WILDsound: The Film Podcast

Matthew Toffolo - Wildcard Pictures Corp.
  • 5.0 (28)
  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY

In each episode, our host Matthew Toffolo talks storytelling and film. Conversations with film professionals and great storytelling moments.

  1. 48M AGO

    EP. 1696: Director Sebastian Roberts. Actor Rosie Hollinghurst. 1st AD: Jenny Edwards (HELLO)

    A man keeps receiving strange phone calls from a supernatural presence whilst waiting at a bus stop. What motivated you to make this film? I took some time away from filmmaking, and when I decided to come back, I was very conscious about doing it in a sustainable, practical way. Instead of jumping into something ambitious, I wanted to make a contained, execution-focused short that I could bring from concept to completion. That's what motivated me to make Hello. It was also a chance to retrace my creative roots and reconnect with the kind of horror that first shaped my taste, particularly the influence of J-horror. In that sense, the film works both as a proof of concept and a creative reset. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I wrote it around 2012–2013 under the title Boo. It sat with me for years, and in 2024 I found it was the right project to pull off the shelf and develop properly. From there, the actual production was very focused, efficient and smooth. We shot the film in three days, and post-production wrapped in September 2025. So while it took a while, the finished film came out better than I expected, so I'm proud of that. How would you describe your film in two words!? Oh f**k... What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Post-production was the biggest obstacle. I wasn't supposed to edit the film, but when our editor ran into hardware problems and funding fell through, I had to take over. Going from director to editor is challenging because you lose that outside perspective and start second-guessing the film in new ways. On top of that, the VFX compositing ran into some issues of its own which required bringing in compositors on Fiverr and finishing a good portion of the work myself. It was a very hands-on, problem-solving-heavy post workflow. —- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  2. 1H AGO

    EP. 1695: Filmmaker Justin Walker (THE ANCIENT TIME PIECE)

    The Ancient Time Piece, 5min., UK Directed by Justin Walker, Islien Walker Lily, a teenage girl is stuck in a monotonous cycle, perhaps this is connected to an old eerie clock she found in her family’s basement, a clock that was still ticking when she found it…. how long had this ancient Time Piece been ticking! https://www.instagram.com/illy_pheebs_productions2012 Get to know filmmaker Justin Walker: What motivated you to make this film? My daughter Islien (co-director and lead actress) wrote the short story The Ancient Time piece when she was 11 years old, now she is 13….the short story was published in the compilation book ‘The glitch twisted tales’ which resides in the national library, London UK. Myself and my daughter had discussed making a short film based on her story for sometime… eventually we commenced production this summer. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? Haha, well shooting only took 2 days, post production, editing, effects, score sound design took approximately 2 months. How would you describe your film in two words!? Time Reflective What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Well being amateur/smartphone filmmakers who produce short films on a zero budget you are always working with restrictions and limitations…..often you ‘think’ big during concept/pre production but find in reality you have to work within your means….however you do tend to be more creative due to these restrictions. The major obstacle is finding the time between my full-time job and family life to shoot and complete post production is always a challenge. Obviously there is a challenge in having the final product look a quality piece/semi-professional on limited resources. —- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  3. 1D AGO

    EP. 1694: Screenwriter Trey Randle (TO LIE AMONG THE SUGARCANE)

    Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEe_5Vpqzo Omar & a group of boys manage to escape the Sudan Civil War & make it to America after experiencing the most horrific fight for their lives. What is your screenplay about? It’s about the Sudanese civil war. The lost boys of Sudan and highlights the terror the orphans went through. Based on true events. What genres does your screenplay fall under? action/adventure also war if those count as one. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie? a story that is not often told from a country where stories are not often highlighted. Tells the story of how to overcome loss and the power of community in that process. Something people can relate to on a global scale via current events. How would you describe this script in two words? survivors guilt. Two brothers going on parallel journeys and struggling through a catastrophe. —- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  4. 1D AGO

    EP. 1693: Screenwriter Algis Danaitis (THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND)

    Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2VAxv7qARQ Lee is hired to bring the seducer of a young woman to daddy for his particular vengeance. Daddy is an Arizona drug baron. The seducer works for daddy’s Mexican partner. Then too many people with guns and the wrong ideas intrude. And the job just got complicated. Get to know the writer: What is your screenplay about? I will place the logline here for reference: A down-on-his-luck enforcer is hired to bring a young woman’s seducer back to Daddy for a particular vengeance. Daddy is an Arizona drug baron. Seducer works for Daddy’s Mexican partner. Then too many people with guns jump to half-baked conclusions. And the job just got complicated. And now, what is the story really about. And that is that people often draw the conclusions they want to, and will not be dissuaded by facts. They will rely on preconceptions and assumptions, and jump to the most comfortable, palatable conclusions. The cliche line would be “go with your gut”, the $20 version would say “cognitive bias”. A secondary idea is the danger of mixing personal beefs with business (especially when the action is based on those faulty assumptions). Our protagonist, Lee, the above-mentioned enforcer, tries to figure out what is really going on while others are going off half-cocked (with loaded guns). Those are the ideas that underpin the story. Or we can just enjoy the action, the guys, the gals, the guns, the big old cars, and maybe even spot the hommage à Peckinpah – think The Getaway meets Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (the vibe, not the plot points). What genres does your screenplay fall under? a) Action b) Crime, in the sense that all the characters are involved in crime or related to criminals, and law enforcement c) Contemporary western, in its setting, and the number of wannabe gunfighters Why should this screenplay be made into a movie? Because, if done right, it would be a fun 110 mins, with enjoyable characters in a crazy action-packed situation. And those who choose can ponder the deeper meanings of the film. —- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  5. 4D AGO

    EP. 1692: Filmmaker Meg Poveromo (THE BOX TRAP)

    The world of a blissfully detached woman turns upside down when she’s forced to adjust to the ordinary life that exists beyond working at an off-the-wall lesbian bar, and its rivalry with the gay club across the street. https://instagram.com/theboxtrapmovie What motivated you to make this film? Inside jokes between me and my friend Gabby, unfortunate life experiences and the uncontrollable urge I felt to make a feature-length film. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? The idea was developed in 2023 and I started writing it as a dramedy, which I don’t know why I did because I hate dramedies, and I ended up rewriting it a bunch of times throughout that whole year until it became what it did. We shot it in 2024 and it took me around 10 months to edit the whole thing. So, roughly 2 and a half to three years. How would you describe your film in two words!? Chicken wings. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? I think I had many obstacles that felt like the end of the world at the time but seem so small when I look back at them now. The main obstacles are typically the same in every set: actors or crew calling out last minute, technical difficulties, unlucky weather and having to stay on schedule through all of it. We were doing an overnight shoot on one of the Box Trap set days, and it was like 5am. The goddamn birds would not shut up outside. It took us way longer to film a super short outside scene that I had dedicated two hours to on the schedule. Among that, almost everything that could’ve went wrong that day went wrong and we ended up having to plan a reshoot day, which was an extra $5,000 or so over budget. Looking back now, I am thankful that everything went the way it did because it gave us extra time to really focus on the smaller scenes. But at the time, I almost gave myself a stroke and did not sleep the rest of that filming week. —- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  6. 4D AGO

    EP. 1691: Filmmaker Tom Lonero (Vagabond in Red: Iquitos)

    Vagabond in Red: Iquitos, 52min., USA Directed by Tom Lonero A recovering addict and filmmaker from Pittsburgh sets off across Peru on a personal healing journey in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Shot entirely solo with modest gear, Vagabond in Red: Iquitos blends raw handheld imagery and poetic narration to explore the human condition through history, culture, social issues, and resilience. Legendary Amazonian landscapes provide the backdrop, but it’s the people Tom meets along the way who reveal quiet truths about survival, faith, and connection. This is not a luxury travel film—it’s a lived-in journey into what remains when the world goes quiet and we start listening again. https://www.hardmonkeyproductions.com/ ——- Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  7. 5D AGO

    EP. 1690: Filmmaker Frank Röhrig (SHANAYAS PATH)

    Shanaya's Path, 54min., Netherlands Directed by Frank Röhrig Shanaya’s Path follows the intimate journey of Shanaya, a young person from Darjeeling who identifies as a woman and dreams of transitioning despite immense social and familial resistance. Since gender norms are rigid and visibility for trans people is scarce in her home town, Shanaya leaves for New Delhi, but her desire to become her true self is met with hostility, shame, and fear.http://frankrohrig.com/ —— Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

  8. 5D AGO

    EP. 1689: Filmmaker Susan Kelejian & Producer Jolene Rae Harrington (HE/SHE/US)

    He/She/Us Short Film, 19min., USA Directed by Susan Kelejian https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575877610548 https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-he-she-us Conversation with the creative team of the award-winning short film. ——— Subscribe to the podcast: Tweets by wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

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About

In each episode, our host Matthew Toffolo talks storytelling and film. Conversations with film professionals and great storytelling moments.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Toffolo - Wildcard Pictures Corp.
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © This product belongs to WILDcard Pictures Corp.
  • Show Website
    WILDsound: The Film Podcast