll in Doc(16:35) Handheld Operating(21:55) After Tiller(28:17) Oxyana(35:25) American Juggalo(43:00) Sitting in on the edit(45:47) Wildlike(56:41) Lost Boys Reboot(59:43) Dexter Resurrection(01:10:53) Parenting(01:16:31) Doc Crew to TV Crew(01:20:05) Daredevil(01:22:50) Daredevil "Look" Pitch(01:33:33) Daredevil Camera Rig(01:41:55) Daredevil Stunt Team(01:55:19) Crazy Donkey Story

Like most of us breaking into the film industry, Jamie Rice's career began with PA work. Although she quickly knew she didn't want to be an AD, she found a path assisting both directors and producers. When the writer's strike happened, Jamie pivoted and began photographing bands like Meet Me @ The Altar and Daisy Grenade. Tune in as Jamie shares all the lessons she learned during her many shifts in film and photo and all the tips that helped her stay ahead of the game.

With a career spanning across 40 years, DP and ASC member Wolfgang Held has been traveling the world photographing award winning films. Whether it's a narrative feature or documentary film, Wolf's choices for lighting, framing, and even how many cameras are on a set are dictated by his verite approach. We talked with Wolf about some of his most notable work, his early projects, and what it's like applying for ASC membership.

Stratton Bailey is an underwater key grip and cinematographer whose credits include Nanny, Rosemead, and Thalassophobia. Growing up, diving and being in the water became second nature to Stratton. Little did he know he was developing an integral skill for his future career. As the guard for set safety, being a key grip is already a complex line of work and when you add water it can easily become a recipe for disaster. Join us as we talk through Stratton's early days dipping his toes into this niche area of production and how he joined this small community of sea grips.