Pizza Film School

Go behind the scenes of The Whisper Man with the filmmakers who brought the psychological thriller from page to screen. In this special two-part edition of Pizza Film School: Secret Sauce, the team breaks down the creative choices, collaboration, and craft behind the film, from adapting Alex North's bestselling novel and developing the mythology of the Whisper Man to directing the cast, building its visual language, designing its world, and shaping the story in the edit.   Part One features director James Ashcroft, cinematographer Peter Deming, production designer Anastasia White, and editor Chris Tellefsen, alongside AGBO producers Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting. They explore working with Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan, creating the film's look and atmosphere, building character through production design, and finding suspense and story in the edit.   Part Two brings together producers Michael Disco and Kassee Whiting with co-writer Chase Palmer to unpack the years-long journey of developing The Whisper Man, adapting the novel for the screen, creating the cassette tapes and mythology surrounding the killer, assembling the cast, and sharing stories from production with Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Keaton, and more.   Together, the two episodes offer an inside-the-making masterclass in how a psychological thriller evolves from development through production and post.   SPOILER WARNING: This is intended as a companion to The Whisper Man and discusses specific scenes, characters, and major story points. Watch the film on Netflix before listening.   ABOUT SECRET SAUCE Secret Sauce is a subseries of Pizza Film School focused on the making of a single AGBO film or TV series. Hosted by AGBO's creative leadership, each episode brings together the filmmakers and key creative collaborators behind a project to explore development, production, and post, offering a practical masterclass on how a project comes to life.   ABOUT THE SHOW Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, Pizza Film School is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world, with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production.  

Go behind the scenes of The Whisper Man with the filmmakers who brought the psychological thriller from page to screen. In this special two-part edition of Pizza Film School: Secret Sauce, the team breaks down the creative choices, collaboration, and craft behind the film, from adapting Alex North's bestselling novel and developing the mythology of the Whisper Man to directing the cast, building its visual language, designing its world, and shaping the story in the edit.   Part One features director James Ashcroft, cinematographer Peter Deming, production designer Anastasia White, and editor Chris Tellefsen, alongside AGBO producers Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting. They explore working with Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan, creating the film's look and atmosphere, building character through production design, and finding suspense and story in the edit.   Part Two brings together producers Michael Disco and Kassee Whiting with co-writer Chase Palmer to unpack the years-long journey of developing The Whisper Man, adapting the novel for the screen, creating the cassette tapes and mythology surrounding the killer, assembling the cast, and sharing stories from production with Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Keaton, and more. Together, the two episodes offer an inside-the-making masterclass in how a psychological thriller evolves from development through production and post.   SPOILER WARNING: This is intended as a companion to The Whisper Man and discusses specific scenes, characters, and major story points. Watch the film on Netflix before listening.    ABOUT SECRET SAUCE Secret Sauce is a subseries of Pizza Film School focused on the making of a single AGBO film or TV series. Hosted by AGBO's creative leadership, each episode brings together the filmmakers and key creative collaborators behind a project to explore development, production, and post, offering a practical masterclass on how a project comes to life.     ABOUT THE SHOW  Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, Pizza Film School is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world, with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production.

This is a Secret Sauce edition of Pizza Film School, a project-focused deep dive into the making of an AGBO release.   ABOUT THE EPISODE Go behind the scenes of The Bluff with the filmmakers who built it from concept to final cut. AGBO's Angela Russo-Otstot and Michael Disco sit down with director Frank E. Flowers, and co-writer Joe Ballarini for a craft-focused conversation on making The Bluff.   Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban, The Bluff is an action-packed pirate epic set in the Cayman Islands, inspired by Flowers' personal connection to the region. The team explores how the idea evolved from concept to screenplay to production, unpacking the collaboration, world-building, and creative decisions that shaped the final film. ABOUT SECRET SAUCE Secret Sauce is a subseries of Pizza Film School that focuses on the making of a single AGBO film or TV series. Hosted by AGBO's creative leadership, each episode explores development, production, and post with the filmmaking teams, offering a practical masterclass on how a project comes to life. ABOUT THE SHOW Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, "Pizza Film School" is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production FOLLOW ON SOCIAL Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms   00:00:22 - The Bluff: A Grounded 19th Century Pirate Story 00:02:05 - The Origin of The Bluff 00:03:53 - Pirates Week in the Cayman Islands 00:05:23 - First Read of The Bluff at AGBO 00:06:12 - Partnering with Cinestar & Zoe Saldana 00:07:47 - The Zoom Pitch That Sold The Bluff 00:10:05 - The Home Invasion Turn: Blending Western, Horror & Pirate Genres 00:11:11 - Protecting the Vision & Getting the Film Made 00:14:28 - Creative Decisions & Authenticity in The Bluff 00:15:06 - Writing in the Cayman Islands & Archival Research 00:18:18 - Cultural Representation & Casting Authenticity 00:19:13 - Using Virtual Production to Prep The Bluff 00:23:47 - Production Design & Importing Sand for Authenticity 00:25:39 - Shooting Challenges: Weather, Islands & Blessings 00:28:39 - Family on Set & Multilingual Pirate Performances 00:32:15 - Post-Production: Editing, Pace & No Reshoots 00:35:54 - Why Writers & Editors Belong on Set 00:37:00 - What The Bluff Means to the Filmmakers  

Acclaimed composer Henry Jackman (Captain America: Civil War, The Gray Man, Cherry) joins Anthony and Joe Russo for an in-depth exploration of cinematic scoring. From early classical training to cutting-edge electronic textures, Jackman breaks down how theme, tone, and story intersect in film music. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/PcPjjzL9rIk FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms  ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, "Pizza Film School" is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 00:10 - Welcome Henry Jackman to Pizza Film School 01:45 - How Henry Got Into Music as a Child 02:49 - Life at St. Paul's Cathedral Choir School 06:55 - From Classical Training to Rave Culture 08:51 - How Drum & Bass Changed Henry's Musical Perspective 11:04 - The Blend of Classical and Electronic in Winter Soldier 13:05 - Scoring the Winter Soldier: Creative Risks & Storytelling 17:17 - Getting Discovered by Hans Zimmer 20:28 - Film Music Is Storytelling, Not Just Music 22:29 - How Cherry Was Scored with a Suite 25:30 - The Power of Music Over Dialogue in Film 27:00 - Cherry's Final Scene: Emotion Without Words 29:37 - Writing the 10-Minute Cherry Suite 32:12 - Scoring as a Foundation for Storytelling 35:54 - Scoring the Civil War Airport Battle Scene 38:49 - Why the Music Slows Down at the Moment of Impact 40:00 - Underscoring Heroic Moments in Marvel 41:06 - The Misdirection in Civil War's Nanosuit Scene 43:00 - Musical Heroism: From Strauss to John Williams 45:19 - Why Fantasy Lets You Embrace Earnestness 46:32 - Small Bites: Henry's Quickfire Answers 47:05 - Music Henry Wishes He Could Hear for the First Time 50:39 - Henry's Go-To Karaoke Song 50:53 - Henry's Favorite Piece of Music

Legendary film editor Jeff Ford (Avengers: Endgame, The Winter Soldier, The Electric State) joins Anthony and Joe Russo for a deep dive into the craft of editing, the collaborative nature of filmmaking, and the surprising origin of Iron Man's iconic final line. A must-watch for anyone who wants to understand how movies are truly made. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/ocrWqQ1CAcA FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms  ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, "Pizza Film School" is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 00:30 - Meet Jeff Ford: Editor of the Avengers Saga   01:15 - Editing The Electric State with the Russo Brothers   02:00 - Jeff Ford's Journey from Super 8 to Marvel   03:00 - The Essence of Editing: Writing with Picture   04:00 - Why Editing Never Matches the Original Script   05:30 - How Cap 2 United the Russos and Jeff Ford   07:00 - Paranoid Thriller Roots of The Winter Soldier   08:30 - Making "Everyone's on the Same Movie"   10:00 - The Director-Editor Relationship   11:30 - Inside the Emotional Core of Marvel Scenes   14:00 - Breaking Down the Cap & Peggy Scene   17:00 - Editing Performances from Incomplete Footage   19:00 - The Character-Driven Arc of Steve Rogers   22:00 - Editing the Cap vs Bucky Final Fight   26:00 - How Music & Rhythm Shape Action Scenes   29:00 - The Role of Camera Operating in Editing   31:00 - Creating Emotional Endings That Last   33:00 - What Makes a Great Editor-Director Match   35:00 - Nick Fury's Chase Scene: Action as Music   38:00 - Managing Chaos: Cutting Across Units   41:00 - Pre-Vis, Stunt-Vis & Planning the Cut   43:00 - Working with Directors Like Mann & Watts   45:30 - On-Set Rewrites & Actor-Driven Blocking   48:00 - Why Simplicity Wins in Performance Direction   50:00 - The Origin of "I Am Iron Man"   54:00 - Thematic Symmetry & Emotional Closure   56:00 - Jeff's Favorite Show to Rewatch for the First Time   57:00 - Who Jeff Ford Would Love to Work With   58:00 - Advice to Young Editors and Filmmakers   59:00 - Wrap-Up: Jeff Ford on Chasing the Perfect Cut