Episode 28: Cinematographers

Executive Producers, Jane Root and Graham Booth, undertook the most epic project of their career with the National Geographic series Welcome To Earth. In this episode, Jane and Graham speak with host Chris Albert about the vision for the genre-busting series, which spanned 92 shoots, 34 countries and all seven continents. They discuss the logistics of  a 100+ person production team with an A-list star, filming in some of the most dangerous places in the world, with a unique cinematic style, an experimental soundtrack and buddy-movie vibe, all with the goal of encouraging viewers of all backgrounds to reconnect with the earth.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, host Chris Albert is joined by Emmy-nominated sound mixer, Tony Volante, who contributed his expertise to two current National Geographic films, Fauci and We Feed People. Volante shares his approach for designing sound on documentaries that blend archival footage, talking-head interviews and in-the-moment action, in order to add to the films’ emotional impact and cinematic value. He also shares what drew him to sound mixing in the first place and these two films in particular, and his advice for anyone interested in pursuing sound design as a career.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining host Chris Albert for this episode are National Geographic film editors Felix Black (Welcome To Earth), Jenny Nelson (Life Below Zero) and Andrew Morreale (We Feed People). The editors share what it takes to piece together a cohesive story out of hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of footage, collaborating with their directors, cinematographers and the rest of the teams. They each break down the anatomy of one scene, from the editor’s point of view and conclude with what drew them to editing in the first place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Chris Albert is joined by three award-winning National Geographic directors to discuss their latest documentaries. National Geographic director Ron Howard’s film, We Feed People follows chef Jose Andres and his team of volunteers at World Central Kitchen. Joining Ron are John Hoffman and Janet Tobias, co-directors of the National Geographic film, Fauci, which follows Dr. Anthony Fauci in his COVID bubble in 2020, juxtaposed against his efforts to find a vaccine for AIDS in the 1980’s. The directors discuss the trust required, not only with Andres and Fauci, but with their families as well, in order to reveal their full humanity. The directors also describe the filmmaking process required to combine hundreds of hours of archival footage with new material to weave a powerful, emotional story.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Academy-Award nominated and Emmy-winning composer, Daniel Pemberton, joins host Chris Albert to discuss his electronic-infused score for National Geographic’s Welcome To Earth. Daniel, a prolific composer of soundtracks for The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, and more, shares his creative process, the audio palette for the project, and how he challenged himself to create the original, otherworldly compositions. Executive Producer Darren Aronofsky brought his vision to the project, hosted by Will Smith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Geographic Cinematographers Brendan McGinty and Sim Houtman share stories of the ambitious undertakings of their respective docu-series, Welcome to Earth and Life Below Zero. McGinty and Houtman explain to host Chris Albert how they, and their cameras, faced extreme conditions, whether dangling over the edge of an active volcano, traveling 1000 feet under the ocean to film bioluminescence, or amidst the harsh landscapes of Alaska, sometimes in minus-50 degree weather. They also share how filming such spectacular natural wonders impacted them personally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive producer/writer/director Brian Armstrong explains the challenges of directing the “stars” of National Geographic’s documentary series “Secrets of the Whales,” streaming now on Disney+  During three years of filming, Armstrong and his crew had to be prepared for almost any possibility while following their unpredictable subjects through all kinds of weather and water conditions. Composer Raphaelle Thibault tells Stacey Wilson Hunt that, as a new mother, her writing was inspired by the compassion and leadership of the female whales. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive Producer and Director Anthony Hemingway joins host Stacey Wilson Hunt to discuss National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha”.  Anthony reveals how a career that began as a production assistant progressed to directing and producing, which eventually earned him an Emmy® Award.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar-nominated, Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo discusses her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha”, a performance that has been called “incandescent” by The New York Times. To project both confidence and vulnerability, and sing Aretha’s songs -- all in the same ways Aretha had -- Cynthia did extensive research, and she enjoyed the challenge. “I like having to learn,” she tells host Stacey Wilson Hunt. “I like coming out different than I went in.”  The podcast episode concludes with Stacey talking to Cynthia’s hair and makeup artists who helped her look and feel like Aretha. Hairstylist Coree Moreno and makeup artist Terrell Mullin explain that they also strived for authenticity out of “respect” for both Aretha and Cynthia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"National Geographic Presents: IMPACT with Gal Gadot" executive producer and host Gal Gadot and executive producer and series director Vanessa Roth join host Stacey Wilson Hunt to discuss how they were inspired to make this compelling new six-part short-form documentary series. Gal, the respected actress from Wonder Woman and other roles, explains how she hopes the program will have a positive impact of its own by empowering and creating a community for people who want to help others. Award-winning director Vanessa Roth reflects on the inspiring women who are profiled in the series and the complicated logistics of filming their stories all over the world during a pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.