Cinemapodgrapher – Details, episodes & analysis

Aiden Kelly is one of the world’s leading remote pilots and the co-founder of XM2. He shares how he started out flying remote helicopters and running a hobby shop, which led to building XM2 into a global remote head company with offices in Australia, the US, the UK, and Korea. We talk about the early days of drone cinematography and how XM2 expanded into arm cars, e-bikes, cable cams, and RC tracking vehicles. Aiden breaks down the challenges of flying on major films, including Tom Cruise’s motorcycle cliff jump in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, high-speed car chases in James Bond, and stunt sequences in The Fall Guy. This episode offers a deep look at aerial and specialty camera work on some of the biggest action films in the world.

This episode is proudly brought to you by our technology partners Sony.
Produced by Deb Van Dieren, Hosted and Edited by Lucas Tomoana SOC.

Mandy Walker AM ASC ACS’s stunning cinematography has captivated audiences around the world. From Australia to Elvis, Snow White, and commercials for global brands like Chanel, Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Audi — her work is bold, emotional, and always cinematic.

In this episode, Mandy shares how she carved her own path without film school, became a trailblazer for women in film, and developed her approach to storytelling on big-budget productions. She also talks through her work on Snow White — from camera tests to musical sequences, and how she lit the sets of Disney’s latest feature.

She’s an icon — and she’s refreshingly honest about the challenges, the wins, and what it takes to keep pushing forward in this industry.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Red. For more information on the latest red cameras head to www.red.com.

Hosted by Lucas Tomoana
Edited by Raphael Segal
Produced by Deb Bauer

Producer Patrick Caligiuri began creating content during COVID discussing the Film & TV industry on TikTok and Instagram. He has since amassed over 250k followers and established himself as a respected voice and thought leader. Patrick joins us to explore the biggest topics shaping the future of entertainment, including the decline of Hollywood, the clash between traditional studios and tech giants, the rise of independent filmmaking, the transformative impact of AI, and the growth of short-form content on social media. Plus, we discuss how brands like Chick-fil-A are moving away from traditional commercials to embrace branded storytelling, helping redefine the landscape alongside major players such as Amazon, Disney, and Netflix.

Murray Lui has shot documentaries, TV shows and feature films around Australia. He is also one of the very few Torres Strait Islander filmmakers in our industry. I sit down to talk about Murrays career, his creative approach to shooting comedy and why it is important to tell indigenous stories.

Electronic News Gathering requires you to think on your feet in high pressure situations and tell a story as it unfolds. Geoff O'Rourke joins us to discuss his 11 years of experience shooting news and his new venture into freelance filmmaking. 

Filmmaking is a team sport and as shooters and technicians one of the departments we will be dealing closely with is the Production department. Line Producer Ange Lavey-Manche joins us to talk about CVs, negotiating rates, marketing yourself and what production are looking for when employing crew.

The first part of any business is sales, and we can't make sales without customers. On this episode I go through some key questions you need to start asking yourself to run your business in the film industry. 

Catching a plane for the first time for a shoot can be pretty stressful. In this episode I go through the basics of what you need to know before heading to the airport. 

A career in the film industry can be incredibly rewarding however it does not come without sacrifice. This episode I talk about some considerations you need to take when deciding on your career path. 

1st AC Jason Binnie has worked on 60+ films and tv series including iconic films such as The Matrix, Star wars and Alien. In this episode Jason talks about his 30 year long career and what advice he has for those looking to join or move up the camera department.