Explore every episode of the podcast Half the Picture
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2 - TRISTAN OLIVER | 12 Sep 2024 | 00:56:39 | |
Half the Picture's second guest is Tristan Oliver BSC, cinematographer extraordinaire and arguably the leading DOP working in stop-motion animation today! Tristan joined us to chat about his experiences working with Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr Fox and Isle of Dogs, making his start as an actor before switching to cinematography, shooting the iconic train chase in The Wrong Trousers and having lunch with the legendary Jack Cardiff, as well as to share advice for aspiring animator/cinematographers! | |||
| #1 - BRENDAN MCCARTHY | 12 Sep 2024 | 00:59:20 | |
Half the Picture's first guest is Brendan McCarthy, Mad Max: Fury Road's brilliantly inventive co-writer and visual designer! Brendan joined us to for an in-depth chat covering all things Fury Road, from his experiences working closely with George Miller in pre-production on the scripting and storyboarding to Splendid's original (and much more hardcore) death scene that was cut from the film. He also delved into the original ending he and Miller had planned and even teased the upcoming and eagerly anticipated 'Furiosa!' | |||
| #4 - SPARKS | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:31:13 | |
Half the Picture's guests this episode are Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks, pop stars extraordinaire and writers/composers of the award-winning musical 'Annette' directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard! Ron and Russell joined us to break down the making of 'Annette' and their close working relationship with Leos Carax as well as their most recent world tour for their latest album 'The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte' which saw them play the biggest venues of their career. They also talked telling stories through music, shared advice for young artists looking to break into film/music and even touched a little on 'X-Crucior', their upcoming movie musical collab' with John Woo! For all this and more, listen on! #Sparks #Annette #HalfThePicture This October also saw Ron and Russell release the original 2013 recording of the 'Annette' soundtrack, as a limited edition 3LP boxset on the band’s own label Lil’ Beethoven Records. Writing in the sleevenotes of this boxset release Ron and Russell said “Annette was a divisive film, but we feel a great film, and directed with enormous artistic skill by Leos, with a magnificent cast. Still, we feel that this earlier version of Annette should be listened to not as the preparatory or demo step toward a filmed version, but rather as a complete and alternative version in itself. We are very proud of it.” Annette - An Opera By Sparks (The Original 2013 Recordings) is available exclusively through Sparks’ store at www.store.allsparks.com, limited to 1,000 copies. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel so as not to miss any of Billy & Ahmed's interviews! *Note: This interview was recorded on March 22nd 2024. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Watch the podcast: https://youtube.com/@halfthepicturepodcast?si=8iCJ7aQf87hMp8RP Listen to the podcast online... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billybarnel... Billy on Twitter: https://x.com/billybarnell?s=21&t=3QY... Ahmed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrahmedoali?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Sparks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparks_official?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 00:14 - Passion for Cinema 02:00 - Working with Leos Carax 07:27 - The Cast of 'Annette' 13:26 - Storytelling through Music 16:55 - Reactions to 'Annette' 22:56 - The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte Tour 26:00 - Advice for Young Artists 29:12 - 'X-Crucior' 30:38 - The lights cut out! 31:07 - Lyrically Speaking with Ron Mael return? 33:16 - Outro | |||
| #3 - JASON REITMAN | 11 Oct 2024 | 01:02:50 | |
Half the Picture's third guest is Jason Reitman, director of such modern classics as Juno, Up in the Air and his latest, Saturday Night: a visceral portrait of the 90 minutes leading up to the birth of the classic late-night comedy show! Jason joined us to chat the length and breadth of his career, ranging from his exuberant debut ‘Thank You for Smoking’, to the life-changing impact of making ‘Juno’, up through the deeply personal journey he undertook making ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ with his father Ivan to working with the iconic J.K. Simmons and exec-producing Damien Chazelle's ‘Whiplash!' For all this and more, listen on! #jasonreitman #saturdaynightmovie #ghostbusters Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the podcast so as not to miss any of Billy & Ahmed's interviews! *Note: This interview was recorded on July 27th 2024. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billybarnel... Billy on Twitter: https://x.com/billybarnell?s=21&t=3QY... Ahmed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrahmedoali?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonreitman?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 00:44 - Thank You for Smoking 04:57 - Directing is reacting 06:07 - Improvisation on set 10:30 - Young Adult 12:31 - Diablo Cody 13:37 - Up in the Air 16:08 - Flawed Protagonists 17:24 - Juno 25:01 - Tully 27:05 - Favourite Scenes 29:44 - Adapating novels to screen 31:53 - Discovering young stars 34:52 - Adam Sandler 38:45 - Maker's Mark in Diablo Cody scripts 40:09 - Eric Steelberg D.O.P. 43:59 - The Front Runner & confident directing 46:36 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife 48:51 - Growing as a filmmaker 51:32 - Jason's favourite directors 55:18 - Exciting upcoming movies 57:10 - Invisible directing 01:00:31 - Letterboxd 01:02:20 - Saturday Night 01:05:08 - J.K. Simmons & producing Whiplash 01:06:56 - Outro | |||
| #5 - PAUL MCGUIGAN | 10 Jan 2025 | 01:10:22 | |
Half the Picture's guest this episode is the brilliant director Paul McGuigan, whose mercurial and vibrant talents have been gracing our screens, both big and small for over 25 years! Paul joined us primarily to discuss the making of his cult classic British crime gem, 'Gangster No.1' featuring barnstorming turns from Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and a star-making performance by a then unknown Paul Bettany! He also delved into his approach to directing 'Sherlock', his pioneering use of onscreen text amongst other stylistic flourishes and his films 'The Acid House' and 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.' For all this and more, listen on! #PaulMcGuigan #Gangsterno1 #Sherlock #HalfthePicture Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the podcast so as not to miss any of Billy & Ahmed's interviews! *Note: This interview was recorded on July 27th 2022. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billybarnel... Billy on Twitter: https://x.com/billybarnell?s=21&t=3QY... Ahmed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrahmedoali?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 00:45 - Gangster No.1's inception 05:47 - Casting Gangster No.1 15:11 - Working with Malcolm McDowell 17:08 - Paul Bettany's Performance 22:32 - Homosexual subtext in Gangster No.1 29:15 - Deconstructing gangsterism 31:53 - Francis Bacon's influence on Gangster No.1 33:17 - Cinema's influence on gangster culture 35:28 - Bettany & Marsan's Kitchen Scene 44:10 - Lenny Taylor's POV Murder Scene 51:28 - Working with Peter Sova A.S.C. 52:24 - Visual filmmaking 55:13 - Directing Sherlock & Text Onscreen 58:00 - Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool 01:00:32 - Sherlock & Transitions 01:02:10 - Critical Response to Gangster No.1 01:05:56 - Working with Steven Spielberg 01:06:47 - Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century 01:10:25 - Fun and games on the Gangster No.1 set 01:12:40 - Outro | |||
| #6 - WALTER MURCH | 09 May 2025 | 01:16:42 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Walter Murch — Academy Award-winning editor and sound designer behind such cinematic milestones as The Godfather Trilogy, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now! Walter joined us for a wide-ranging conversation that delved deep into his groundbreaking work with directors including Francis Ford Coppola, his pioneering approach to film editing and sound, and his thoughts on the evolving nature of cutting in the modern age. He also spoke candidly about his directorial debut ‘Return to Oz’, his new projects ‘Suddenly Something Clicked’ and ‘Her Name was Moviola’ as well as offered sage advice for aspiring editors. For all this and more, listen on! #WalterMurch #ApocalypseNow #TheGodfather #HalfthePicture Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on October 30th 2024. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . Billy on Twitter: https://x.com/billybarnell?s=21&t=3QY... Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 01:10 - Mixing The Godfather 05:34 - Editing The Conversation 10:04 - Gene Hackman 17:05 - Apocalypse Now 23:04 - Robert Duvall & Blinking 26:22 - Return to Oz 34:56 - Pitching Return to Oz to Disney 37:24 - The Wizard of Oz & Thomas Edison 41:02 - Male & Female Editors 46:55 - 21st Century Editing 50:42 - Fred Zinnemann & Cutting Julia 56:19 - Suddenly Something Clicked 01:00:13 - Her Name Was Moviola 01:06:03 - Advice to Aspiring Editors 01:11:06 - Editing and AI 01:15:34 - Outro 'Walter Murch in Conversation – The Godfather, Apocalypse Now & Suddenly Something Clicked' is a non-profit project intended for educational purposes only. No copyright laws were intended to be broken. All rights to any material used remain courtesy of their respective owners. | |||
| #7 - GRANT MORRISON (Part 1 of 2) | 19 Sep 2025 | 01:02:34 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Grant Morrison — the award-winning comic book writer behind such classics as Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Invisibles, New X-Men, WE3 and Animal Man. Grant joined us primarily to chat about their work on the iconic All-Star Superman that redefined the Man of Steel for the 21st Century and was a major influence on James Gunn’s new Superman film. They also spoke about their friendship with Gunn, writing a Flash film script with Ezra Miller, the taboo-busting magic of comics and why hope and optimism are radical but essential ideas in the world today. If you'd like to watch our interview with Grant, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! #grantmorrison #superman #superman2025 #jamesgunn #HalfthePicture Make sure you SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on July 11th 2025. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . | |||
| #8 - GRANT MORRISON (Part 2 of 2) | 26 Sep 2025 | 01:01:43 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is the legendary Grant Morrison — the award-winning comic book writer behind such classics as Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Invisibles, New X-Men, WE3 and Animal Man. Join us for part 2 of our conversation with Grant as we dive headlong into their Kathmandu experience in the 1990’s when they were abducted by higher dimensional aliens, their strangest fan encounter that occurred in late-80’s Sheffield (Billy’s hometown) and their upcoming Batman/Deadpool comic due out in November from DC Comics! For all this and more, watch on! #grantmorrison #superman2025 #jamesgunn #HalfthePicture If you'd like to watch our interview with Grant, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on July 11th 2025. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . | |||
| #9 - JAMES MARQUAND | 03 Oct 2025 | 00:25:41 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is writer-director James Marquand, the man behind the new WW2 action thriller ‘The Partisan’ based on the life and exploits of Krystyna Skarbek. James joined us on the show to chat about the making of the movie, his experiences working wit Morgane Polanski, Malcolm McDowell and the rest of the cast and his time spent working on his father’s (Richard Marquand) movies. For all this and more, watch on! #jamesmarquand #thepartisan #malcolmmcdowell #halfthepicture If you'd like to watch our interview with James, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on September 17th 2025. Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp... APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . | |||
| #10 - MIKE LEIGH (ft. MARION BAILEY) | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:46:33 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is British national filmmaking treasure Mike Leigh, the man behind such social-realist classics as Secrets & Lies, Naked, Another Year, Vera Drake and Life is Sweet. Known for his improvisational method of devising his films with a murderer's row of British actors, Mike’s approach to filmmaking is organic and utterly unique, resulting in works that are unflinchingly honest, deeply poignant and often hilarious. Join us as we chat to Mike in depth about his method as well as his casting process, the 20th anniversary of his unsung gem ‘All or Nothing’ and the implicit politics of his films. Also joining us for a surprise guest appearance is Mike’s partner and collaborator, actress Marion Bailey who breaks down her working relationship with Mike as well as her experience playing Carol in ‘All or Nothing.’ If you'd like to watch our interview with Mike, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on August 3rd 2022 Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp7BrhusFCCeBBNyg?si=RhrL53N0RySSNifKZ5v_1g APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/half-the-picture/id1768054211 Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Half the Picture Twitter/X: @HalfThePicPod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 02:17- Mike Leigh Interview Begins 03:38 - All or Nothing’s 20th Anniversary 06:03- All or Nothing’s Conception 06:48 - Mike’s Casting Process 08:27 - Marion’s Experience Working with Mike 17:21 - Mike’s Improvisational Filmmaking Method 21:53 - How Mike Shoots His Movies 26:37 - The Implicit Politics in Mike’s Films 28:59 - Mike’s Movies Remaining Untitled Until Release 30:04 - Mike’s Editing Process 35:04 - Secrets & Lies 37:05 - Music in Mike's Films 40:56 - The Beatles and A Hard Days Night 42:17 - Naked 45:12 - Mike's Advice to Filmmakers 45:46 - Outro 'MIKE LEIGH talks Improvisation, Never Compromising & All or Nothing's Anniversary (ft MARION BAILEY)' is a non-profit project intended for educational purposes only. No copyright laws were intended to be broken. All rights to any material used remain courtesy of their respective owners. | |||
| #12 - MARC WARREN & PAUL HILLS | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:40:47 | |
Half the Picture’s guests this episode are actor Marc Warren and filmmaker Paul Hills, star and writer/director of the cult ‘90’s British coming of age film ‘Boston Kickout’, celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this year! Marc and Paul joined us on the pod to reflect on their memories of making ‘Boston Kickout’ as well as to chat about the friendship and shorthand they forged on the film, their experiences working with John Simm and Andrew Lincoln and the life-threatening stunt that nearly claimed them both. If you'd like to watch our interview with Marc and Paul, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! #marcwarren #paulhills #bostonkickout #film #movies #podcast #interview #halfthepicture Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the podcast so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on the 17th October, 2025 Full Episodes: @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp7BrhusFCCeBBNyg?si=RhrL53N0RySSNifKZ5v_1g APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/half-the-picture/id1768054211 Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Half the Picture Twitter/X: @HalfThePicPod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - Interview Begins 03:11 - Reflections on Boston Kickout 08:27 - Marc's Performance As Robert 11:04 - Paul's Childhood in Stevenage 13:37 - Shooting in Stevenage 16:40 - Marc and Paul's Working Relationship 21:07 - How Paul Directs 24:46 - Shooting The Nightclub Scene 29:25 - Memories of The Shoot 32:32 - Life-Threatening Stunts 35:02 - Improvisation On Set 36:39 - Lessons from Boston Kickout 39:04 - Outro 'MARC WARREN & PAUL HILLS talk Boston Kickout's Anniversary, Working with John Simm & Andrew Lincoln' is a non-profit project intended for educational purposes only. No copyright laws were intended to be broken. All rights to any material used remain courtesy of their respective owners. | |||
| #11 - YASMIN PAIGE | 28 Oct 2025 | 01:00:32 | |
Half the Picture’s guest this episode is actress Yasmin Paige, star of Richard Ayoade's cult classic coming of age movie, 'Submarine', celebrating it's 15th anniversary this year! Yasmin joined us on the show to reflect on her experience playing Jordana in the film, what it was like working both with co-star Craig Roberts and director Richard Ayoade and the importance Gavin and Stacey had in helping her stay in character. If you'd like to watch our interview with Yasmin, check out the episode on YouTube at the link below! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel so you don’t miss any of Billy’s interviews! Note: This interview was recorded on the 21st October, 2025 Full Episodes: / @halfthepicturepodcast Listen to the podcast online... SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7btEvvp7BrhusFCCeBBNyg?si=RhrL53N0RySSNifKZ5v_1g APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/half-the-picture/id1768054211 Follow us online! Half the Picture Instagram: / halfthepicpod Half the Picture Twitter/X: @HalfThePicPod Billy on Instagram: / billybarnel. . 'YASMIN PAIGE talks Submarine's 15th Anniversary and Working with Richard Ayoade & Craig Roberts (4K)' is a non-profit project intended for educational purposes only. No copyright laws were intended to be broken. All rights to any material used remain courtesy of their respective owners. | |||