Latest news with #AmericanPrimeval
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' director Charlotte Brändström on Gandalf's ‘big reveal' and which scene required ‘the most prep'
Working on an expansive series like Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, director-producer Charlotte Brändström knew she had to "take things one by one, and build up." As she tells Gold Derby, "It's a very technical show, so you do what you always do: you go into scripts and you focus on stories and then you get into it. It doesn't feel like something absolutely huge, and at the same time, it was huge because of the scale and the different worlds and the characters. There was a lot to do." Brändström will be submitting the Season 2 finale, "Shadow and Flame," for Emmy consideration in her directing category. "Among the episodes that I directed, it was the one that was the most diverse," she explains. "It was the most big-scale and cinematic. It had big scenes, and it also had very intimate character moments. That always drives the series. Whatever scale you're working on, it's always the characters that take over at some point." More from GoldDerby Guest acting Emmy odds: See how Kaitlyn Dever, Jeffrey Wright, Martin Scorsese, Bryan Cranston, and other hopefuls stack up TV directors roundtable: 'American Primeval,' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' 'Paradise' 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' The Swedish-French filmmaker states that the sacrifice King Durin (Peter Mullan) makes at the start of the episode is an "incredible moment" and one that "wasn't easy" to direct. While the demon creature, the Balrog, was the creation of visual effects, "At the same time, I had to direct actors in a very emotional moment, because there was the disappearance of King Durin. It was one of the most exciting moments in the whole episode for me." The confirmation that the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is actually Gandalf takes place in the finale. "Since it's such a big moment that the audience was waiting for, I tried to make it as simple as possible when his name came up. So, not to do something too big, neither with the reaction of the actor or cinematically. I just wanted it to be a simple character moment, because it's such a big reveal, Brändström says, noting it was "a reveal that people expected." The sword fight between Sauron (Charlie Vickers) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) required "the most prep of everything in the episode," the director divulges. "I first had to research to find the style for the sword fight, and to make it all so personal and epic at the same time. There was no real VFX moment in the whole scene — all of the effects were done in-camera. The most complicated part was probably all of the makeup changes." Creating "tension" between the two enemies was paramount, because it was "their first confrontation in the whole season." The character that Brändström identifies with the most is Disa (Sophia Nomvete), the strong-willed wife of Prince Durin (Owain Arthur). "I love Disa because she believes in tradition," she notes. "But at the same time, she's never afraid of renewing herself, which is how I see life." "A lot of work" goes into making sure all of the characters and storylines on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are properly cared for. "Once you get into it, you have to prepare a lot, and then on the day, you have to leave room for some improvisation," Brändström tells us. "You need to keep the worlds apart, and you go back and forth a lot. There are obviously a lot of parallel stories, but it's not the first time I've done that." The team on the show "remains grounded" in order to ensure that author J.R.R. Tolkien's vision is respected. There are no "weird effects," and all of the magic has to "come from natural elements, like smoke and fire and dust and mud." Brändström adds, "His writing is very much about character and destiny, so it was about small character moments, and to never forget to keep it real and grounded and sincere." Also in our exclusive video interview, Brändström talks about what prop she would want to take home with her, she delves into why she loves directing genre projects so much, and she teases what she can about Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This article and video are presented by Prime Video. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby TV directors roundtable: 'American Primeval,' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' 'Paradise' 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' 'American Primeval' director Peter Berg on crafting an 'adventure story' with a 'dysfunctional family' in the wild west Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV directors roundtable: ‘American Primeval,' ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' ‘Paradise'
Gold Derby recently hosted a group discussion with four of the industry's leading television directors and producers. They each opened up about when the directing bug originally bit them, what potential dream projects they are hoping to make happen, and which directors they personally look up to. Joining our Meet the Experts: TV Directors roundtable panel are Peter Berg for American Primeval, Charlotte Brändström for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and John Requa and Glenn Ficarra for Paradise. Watch the full group panel above. Click each person's name to watch an individual interview. More from GoldDerby Guest acting Emmy odds: See how Kaitlyn Dever, Jeffrey Wright, Martin Scorsese, Bryan Cranston, and other hopefuls stack up 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' director Charlotte Brändström on Gandalf's 'big reveal' and which scene required 'the most prep' "I started off with documentaries, specifically wildlife," Brändström explains about her industry beginnings. "I studied anthropology and then I went through AFI [the American Film Institute] in L.A. I started to do short films and got more and more interested in directing. I wrote and directed my first feature, [titled Stormy Summer]. It was a French drama set during the second World War, a love and betrayal story in the French residence. After I finished that, I got a prize for it and decided I didn't want to do anything else for the rest of my life." She also mentions how she's directed projects in three different languages — French, Swedish, and English. Berg has "so much respect" for Brändström for being able to "speak and direct in three languages, because you speak better English than I do," he jokes. Berg started out by directing plays in high school, but the "key moment" happened when he was acting on Chicago Hope. "The great David E. Kelley did that show back in the day, and we were doing 28 episodes a season ... I was becoming kind of TV-famous as a doctor, Billy Kronk, and people would come up to me and start talking to me like I was that character." When a stranger on an airplane showed him a "horrible, oozing rash" on her elbow, he realized his "legacy" was about to be cemented as a TV doctor. He recalls, "And that, more than anything else, motivated me to take my interest in directing to the next gear." His first movie was Very Bad Things (1998), which Kelley let him out to write and direct. "Meanwhile, Glenn and I have been spending three years on a spec," Requa laughs. "A friend of ours who's an actor is baiting us, will you please just finish the script?!" Ficarra can't get his "mind around" producing so many episodes and shows simultaneously in today's landscape, noting, "We wrote, produced, and directed [Rabbit Hole] on Paramount a couple years ago, and that is the hardest f--king job. It almost killed me. I can't imagine doing more than one show." After making Super 8 movies separately as kids, the duo "met in film school in the '80s," with Ficarra explaining, "I wanted to be a director, and John helped me become a writer." Requa chimes in, "I read Akira Kurosawa's autobiography, and on the back of the book there are 12 hints for young filmmakers, and one of them is 'read the great screenplays, master the craft of screenwriting.' I was like, 'Oh, really? I have to do that?' So, I put down my director pants and I put on my writer pants and I decided I'm gonna figure this out. It took me 20 years! And I still don't think we figured it out." Ficarra recalls, "I don't remember who said it to us. It was like, 'You guys get tired of directors f--king up your scripts. Why don't you go f--k them up on your own?' And so, OK, we did it." This article and video are presented by Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney/Hulu. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' director Charlotte Brändström on Gandalf's 'big reveal' and which scene required 'the most prep' 'American Primeval' director Peter Berg on crafting an 'adventure story' with a 'dysfunctional family' in the wild west Click here to read the full article.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Cassie is a boy mom: Singer gives birth to baby No. 3 with husband Alex Fine
Cassie is celebrating a new personal milestone: her baby boy with husband Alex Fine has arrived. The 'Me & U' singer on Tuesday gave birth to her third child in a New York hospital, sources confirmed to TMZ and People. She and 'MobLand' actor Fine welcomed their newest family member after the former was rushed to the hospital Tuesday and admitted into the labor and delivery unit, according to TMZ. A representative for Cassie, 38, did not immediately respond to The Times' request for confirmation and additional information. The singer (born Casandra Ventura) married Fine, 32, in October 2019 months after meeting him earlier that year at a gym where he worked as a wellness consultant. They also share daughters Frankie, 5, and Sunny, 3. Cassie announced her pregnancy in February via Instagram, sharing photos from an intimate family photo shoot. She captioned the post — which prominently featured her baby bump and her loved ones surrounding her — with a few emojis, including a blue heart. Fine, also known for the series 'American Primeval' and '1883,' said in his own Instagram post at the time that his growing family was the 'best gift I could ask for.' The 'Long Way 2 Go' musician enters her newest chapter of motherhood less than two weeks after she testified against ex-boyfriend and disgraced music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs in his federal sex trafficking trial in New York. During her four days of testimony, Cassie shared disturbing allegations about her relationship with the Bad Boy Records boss — including his alleged fits of violence, threats of blackmail and his notorious sexual marathons called 'freak-offs.' She sued Combs in the fall of 2023, helping set the stage for additional lawsuits from other accusers, federal raids on Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami and more legal fallout. 'I hope my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear,' Cassie said in a statement shared by her attorney Douglas Wigdor. 'For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.' Fine, in a statement through Wigdor, also shut down narratives that he saved his wife from Combs. 'To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself,' he said. 'Cassie saved Cassie.' He added: 'She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats.' Fine concluded, noting 'this horrific chapter is forever put behind us' and asked for privacy ahead of the arrival of his son with Cassie. Times staff write Richard Winton and former Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
Buzz Feed
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
49 Wildly Annoying TV And Movie Mistakes
My personal favorite? This scene from Twilight is where teenagers are clearly supposed to be playing Hackey-Sack, but are missing the Hackey-Sack. In fact, I love to watch the background actors in movies and TV shows, because oftentimes some nonsense is going on. Like this guy who forgot to play dead in Nobody. In the show American Primeval, you can spot a background character drop his spear and on. You can also spot other mistakes by looking in the background or off to the side. For example, in the most recent episode of The Last of Us, you can literally see a crew member hiding in the trees. It's always funny to spot crew members in movies and TV shows. In Saw 3D, you can see a crew member flicking blood on a character. You can also see a crew member in this scene in the Oscar-winning Return of the King. In this episode of Gunsmoke, you can see a crew member's modern shoe in the upper left corner. In the background of John Wick 3, you can see a person in one of the barn stalls to the left controlling the horse. In Stargate, you can see the whole crew in Kurt Russell's glasses. Sometimes you can see the actual camera in movies and TV scenes. You can see a camera rig on the right side in this scene from The Naked Gun. And you can see a camera reflection in this scene from The King of Comedy. You can actually see the camera in this scene from Troy. Some mistakes are just hilariously obvious. This is how a character disables a bomb in Unthinkable. And in this shot from X-Men, you can see the screws in Wolverine's claws. Some of the jurors in Daredevil: Born Again are completely replaced. In this scene from Resident Evil, the character is using the notepad app to video call. This is less obvious, but it feels like a big oversight given that in Wicked, Elphaba very dramatically breaks the patio window. However, a few scenes later, just before Fiyero arrives, the glass isn't cracked. A lot of other errors have to do with continuity. In this scene from The Four Seasons, the table goes from empty to covered in drinks to having a single tray on it between shots. Maddie's sweater completely changes between shots in this scene from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The bullet holes in the Terminator's jacket disappear within seconds in this scene from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The bullet wound is clearly in the center of Tye's forehead in The Bricklayer — but later on, it's above her eyebrow. This one from Two is even more obvious. Check out the mirror between shots and the very different cracks. It keeps flashing between them, too, making it even more obvious. The keys change color multiple times between shots in Friday Night Dinner. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this woman's tongs change into a spatula, then back to tongs. In The King of Queens, Carrie goes from scooping mashed potatoes to picking up chicken with a fork between shots. The towel John is using to dry a glass changes colors between shots in Jurassic Park. In Avengers: Endgame, when Tony returns Cap's shield, it's obvious they shot at different times of day, considering the shadows. In Daredevil: Born Again, Matt puts his pants on backwards, but soon after, they're the right way forward. Speaking of Daredevil: Born Again, there are no flowers in the center of the table as Kingpin and Vanessa eat. Then at the end of the scene, there's a huge bouquet. The shape of the glass on Yon Rogg's ship changes between shots in Captain Marvel. You can spot it better here. This one might take a more eagle-eyed viewer, but in this scene from Fatal Attraction, you can see the headphone cord switch the side it's on. Credits mistakes also take an eagle-eyed viewer, but some are pretty egregious. They literally spelled Keira Knightley's name wrong in The Phantom Menace. Sinners is pretty much a perfect film, but it does misspell San Rafael in the credits. It always takes me out of a film when you realize something is straight-up fake. Like this scene from Predator, where this woman's hands clearly are not actually bound. This guy's breathing tube isn't even connected in this scene from Elementary, though in a different shot, it is. Alex's hair clearly isn't actually stuck in this scene from Modern Family. It easily falls away as her head moves. You can see Bruce Willis' flesh-colored socks in this scene from Die Hard. Factual errors are always annoying because they feel so easy to get wrong. In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, there's a notification from the Bronx Zoo about Fiona the actually lives at the Cincinnati zoo. Showing the Dow Jones dropping by 500% in G20 is laughable. Cars having no headrests in movies (usually so they can fit cameras to shoot from the back) always annoy me. You can see this mistake in action in Sicario: Day of the Soldado — where the headrests actually appear again. Sometimes, it's just SO obvious something is shot in the LA area. In this shot from Prison Break, which is supposed to take place in Wyoming, you can see palm trees, the ocean, and a pier. There's no way to avoid shooting period pieces in modern locations, but it definitely takes you out of it to see modern things on-camera. In the background of this shot from The Last of the Mohicans, you can literally see buses. Modern cars in period pieces are fairly common, actually. This is from The Highwaymen, which is set in the '30s. You can also see modern cars in this scene from Dexter: Original Sin, set in 1991. The background in the train windows changes instantaneously in this scene from France. The shot doesn't even change; just the background does. You can see it better here. In Rudy, during the Notre Dame/Georgia Tech match, you can see someone holding up a Boston College flag. Blade appears to disappear between shots in Deadpool & Wolverine. And both Wolverine and Blade appear to kill the same woman. And finally, in Passenger FBI agent who gets shot has blood on his face before he even gets shot. What's an obvious mistake in a movie or TV show that always bugs you? Let us know in the comments or via this anonymous form! H/T: r/MovieMistakes
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV Production Design roundtable panel: ‘American Primeval,' ‘Beast Games,' ‘Étoile'
For our Meet the Experts: TV Production Design roundtable, Gold Derby gathered together two production designers and a set decorator to discuss their beginnings in the industry and which moments they're most proud of throughout their careers. Joining us were American Primeval set decorator David Hack, Beast Games production designer Stephen Leonhardt, and Étoile production designer Bill Groom. Watch the full group panel above. Click each person's name to watch their individual interview. More from GoldDerby 'Sentimental Value' hailed as a 'masterpiece,' the 'best movie' at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival 'The Daily Show' editor Cathy Trasborg on letting Trump supporters 'reveal themselves' in the edit: 'We just let them play out' 'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk' "The Hudsucker Proxy," Leonhardt says without hesitation when asked for examples of the best production design in film and television. "That was right at the time in my life when I was deciding what I was going to do professionally," he says of the Joel and Ethan Coen's longtime production design/set decoration team of Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh's work on the film. "The way that they built that clock into it; it's not a subtle statement, but a bold statement, and I think that always spoke to me," he explains. " I'm not a student of film. When I watch TV show or go to a movie, I just try to enjoy it and am not looking at it for the production design," Groom admits. " The scenery is not there to be noticed. It's there to be forgotten," he adds. " I will tell you the movie that did influence me the most is Bullitt with Steve McQueen, and that's because when I was in college, it was the first movie I had ever seen. I grew up in a fundamentalist Midwestern religion. Seeing movies was a sin, and so I didn't go to see a movie until I was in college, and that movie has a moment when the hitmen burst into a hotel room and the witness they're protecting is shot. I remember in that moment, first time I'd ever seen an image that big, 40-feet wide, I was doubled over in my seat," he recalls. "I had to go to the lobby to get some fresh air and then I managed to make my way back in. I think that's when I realized the impact that the image could make." For set decorator Hack says Doctor Zhivago is his gold standard in film, and on television he has really loved the attention to detail and craftmanship on Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel 1923, lauding Emmy-nominated production designer Cary White's work as " very beautifully done and executed for a streaming show." Every artist working in a film or series art department wants to create the most amazing sets, but must always ensure the physical spaces inhabited by the characters are also practical and authentic. "It's not necessarily about making something look amazing, but to make it look right," Groom says. " Sometimes, my favorite sets I've done are just the simplest ones, like a great location with the perfect piece of furniture in it." Leonhardt agrees, suggesting that "it's about being a spoke in a wheel, the way it works, and that form has to follow function. So the first question is never actually, how should it look, it's what does it have to do? And you have to answer those 'what does it have to do?' questions and what, what it has to do at some point has to do also with the audience experience," he explains. "How are people watching this going to feel? How are they supposed to feel? Is it scary? Is it intense? All of those things. But in the end, you have to answer what it has to do and then how it's supposed to look usually falls into place," he says, adding that "so many of the questions about how it looks are answered by what must it do." "Well, for me as a decorator, I see myself as a conduit," Hack says. "These really aren't my dreams. I'm trying to tune into someone else's dreams and make it come true. I try and serve people like Stephen and Bill who come up with a design that they want to achieve," he reveals. This article and video are presented by Prime Video and Netflix. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Étoile' editor Tim Streeto on reuniting with the Palladinos for the Prime Video ballet series 'The Daily Show' editor Cathy Trasborg on letting Trump supporters 'reveal themselves' in the edit: 'We just let them play out' 'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk' Click here to read the full article.
