Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
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Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
Ep. 61 - Nabil Elderkin on Gully, The People and Kendrick Lamar
How Did They Get There
1 hour 16 seconds
9 months ago
Ep. 61 - Nabil Elderkin on Gully, The People and Kendrick Lamar
Director Nabil Elderkin shoots music videos and films governed by vision, collaboration and diversity. While thematic similarities connect the dots between his projects, each video is different and a product of the stellar combination of the right artist, the right lighting, and maybe most importantly - the right feel. Growing up in a multi-cultural sphere, dictated by several international moves, led to an open-mindedness and an adaptability which did not hurt his transition into film. Surfing was the context which facilitated his portal in, and although he spent more time on the beach than in the water, the education he received, through direct exposure shooting his friends, was invaluable. His photography interest and experience developed further when he settled in Chicago, and came into Kanye West’s orbit. Soon after, he started shooting music videos for a dossier for artists which continues to expand, and includes The Black Eyed Peas, Common, Seal, Bruno Mars, Foals, J. Cole, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa and Kendrick Lamar. For his work on Swim Good and Mercy, which feature Frank Ocean and Kanye West, respectively, Nabil received 3 VMA nominations, including Best Direction in a Video and Best Hip Hop Video for the latter. Among his feature films are the Ugandan breakdancing documentary, Bouncing Cats, and the gut-wrenching exploration of trauma - Gully - which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 and stars Charlie Plummer, Amber Heard, Jacob Latimore, Terrence Howard and John Corbett. In our conversation, we discussed the kernels of his film beginnings; working with actors like Willem Dafoe and Don Cheadle; collaborating with friends like John Legend; upcoming music video and narrative concepts he is developing; and a memorable encounter with Snoop Dogg.
Opening Credits: HoliznaPATREON - Green Again ( LoFi) I CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; Anitek - Gnats I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US. Closing Credits: snoozy beats - stylish days I CC BY 4.0.
How Did They Get There
Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
