Directing and writing 'Whalefall' – Brian Duffield & Daniel Kraus on Cinematic Constraints
The Filmmakers PodcastShow Notes
While Giles is away working on his own feature, the brilliant Conor Boru has stepped into his shoes to co-host (and edit) alongside Dom Lenoir, and they have delivered an absolute belter of an episode. Today, the lads sit down with director and co-writer Brian Duffield and author and co-writer Daniel Kraus to dig into their staggering new survival thriller, Whalefall.
The film, starring Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin, takes a terrifying concept—a scuba diver swallowed alive by a 60-ton sperm whale—and turns it into a masterclass in tension, technical filmmaking and emotional storytelling. Brian and Daniel get right into the weeds of how you construct a cinematic, 90-minute thriller inside a pitch-black, scientifically accurate biological setting.
🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
The Viral Spark: How a viral video of kayakers getting caught in a humpback whale's mouth inspired Daniel to dive into the research of whether a sperm whale could actually swallow a human.
Creative Constraints: The absolute joy and torture of writing a script that is entirely restricted by the physical, anatomical boundaries of a real whale.
The Father-Son Dynamic: Balancing a popcorn thriller with the messy, complex reality of a broken family, and using the belly of the beast to force a character to face his demons.
Visualising the Pitch Black: How Brian and his team took an incredibly claustrophobic, dark environment and made it visually dynamic for the big screen without losing the realism.
PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, on-set water bottles, mugs and more on our Creator Spring store.
COURSES Want to learn how to finish your film? Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE at Cutting Room Info.
PATREON Big thank you to: Serena Gardner Mark Hammett Lee Hutchings Marli J Monroe Karen Newman Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on filmmaking? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides and feedback on your film projects!
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CREDITS The Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative Theme Music by John J. Harvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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