Episodes

John Bernier came to Richmond in 1984, as Chief Meterologist for WRIC-TV (actually WXEX when he arrived). He retired on April 23, exactly 41 years since the day he started. Our chat includes: – How he got into weather at age 2 – His first impressions of Richmond – Winning an Emmy – Memorable weather events – The weather apps he uses – Weird fan encounters – Why he loves to teach at VCU – Running marathons LINKS College of DuPage (weather site) Tropical Tidbits (weather site) Jim Dunc...

Andy Edmunds is the Director of the Virginia Film Office. He was actually the first guest on this show when it launched in January 2022 and he’s back this year for his 4th annual look back what happened with film and TV production in 2024. Our discussion includes: – The upcoming film “Griffin in Summer” – Max Fischer’s production “Saturnalia” – Film festivals around the state – Dressing up Hopewell as Virginia Beach in the 70s – Shooting Pharrell Williams’ “Atlantis” here (but it won’t be r...

Dean King is best known as an award-winning author of ten nonfiction books. In 2020, he teamed up with James Campbell and former IBM executive Sam Williamson to produce GOLD & GREED: THE HUNT FOR FENN’S TREASURE. This documentary is about the craze around Forrest Fenn, who hid a treasure box worth at least a million dollars somewhere in the US. He also published a memoir with clues to the treasure’s whereabouts that included a cryptic poem. Today Dean and Sam will discuss: – Their RVA connectio...

Patrick Clark created and narrated a documentary about a notorious Richmond gangster, LEO KOURY: THE GAY BAR GODFATHER OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. It looks at the history of this noted character and some of the crimes he committed locally. It’s currently airing on his special YouTube channel called “Esoteric History.” We talk about: – Where he got the idea – How he compiled the research – Getting permission for the movie and TV clips – How they monetize on YouTube – Why there are no credits on t...

BLACKBIRD: LEGACY OF INNOVATION is a documentary about the famed SR-71 jet (there’s one hanging at the Science Museum of Virginia). It played nationally on PBS stations from 2018 to 2021 and is now streaming. Producer Todd Hervey talks about his “flight” to finish the doc: – Who is Fuel & 19Red? – How this project come about – The use of an auto pen for graphics – Shooting at the CIA – Going from PBS to streaming – The dedication to Cole and Camryn LINK Blackbird Website (with links to A...

Kent Eanes spent years working as a grip for movies and TV before he started his career as an on-set photographer, where he had some great experiences, including: – Transitioning from Style Weekly to gripping – Special equipment for on-set photography – Staying out of the actors’ eyelines – Hiding on sets under a couch, in a fireplace and more – Paul Giamatti never missing a line (see below) – Rob Lowe in a JFK classic pose (see below) – His surprise on-set wedding (see below) – Playing ...

Janet Scagnelli, who made her career as an animator for dozens of commercials and TV shows, has created A HISTORY OF ANIMTATED TV COMMERCIALS. This one time only event features a variety of hand-drawn and puppet-animated techniques. It screens at this year’s James River Film Festival on 3/23, 3:30 at the VMFA. We’ll talk about: – Getting paid to animate at age 13 – Creating numerous commercials at her Chelsea Animation – Her other business restoring animation cels – Working on spots for Sesa...

Roger Beebe is a filmmaker whose work consists primarily of multiple-projector performances and essayistic videos that explore the world of found images. He will presenting several of his performance pieces at VCU’s The Anderson (formerly Anderson Gallery) on March 20. We discuss: – How his love for film evolved – Starting multi-projector shows – Using film loops in his work – How he travels with so much equipment – Explaining essayistic videos – Having his work on the Times Square Jumbotr...

Eric Brown started writing women’s romance novels under pen name Cinnamon Brown, which sold well on Amazon. Since then, he’s written the three screenplays which have been produced: “Cuffs,” “Toxic” and his newest “Sundays After Church,” which is the pilot of a new series. It’ll have a premiere at the Hippodrome Theatre on March 8. We talk about: – How working for the CIA inspired him to write novels – How Cinnamon Brown came about – How his wife took his place for book signings – Connecting ...

Adam “Tex” has had a successful career writing comedy for movies and TV shows. In the previous podcast we covered numerous great stories. This show covers more: – Punching up or rewriting a script – Fixing a car wash when a pimp endangered his life – Adam’s wife unknowingly shoving Martin Scorsese at a premiere – Oscar-nominated director Sean Baker was his classmate – Working with Neil deGrasse Tyson – His new Oscars podcast with Bruce Vilanch LINKS: The Oscars: What Were They Thinking? ...

Tom Barrett has spent the majority of his career working on movies and TV shows as a Best Boy Grip. He’ll explain what that means plus: – His first big gig on “Dirty Dancing” – Getting chigger bites on “The WalkingDead” – Working on Dolly Parton’s shows – Advantages of commercials vs. feature films – Differences between shooting on film vs. digital – Finding gear in the snow with bike flags – Avoiding get struck by lightening LINKS Tom’s IMDB page

This week features two shows about film and books. NOVEL FILM has 2 writers, Bridé Baker & her partner in Copenhagen, Moyna Soderstrand, who discuss a movie and the book that inspired it. LIGHTS, CAMERA, AUTHOR! ia a long-running podcast that features the authors of books about movies. Creator Jim Junot will talk about interviews that include Olivia Newton-John, Billy Dee Williams and Burt Ward. Both of these shows had their start on WRIR-FM (Richmond’s Independent Radio Station at 97.3FM) an...

Adam “Tex” has had a successful career writing comedy for movies and TV shows. As a matter of fact, he had so much good stuff that there will be a Part 2 (and he’ll give us the goods on his new Oscars podcast with Bruce Vilanch). In this part we discuss: – His Virginia connection with Pharrell Williams – Working with Jimmy Fallon while casting “Just Friends” – Making a Spring Break movie for MTV – Meeting with Harvey Weinstein – Seeing a real ghost on a shoot – The script he wrote for Leo...

Alan Scott Neal is a Virginia native, who’s worked for many years in casting. His first directorial feature “Last Straw” is now on AMC and Shudder. Our discussion includes: – How has work in casting affected his work as a director – Consulting experts on the opening crime scene – Shooting in the diner, which was floated up the river to New York – The lighting challenges with so much glass – Why all of the characters are surly – Working with a neurodivergent actor – Using vintage masks – ...

This week is a double feature with three interesting women talking about their involvement in a special aspect of the biz. First is Connie St John, president of Women in Film and Video (Washington, DC), which is celebrating it’s 45th year. We’ll discuss: – The origins of WIFV – The Richmond connection – Highlights from more than 200 seminars – The membership categories – Their new podcast Lisa Giles will give us the scoop on The Richmond Film Network: – What the RFN does – The upcoming I...

To mark the beginning of the 4th year of SIFTER FOR THE EAR, I went for a meta gimmick. Local cinematographer Bunt Young is known for his voice impressions of people in the production community, including yours truly. So, Jerry (aka Bunt) will be interviewing Jerry about: – Where TVJerry came from – When you started directing – How you got into video – The creation of The Man in the Dark. – Directing music videos for Single Bullet Theory – Some memorable production experiences – Working w...

Steven Pressman was featured on this show for his previous film at the Israeli and Jewish Film Festival presented by the Weinstein Jewish Community Center. That film was “The Levys of Monticello” and he’s followed it up with a new documentary about a Richmond-born artist who became a world reknown sculptor. “Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist” looks at this Jewish man who also fought for the South in the Civil War. Pressman is back to talk about this new doc, including: – A follow-up on “...

Local filmmaker Carter Amos wrote and directed Death Of A Child Star, about a young woman who’s haunted by her past TV show. The film will have a free premiere screening at the Byrd Theatre on January 11. Carter is joined by Sophia Anthony, his co-producer and star of the film, as they discuss: – Their cinematic influences – This “friends” production – The inspiration for re-creating old TV shows – Why it was shot black-and-white 4:3 ratio – How did she try to de-age Maja when she played 16...

Kahil Dotay has been involved in more than 200 film and TV projects, many of them as an actor. He has stories about some of the fun things that he’s encountered on sets, including: – Playing “Creepy Guy #1” in Wonder Woman – Almost getting a good part on The Wire – Meeting Aaron Sorkin – Watching Steven Speilberg work – Career advice from Martin Sheen on The West Wing – Precision driving vs stunt driving – Playing Richard Dreyfuss – Working with Sarah Jessica Parker – Directed by Clint ...

Krystal Lowe graduated from VCUarts Theatre and has gone on to act on stage and in films. Her latest is Out of Spite, where she plays a New York Police Department Commander leading the search for a killer. We discuss: – How her experience at VCU helped her – How she fits acting into her full time job as an assistant principal – Dinner at Sylvia’s in Harlem – Working with Juney Smith – The upcoming one-woman show about Pam Grier LINKS Out of Spite website with all viewing options Krystal’...

David Noble has made his career in the Army, but he’s also been writing and directing shorts and feature films. His latest feature is THE SECRET WITHIN THE SPHERE, a steampunk sci-fi advebture, but the distributor changed the name to FUTURE WAR. We’ll talk about: – The inspiration for movie – Visual effects from around the world – Shooting on unique locations in Philadephia – The Ukraine flag in one scene – Creating a fire twirler without fire – The name change from the distributor LINKS ...

After spending time at John Tyler Community College and Savannah College of Art and Design, Lindsey found herself in VCU’s cinema program, where she graduated in August 2022. One month later, she directed her first feature-length film, THE TRIP, which follows a group of friends with some relationship issues on a weekend getaway. The upcoming screening is part of the “First Features” series at the Institute for Contemporary Art. It will be shown on 12/1 at 2pm (free). We talk about: – When she p...

After almost two years playing festivals, Northern Virginia director Joe Carabeo is releasing his “genre-bending cyberpunk noir revenge film” called Kira Vs Everyone. There will be a live YouTube watch party on November 18 at 7pm. Joe will be joined by gaffer Brian Sarvis and actor Ulysses Campbell and they discuss: – Why the thugs have color names – How Ulysses got cast – Shooting in a parking deck – Why there are red and blue lights – The implied or out of focus violence – Working with a...

Longtime Richmond actor/filmmaker Kahil Dotay wrote, directed and starred in his long-awaited film VAMPIRES IN VIRGINIA. Our discussion includes: – My name in the credits – What inspired him to set it in Virginia – Why it took almost 10 years to complete – How Tim Russ almost ended up directing – Challenges to directing yourself – Gun safety on set – Shooting the nude scenes – Special upcoming screening Kahil has also has been in more than 200 movies and TV shows. This interview will co...