In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I talk with James Kahn, the novelist behind some of the most iconic movie novelizations of the 1980s, including Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Poltergeist. James shares how a chance encounter while working as an ER doctor in Santa Monica led him onto the set of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, where he met Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg, an opportunity that set his writing career in motion. We discuss:

• How James went from emergency medicine to Hollywood writer
• His early break writing the Poltergeist novelization
• The creative freedom Spielberg gave him on Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and others
• Writing Return of the Jedi under intense secrecy — including how George Lucas gave him a decoy script where Luke kills the Emperor
• Inventing backstory details that became “canon” for decades, like Ben and Owen being brothers and hints about Anakin’s fall into the lava pits
• Giving Short Round his own chapter and exploring Mikey’s POV in The Goonies
• How his books helped fans relive these films long before home video
• Why a great novelization is about more than retelling a screenplay
• His recent memoir, A Jedi Memoir: A Double Life, weaving together stories from Hollywood and emergency medicine

If you grew up with these books, this one’s packed with insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and moments of movie history you probably didn’t know. If you enjoy the show and want to help me keep making these conversations, please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon:

All the links


This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with Tommy Williamson, a visual effects artist, prop maker, and lifelong creator whose career spans more than three decades. Tommy has worked on films including Spider-Man 2, Sin City, The Mist, Dune: Prophecy, and the modern masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. Tommy shares his journey from building paper-craft UFOs as a kid to working alongside Guillermo del Toro and becoming one of the artists helping to bridge the worlds of practical effects and cutting-edge digital VFX. We also dive into his passion for prop replicas and his work as the creator behind Nerds and Makers, where he builds incredible recreations of iconic movie props. If you love behind-the-scenes filmmaking stories, prop-making secrets, and hearing from the artists who bring movie magic to life, this episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss:

• Tommy’s early love of model making and practical effects
• His first big break on the 1988 remake of The Blob
• Adapting to the digital VFX revolution after Jurassic Park
• Working closely with Guillermo del Toro on Pan’s Labyrinth
• The creative process behind his Nerds and Makers prop replicas
• Why keeping one foot in both practical and digital worlds makes him a better artist
• The importance of experimentation, curiosity, and lifelong creativity

“I’ve always had to make things. It’s absolutely in my DNA. Even now, I’ll work on a show all day and then spend my evenings printing a lightsaber or a blaster. I can’t not do it.” — Tommy Williamson

You can follow Tommy and see his incredible prop builds on Instagram: @nerdsandmakers



This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

Episode 132 - Dave Barclay - My Life With Animatronics. Movies, Puppets and Beyond!

At just 19 years old, Dave Barclay found himself stepping into the role of chief puppeteer for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. It was the start of an extraordinary career in animatronics and puppetry that would see him bringing to life some of cinema’s most beloved and memorable characters. In this episode, Dave takes us back to his creative beginnings, growing up in a family of puppeteers, and the serendipitous chain of events that led from working in Hamleys toy shop to meeting Mark Hamill — and ultimately joining Stuart Freeborn’s Yoda team.

We cover:

• His early inspirations from Planet of the Apes to making masks at home.
• The technical and creative challenges of performing Yoda alongside Frank Oz.
• Becoming chief puppeteer for Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.
• Working on The Dark Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
• The importance of collaboration between puppeteers, animators, special effects teams and actors.
• The process of writing his new autobiography My Life with Animatronics, Movies, Puppets and Beyond, filled with stories and photos from across his career.

Dave’s journey is a mix of artistry, technical problem-solving, and being in the right place at the right time — but also about saying “yes” when opportunity knocks.

Listen now to hear stories from a man whose work has shaped how we see and believe in some of cinema’s most iconic creatures. Find Dave’s book:

My Life with Animatronics, Movies, Puppets and Beyond – available now at Cool Waters Productions.

All my links

In this special bonus episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I take you behind the scenes of Propstore’s upcoming Los Angeles auction, featuring some truly jaw-dropping pieces of movie history. I was invited to a press preview at London’s Dorchester Hotel, where I spoke with Propstore’s Tim Lawes (Director of Consignment) and Stephen Lane (CEO and Founder) about some of the headline items, including:

• A screen- and photo-matched Darth Vader hero lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
• The iconic Jaws clapperboard with teeth, plus Bruce the shark’s eyes
• Jane Fonda’s Barbarella costume and blaster

We discuss the thrill of uncovering long-lost props, the stories behind these legendary items, and what it means for collectors to own a piece of cinematic history. The auction runs September 4–6, 2025, streamed online from Los Angeles, with the full catalogue available at propstore.com.

Next episode: My interview with puppeteer Dave Barclay, whose incredible career goes far beyond Jabba the Hutt.

All my links

In episode 131 of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with director Phil Hawkins to talk about his journey from a kid obsessed with Jurassic Park and Star Wars to a filmmaker directing commercials, indie features, and ambitious projects like Star Wars: Origins and the Sky Original Robin in the Hoods.

Phil shares how he taught himself filmmaking as a teenager, cutting together VHS tapes and roping in friends to create homemade sci-fi adventures. We discuss how this DIY approach evolved into making shorts and, later, a career in commercials – where he honed his craft in visual storytelling, working with big crews, and balancing creative ambition with tight schedules. We also talk about his fan-favourite short film Star Wars: Origins, which went viral for its bold concept and cinematic scale, and how it helped open doors to bigger opportunities, including his recent family feature Robin in the Hoods.

Along the way, Phil reflects on the importance of collaboration, and the lessons learned from juggling creativity with industry realities. If you’re interested in how a director moves from self-taught beginnings to studio-backed projects while staying true to his passion, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Listen now to hear:

• How VHS edits and fan films became Phil’s film school.
• The leap from shorts to commercials – and what commercials teach about storytelling.
• Making Star Wars: Origins and the risks and rewards of fan filmmaking.
• Crafting Robin in the Hoods and wrangling a cast of young actors for an adventure film.
• Phil’s thoughts on building a creative, respectful set environment.

Star Wars Origins
All the links

Episode 130 – Laurent Bouzereau on “Jaws at 50” In this special episode, I catch up with the legendary documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau to discuss his latest project, Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, premiering Friday 11th July at 8pm on National Geographic and streaming the same day on Disney+. Laurent, whose behind-the-scenes work on Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Spielberg has inspired me for years, reflects on the challenges of revisiting Jaws 30 years after his original 1995 documentary. We talk about the new angles he explored, from Spielberg’s emotional recollections and rare 8mm footage to fresh perspectives from filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Jim Cameron, and Jordan Peele. Recorded on the fly on Martha’s Vineyard during the Jaws 50th celebrations, this short but meaningful conversation touches on the legacy of Jaws, the humanity behind the production, and how Laurent’s approach has shifted over the years. Also in this episode:

• An update on my Joe Alves documentary and the incredible support from GoFundMe donors
• A mention of my new two-part article on ILM's animation legacy: ILM Evolutions: Animation from Rotoscoping to Rango – now live on ILM.com

Linktree

Support the podcast

Episode 129 – The Star Wars Influence: Live at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival In this special live episode, I join Doug Weir—Remastering Lead at the BFI—and post-production veteran Paul Collard on stage for a panel titled The Star Wars Influence, recorded at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival. Curated and hosted by Doug, the panel explores how George Lucas’s frustrations with the Hollywood studio system led to a wave of technological innovation that forever changed the filmmaking landscape. From the creation of ILM to the invention of motion control, EditDroid, SoundDroid, and digital cinema tools, we look at how Lucas empowered a generation of problem-solvers and helped pioneer the digital workflow we now take for granted. This conversation took place just before a rare screening of Star Wars from a 35mm Technicolor dye-transfer print—an experience I’ll be covering in more detail in a bonus episode coming soon. Topics include:

• Lucas’s break from the traditional studio system
• The founding of ILM and the Dykstraflex motion control rig
• VistaVision, optical printers, and visual effects R&D
• The origins of EditDroid and non-linear editing
• The value of Technicolor dye-transfer prints
• Lucasfilm’s wider influence on Pixar, Avid, and beyond

Thanks again to Doug and Paul—and to the BFI for hosting such a thoughtful and inspiring event.

Joe Alves Doco GoFundMe
All my links

In this special archival episode, I speak with actor and musician Anthony Forrest, best known to Star Wars fans for playing the sandtrooper who famously waved Obi-Wan and Luke past an Imperial checkpoint with the words: “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.” Originally recorded over a decade ago, this conversation explores Forrest’s original casting as “Fixer” in the cut Tosche Station scenes, his time filming in Tunisia, and how George Lucas unexpectedly tapped him to suit up as a trooper. Anthony also reflects on working alongside Alec Guinness, the skepticism among the British crew, and the surreal experience of flying home with champagne and Star Wars stickers courtesy of Sir Alec himself. Beyond Star Wars, we also discuss Anthony’s career in music, his time busking in the London Underground, and his low-budget feature The Ballad of Bob’s Garage. 

Listen in for rarely heard stories from behind the mask.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Deleted scenes from A New Hope
• Filming in Tunisia and London
• Busking and recording in the London Underground
• Alec Guinness and the 2007 Academy screening
• The Ballad of Bob’s Garage project

GoFundMe for our Martha’s Vineyard shoot — any support is greatly appreciated!

All my links

In this bonus episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I catch up with returning guest Paul King, who you might remember from our previous conversation about his Shining locations documentary, Shine On. This time, Paul’s back with another nostalgic deep-dive — his new short documentary Beneath London: The Story of Alien War. We talk about the origins of the Alien-themed walkthrough experience that terrified visitors to London’s Trocadero in the early 1990s, how Paul tracked down rare archive footage and the people who made it happen, and why he thinks this story still has the potential to grow into a feature-length film. Watch Paul’s documentary on YouTube:
Beneath London: The Story of Alien War In the episode, we cover:

• What Alien War was and how it came together
• The strange story of how the creators got official backing from 20th Century Fox
• How the experience pushed boundaries long before immersive cinema became a thing
• Paul’s process of turning archival material and interviews into a compelling short film

I also share an update on my own documentary, Not Your Average Joe, about legendary Jaws production designer Joe Alves. I’m heading to Martha’s Vineyard this June to film key interviews during the 50th anniversary celebrations — a rare and important opportunity to capture these stories on location. If you’d like to support that project, you can find the GoFundMe here:

https://gofund.me/13795716

Thanks for listening. More behind-the-scenes conversations coming soon.

--------------------------------------------------
Our Joe Alves GoFundMe Campaign
--------------------------------------------------

Episode 129 – Max Evry on A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History.

In this episode, I speak with film journalist and author Max Evry about his brilliant and in-depth book A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History. What began as a 150-page entry in a cult film series soon grew into a 560-page epic — much like the film it covers.

Max and I talk about the origins of the project, how he managed to get David Lynch himself to take part, and why the oral history format was the right approach for telling this complex story. We also chat about the book’s structure, Max’s archive work, and how his own experiences as a filmmaker gave him a deeper empathy for the challenges Lynch faced.

There’s even a fascinating discussion about Max’s restoration of a long-lost scene featuring Molly Wryn — which you can now watch here:

You can find Max’s book here.

If you enjoy these behind-the-scenes deep dives, please consider supporting the podcast or sharing it with a film-loving friend - patreon.com/jamiebenning

--------------------------------------------------
Our Joe Alves GoFundMe Campaign
--------------------------------------------------

Episode 126 - Inside the BFI National Archives - Film on Film Festival - Special Episode

For this early release of the podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes at the BFI National Archive in Berkhamsted. The reason for the early drop? Tickets for the BFI’s excellent Film on Film Festival go on sale to the public tomorrow, 9th May 2025, and I wanted to give you a bit of insight into what makes this event so special. The Film on Film Festival runs from the 12th to the 15th of June and is dedicated entirely to screenings on physical film – from 35mm to 16mm, and even nitrate. It’s a rare opportunity to experience films as they were originally shown, in all their analogue glory. While at the archive, I spoke with several of the experts who help make the festival possible and who work daily to preserve the history of cinema. You’ll hear from:

• James Bell – Senior Curator of Fiction and Programme Director, Film on Film Festival
• Chris Stenner – Film Laboratory Lead
• Sonia Genaitay – Curatorial Archivist
• Martin Coffill – Projectionist and QC
• David Jones – Film Scanning Lead

A huge thanks to Kieron Webb and Sarah Bemand for organising the day. It was a real privilege to explore the archive, meet the people who keep the machines running and the prints in circulation, and to share it all with you here. If you're attending the festival on the 12th, please do let me know and be sure to say "hi".

BFI Film on Film

All my links

Episode 125 – Walter Murch: Suddenly Something Clicked (And 5 Years of Filmumentaries!) In this special 125th episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I’m joined once again by the legendary Walter Murch — editor, sound designer, director, author, and true philosopher of cinema. This also happens to mark five years since I launched the podcast, so it felt only fitting to celebrate with someone whose insights have shaped not only cinema itself but how we understand it.

Walter and I discuss his new book, Suddenly Something Clicked, which is due for release on 8th May 2025 via Faber & Faber (thank you to them for kindly sending me a preview copy). The book is a rich mix of theory, practice, and history — true to Walter’s description of it as a “twisted rope” of ideas. We cover everything from the evolution of editing, cinema as a biological and neurological phenomenon, the mysteries of sound design, and even the mechanics of live television editing.

Walter reflects on the analog vs digital shift, why sound should be metaphorical as well as realistic, and how editing mirrors the way our own bodies process time and perception. We also get into Return to Oz, AI in filmmaking, and his thoughts on films like Adolescence and 1917 that attempt to eliminate the cut entirely.

As ever, it’s a joy to speak with Walter — and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it.

All my links

Suddenly Something Clicked

Original 1977 Star Wars Screening

Hi all,

Here's Rachel's second and final report from Star Wars Celebration Japan.

We hope you enjoy it!

As promised, here's report of the goings on in Tokyo at Star Wars Celebration, day one and two from Rachel Pearson. 

More tomorrow.

In my previous episode I spoke with ADR specialist and dialoge editor Vickie Sampson. In that conversation she mentioned briefly about the time the Return of the Jedi audio recordings were stolen from her car. "That's a story for a whole other podcast", she remarked. So I contacted Vickie to ask her if she could record the story. She kindly obliged, and so here it is as a short Bonus episode for you folks!

Episode 124 

Like many visual effects artists of a certain vintage, Jeff Okun didn’t plan on a career in VFX. In fact, by his own account, he didn't even plan to work in film at all. "I’m a completely accidental human being," he told me with a chuckle. His ambitions began on a very different stage — as a stand-up comic — until a sharply atheistic routine delivered at home earned him a lifetime ban from performing in front of his parents. Instead, Okun’s creative outlet took the form of magic tricks, homemade stunts, and Super 8 visual gags. “I would blow up model ships and fake fights in rush hour traffic,” he said, “and I’d be in the bushes filming with ketchup for blood.” All of this childhood chicanery ultimately gave way to a fascination with the trickery of movies — the kind of illusions you could only pull off with careful camera work, sleight-of-hand editing, and an appetite for mischief. Learning the Craft the Hard Way Okun's first job in film was with the legendary graphic designer and filmmaker Saul Bass. The experience was, in Okun's words, “awful,” but also profoundly formative. As Bass’s gopher-turned-editor, Okun was thrown into the deep end. “I hated him,” he laughed. “But he taught me everything: editing, sound, post-production supervision, how to shoot, how to frame. It was a masterclass.” Working for Bass meant operating in a visually precise, effects-heavy style — layering camera moves, creating in-camera effects, and often relying on labor-intensive optical printing processes. When optical houses turned down Bass’s business — too exacting, too expensive — Okun stepped in with cost-saving workarounds and pricing schemes that actually worked. “We doubled the budget, added a contingency, and somehow still landed exactly on target.”

“By the end of it, I ended up loving the man,” Okun said. “Not because he gave me a break, but because he was so specific and difficult to please that when you did please him, it meant something. He learned how to prep lineup sheets, how to composite with interpositives, and how to break down 140-layer optical shots into manageable components. “I was just the fix-it guy. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I still don't.” VFX by Way of Accident It wasn’t long before optical houses and producers began calling on Okun when their films were in trouble. One fix led to another. His reputation grew as someone who could step into a crisis and calmly solve it — usually with a combination of ingenuity, humour, and brute-force trial and error. “I think Saul trained me to see puzzles. That’s what it comes down to — seeing what’s broken and putting it together in a way that works. Most of the time, it wasn’t about having the right answer. It was about trying 50 wrong ones.” This kind of lateral thinking came into its own on films like Stargate (1994), where Okun — working with Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak’s fledgling CG company — had to convince director Roland Emmerich that computer graphics were even worth attempting. “Roland didn’t believe in CG. So we built the shot, made the CG glider deliberately less detailed to match the miniature footage. Showed it to him. He said, ‘Exactly — that’s what I’m talking about. Miniatures are the way to go.’ And we said, ‘Nope. All CG.’ That’s when he finally came around.” (Fun fact, VFX supervisor Jeff Okun was paid homage by Brent Spiner in Independence Day in the role of Dr. Brackish Okun. There’s uh, a slight resemblance.) - Credit to Nofilmschool.com

Penguins, Moose, and the Invisible Effect Okun is quick to point out he wasn’t a Star Wars kid. In fact, he avoided the original film for weeks on principle — he doesn’t do queues. But he did get a behind-the-scenes tour of ILM’s original Van Nuys facility courtesy of Bass and George Lucas. There, he saw motion control rigs, Richard Edlund on his knees filming the crawl, Phil Tippett animating the chess game, and pyro...

Episode 123: Vickie Sampson – Dialogue, Detail, and the Art of Sound In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I speak with sound editor, dialogue and ADR supervisor, and filmmaker Vickie Sampson. Vickie’s career began in the early 1970s, and she’s since built up a mighty list of credits including Romancing the Stone, The River, Tank Girl, The Fifth Element, Ordinary People, and Return of the Jedi. She’s also the daughter of the trailblazing Kay Rose – the first woman to win an Oscar for sound editing. We discuss:

• Growing up surrounded by film and sound
• Her hands-on experiences on shows like The Big Valley and The Rifleman
• The vital but often misunderstood role of dialogue and ADR editing
• What makes a great production sound handover (and how so many indies get it wrong!)
• ‘Temp love’ and the challenges of directors getting attached to scratch tracks
• Working with actors like Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver
• Her time in London supervising ADR for Return of the Jedi – including a story about the reels being stolen from her car
• Why clean dialogue is the bedrock of a good film
• Her continued work as a director and teacher

This one’s packed with stories, insights, and practical advice for anyone working in – or just obsessed with – film sound. 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Skywalking Through Neverland Podcast – Episode 72 – More on Vickie’s Jedi reels story
• Simon Hayes' article on the sound of Wicked
• “A Letter from Your Sound Department” (available upon request or via Vickie’s site)

Support the podcast:
Grab some merch: filmumentaries.creator-spring.com
Or support on Patreon for just $1 a month: patreon.com/jamiebenning

Follow me on social media:
@filmumentaries on Threads, Instagram and Facebook 

Filmumentaries Linktree

In this conversation, I speak with Howard Berry about his film project 'Her Name Was Moviola', which explores the art of film editing through the lens of a a traditional editing setup. Howard shares the origins of the project, his connections with notable filmmakers like Walter Murch and Mike Leigh, who are both involved in the projet. And the challenges he faced in acquiring the necessary equipment for the film. 

The chat highlights the technical aspects of film editing and the collaborative nature of filmmaking. We look at the intricacies of documentary filmmaking, particularly focusing on the editing process and the relationship between directors and editors. Howard shares insights into his experience editing a film about editing, the challenges faced during production, and the importance of preserving cinematic stories. We also touch on the film's reception at various festivals and the future distribution plans.

• The project began as an oral history of Elstree Studios.
• Howard's connections in the film industry were crucial to the project's development.
• Walter Murch's involvement was pivotal in shaping the film's direction.
• The film aims to document the process of editing, not just the final product.
• Acquiring vintage equipment like the movieola was a significant challenge.
• Howard's persistence in networking led to valuable collaborations.
• Mike Leigh's willingness to share footage was a turning point for the project.
• The technical aspects of editing are often overlooked but are essential to the craft.
• The film serves as a tribute to the art of film editing.
• Howard's journey reflects the importance of community and support in filmmaking. Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving historical stories in film.
• The documentary was always intended to focus on the technical and psychological aspects of editing.
• Walter Murch's preference for a nuts-and-bolts approach shaped the film's direction.
• The relationship between a director and editor can be tense yet collaborative.
• Critiques from directors can enhance the editing process and lead to better outcomes.
• Editing a film about editing presents unique challenges and pressures.
• Trust between filmmakers is crucial for a successful project.
• The film has received positive feedback from audiences and critics alike.
• Festival screenings have provided valuable exposure and audience engagement.
• Future distribution plans aim to reach a wider audience through streaming services.

Filmumentaries Linktree

Her Name Was Moviola

The Elstree Project

In this conversation, Jim shares his journey into the film industry, detailing how a little film called Star Wars inspired him to pursue a career in filmmaking. He discusses his early experiences in the industry, the evolution of trailer editing, and the critical role of marketing in film success. Jim reflects on his time at Castle Rock Entertainment, the challenges of marketing films like The Shawshank Redemption, and the importance of intuition in making marketing decisions. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of film marketing, exploring the challenges faced in promoting films like 'Shawshank Redemption' and the impact of initial reception on a film's legacy. We discuss the evolution of film reception over time, about iconic directors like Stanley Kubrick and franchises like Harry Potter. Highlighting the importance of creativity in marketing and the unique experiences that come with working on significant film projects.

Jim's book - Opening Weekend is available here!

Shawshank Redemption Trailer

All my links

In this conversation, Maryan discusses her journey into the film industry, detailing her entry point after film school, her experiences at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. She shares insights into the creative environment at ILM, the collaborative spirit among teams, and the innovative techniques used in films like Return of the Jedi. Maryan reflects on her post-ILM career, the changing dynamics in the industry, and the importance of perseverance and creativity in filmmaking. In this conversation, Maryan reflects on her experiences in the film industry, particularly focusing on the creative processes behind visual effects, the impact of influential figures like George Lucas, and the transition from effects work to live action and music videos.

We discuss the challenges of working in different effects houses, the importance of collaboration, and the evolution of technology in filmmaking. The conversation also touches on personal career transitions, the balance between work and family life, and the shift towards education in the arts.

All my links