Required Watching

Required Watching
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Film Reviews

Go beyond the screen with the official podcast from Required Watching. This is your audio masterclass in the art of storytelling, designed for filmmakers, screenwriters, and dedicated cinephiles. Each week, host and film analyst Tray Epps (and sometimes other guests) deconstruct the craft of cinema, providing practical "Toolkit" episodes to improve your work and in-depth interviews with industry professionals who are shaping the future of film. If you're looking for actionable advice on everything from writing dialogue to sound design, or you want to hear from the directors, editors, and composers behind your favorite films, you've found your new required listening. New episodes every week. Find our full video essays and written guides at requiredwatching.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. But I’m a Cheerleader | Camp, Colour & Conversion Therapy

    2d ago

    But I’m a Cheerleader | Camp, Colour & Conversion Therapy

    What happens when a film about conversion therapy is so aggressively colour-coded that the production design becomes the argument? In this episode, we break down But I’m a Cheerleader — Jamie Babbitt’s 1999 queer camp classic that weaponises pink, pastel, and Natasha Lyonne against the logic of forced identity correction. We talk about camp as a protest language (not just an aesthetic), why Megan’s arc is actually about permission rather than discovery, what RuPaul’s casting choice tells you about the film’s entire argument, and why in 2025 this isn’t a time capsule — it’s a warning dressed in sequins. In This Episode Camp as political language: what it actually means when a film weaponises its own artificialityProduction design as critique: how the colour-coded sets work harder than any line of dialogueMegan’s real arc: not discovery, but permission — and why that distinction mattersRuPaul as reformed straight coach: drag logic deployed in its most hostile possible contextWhy 1999’s radical lesbian love story with no tragedy lands differently in 2025 Film Mentioned But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) — dir. Jamie BabbittLetterboxd page: @requiredwatching Subscribe & Connect YouTube: youtube.com/@RequiredWatchingInstagram: @requiredwatchingLetterboxd: letterboxd.com/requiredwatchingrequiredwatching.com Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min

  2. Feb 26

    What Black Cinema Taught Me About Storytelling

    In this special capstone episode, we reflect on our month-long journey through the world of Black cinema. This isn't just a recap; it's a personal synthesis of the most powerful and enduring lessons these films have taught me about the art of storytelling. From the pioneers of the 1920s to the worldbuilders of today, this is what Black cinema taught me about what it means to be a filmmaker. THE FOUR LESSONS: Introduction: The End of a Journey Lesson 1: Necessity is a Language, Not a Limitation. Lesson 2: Restraint is a Weapon. Lesson 3: The World is What You Make It. Lesson 4: Your Audience is an Act of Faith. A Mission Statement for the Future. ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE: What can filmmakers learn from Black cinema history? What is the importance of Oscar Micheaux? How does Black British cinema use restraint? What is the future of Black genre filmmaking? What makes a powerful story? This episode is the capstone to our entire Black Origins series. Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

  3. Feb 25

    Why These Films Were ‘Too Early’ for the Industry

    In this critical companion to our "Reprogrammers" video, we ask a tough question: If these films were so brilliant, why did it take so long for the industry to recognize them? This is a deep dive into the systems of power, taste, and commerce that shape film history, and a celebration of the masterpieces that were decades ahead of their time. DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: The First Draft of History is Always Wrong Case Study: The Snubbing of Do the Right Thing The Gatekeepers: Who Gets to Fail? Aging Forward: How a Film's Legacy is Built What "Canonization" Really Means ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE: Why was Do the Right Thing controversial in 1989? Why did Daughters of the Dust not get wide distribution? How do films become classics over time? What is the role of the Criterion Collection in film preservation? How does box office failure affect a director's career? To see our formal analysis of these masterpieces, watch "The Black Films That Reprogrammed Cinema" Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min

  4. Feb 17

    Why Western Audiences Struggle With African Films

    Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  5. Feb 11

    Watching Black British Cinema as a Black American

    In this personal episode of the Required Watching podcast, I'm exploring what happens when Black cinema crosses borders. As a Black American living in the UK, I didn't grow up with these stories. I came to them later, and that distance changed how I heard them. This isn't about explaining Black Britain. It's about the profound shift that happens when you stop expecting art to sound like home. CHAPTERS (The Four Acts): Act I: Arrival Act II: Contrast, Not Comparison Act III: What Shifted in Me Act IV: Why This Matters for Filmmakers ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE: What is it like watching Black British film as a Black American? Analysis of Steve McQueen's Small Axe. What are the differences between UK and US Black cinema? How does national identity shape filmmaking? What can filmmakers learn from different cultural styles? To see the formal analysis that inspired this reflection, watch our video "The Grammar of Black British Cinema" Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min

  6. Feb 6

    Why Black Film History Was Never Taught Like This

    This is a deep dive into the mechanics of how history is written, how "canons" are formed, and what we lose when we erase the origin stories of pioneering artists. DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: - The Question: Why Don't We Learn This in School? - What is "The Canon" and Who Decides? - The Four Filters: Archives, Academia, Criticism, and Commerce - The Cost of Erasure: What We Lose - What Early Black Cinema Teaches Us Today ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE: Why isn't early Black film history taught in film schools? How does a film become a classic? What is the film canon and who creates it? Why are so many early Black films lost? What can modern filmmakers learn from Oscar Micheaux? To understand the history we're discussing, watch our video on the pioneers of Black cinema Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

  7. Jan 28

    The Things We Can’t Say, So We Cook – Food, Family, and Emotional Fluency in Film

    In this episode of Required Watching, Tray Epps explores the theme of emotional fluency through cooking in cinema. He discusses three films—'Eat Drink Man Woman', 'Pieces of April', and 'The Farewell'—highlighting how food serves as a medium for expressing complex emotions and familial connections. The conversation delves into how these films illustrate the power of meals in conveying love, grief, and intimacy without the need for words, emphasizing the significance of rituals and the kitchen as a stage for emotional expression. Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min

  8. Jan 21

    Family, Fantasy, and Feeling – How Global Cinema Makes the Personal Universal

    In this episode of Required Watching, host Tray Epps delves into the emotional depths of family dramas through the lens of three films: 'Kapoor and Sons', 'Painted Skin', and 'The Jacksons'. He discusses how personal stories can resonate universally by focusing on specific emotions and experiences. Epps emphasizes the importance of authenticity in storytelling, the power of silence, and the legacy of trauma that shapes family dynamics. The conversation highlights that the core of compelling narratives lies in the emotional truths they convey, regardless of cultural context. Required Watching is your curriculum for cinematic literacy. We deconstruct the art and craft of filmmaking to help you become a sharper storyteller. ▶️ Subscribe for new video essays every week:  ▶️ Website ▶️ Twitter/X ▶️ Instagram ▶️ Letterboxd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min
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About

Go beyond the screen with the official podcast from Required Watching. This is your audio masterclass in the art of storytelling, designed for filmmakers, screenwriters, and dedicated cinephiles. Each week, host and film analyst Tray Epps (and sometimes other guests) deconstruct the craft of cinema, providing practical "Toolkit" episodes to improve your work and in-depth interviews with industry professionals who are shaping the future of film. If you're looking for actionable advice on everything from writing dialogue to sound design, or you want to hear from the directors, editors, and composers behind your favorite films, you've found your new required listening. New episodes every week. Find our full video essays and written guides at requiredwatching.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Required Watching
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    164
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Required Watching
  • Show Website
    Required Watching