The YDA Podcast
The Young Director Award podcast is a no-holds-barred deep dive into all things filmmaking. Eavesdrop on intimate conversations between rising and established directors as they share their take on filmmaking craft, navigating the business of making short form content, and overcoming the hurdles that developing new talent face. Listen in as each guest shares their experience and insights around breaking new ground and bringing fresh perspectives to the craft.
The first season is hosted by directing duo Radha Ganti and Robert Lopuski of King She, This project is a true labour of love, made possible with the great help of our sponsors: Somesuch, Supreme Music, Cabin Editing Company, UN.Studios, Bonaparte TV and Cartel Editorial
Subscribe and get listening on Spotify / Apple Podcast
Season 2 – Episode 5: Boris Eldagsen on AI, artistry and the future of imagery.
Boris Eldagsen is a renowned photographer from Germany who’s been working in the industry for years. In 2023, his name made headlines around the world after he entered — and won — the Sony World Photography Awards with an AI-generated image. Boris publicly refused the prize, urging the organizers to confront the role of AI in photography. When they declined to engage in discussion, he turned the moment into a wake-up call for the creative industry to discuss the impact of Artifical Intelligence.
Although critical of AI competing with traditional photography, Boris is also one of the technology’s’ most enthusiastic adopters. In this conversation with Danny Edwards from shots, Boris unpacks the philosophical and ethical questions raised by AI art — and whether its potential outweighs its dangers.
References:
The Electrician
Midjourney 7
Runway Gen 4
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 2 – Episode 4: Six Things About Angela Patton and Natalie Rae
Natalie Rae has directed global campaigns for Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon, and was twice nominated for our very own Young Director Award. Her work includes PSAs for the UN and Global Goals, and collaborations with Jay Z, Dua Lipa, and Anderson .Paak. Natalie was recently named a 2024 DOC NYC 40 Under 40 and BAFTA Breakthrough Artist.
Angela Patton is the CEO of Girls For A Change. Based in Richmond, VA, she is among the Top 40 under 40, and was recognized in 2016 by President Obama as a White House Champion of Change for After School programming for Marginalized Girls of Color.
DAUGHTERS marks their debut feature collaboration, and in this very special episode the duo sits down to with guest-host Charlotte Matheson to discuss the social impact of the film, and the value of awards.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 2 – Episode 3: Six Things About Armando Bó
Bó is an award-winning Argentine filmmaker. His debut feature, El Último Elvis (2012), premiered at Sundance Film Festival and received multiple accolades worldwide. In 2018, he released his second feature, Animal. Bó is a long-standing collaborator of director Alejandro González Iñárritu, as well as a prolific advertising director and co- founder of the argentinian production company Rebolucion.
In this chat with Danny Edwards he discusses living a ‘double life’ as a filmmaker, his creative idols and the idea of being ‘in the kitchen’ of other great directors.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 2 – Episode 2: Six Things About Molly Manning Walker
As an award-winning writer, director, and cinematographer, Molly Manning Walker has quickly become one of the most exciting voices among young filmmakers. Her debut feature, How to Have Sex (2023), won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes and earned multiple BAFTA nominations, while her cinematography on Scrapper (2023) helped secure the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 2 – Episode 1: Six Things About Ricardo Adolfo
As Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Media Arts Tokyo — and an accomplished novelist and screenwriter — Ricardo Adolfo is a true master of blending advertising with storytelling. In this episode, he chats with Danny Edwards about his admiration for Jonathan Glazer, the art of navigating challenging partnerships, and the power of imagination.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 1 – Episode 4: Los Pérez – Directing Together
Los Pérez are known for their colorful, hyperbolic, and larger than life short form work. Like podcast hosts King She, director duo Los Perez are partners in life and in cinema. The two directing duos got together to discuss process, practical effects, and parenting through production. It’s easy to assume Los Pérez’s dynamic and detailed filmmaking sequences are all CGI, but the duo strive to create as much in-camera as possible. In this episode, Los Perez dive into their pre-production heavy process and share what makes their relationship so successful creatively and beyond.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 1 – Episode 3: Niclas Larsson – The Power of Naivete
Niclas Larsson began his career as a child actor and now is one of the leading commercial directors in the world. The Swedish director linked with King She to talk about the gift of being naive early in a director’s career, bringing a punk sensibility to commercial directing, and collaborating with clients to maximise artful output. Niclas shares many gems of insight from his robust career including how the foundation for it all is in the writing, how his early work as a child actor informs his directing today, and how to direct from a place of affirmation rather than critique.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 1 – Episode 2: Yuan Yuan – A Student’s Path
Born in Wuhan, China, Yuan Yuan is a Chinese filmmaker and recent NYU film school graduate whose journey as a student writer-director has garnered awards, grants, and accolades from all corners of the globe. Yuan Yuan sat down with hosts King She to discuss her journey as a director working primarily through the support of academic and festival institutions, pivoting from journalism to narrative filmmaking, and the process of selecting collaborators to be in a space of trust when shooting. Her short film Heading South won Jury Prize at Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Best Student Film at DGA Awards, Palm Springs and Aspen ShortFests, and the Young Director Award. She’s currently developing her first feature, Late Spring with support from the Sundance Writers & Directors labs.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
Season 1 – Episode 1: Bradford Young – Breaking Barriers
Bradford Young (Pariah, Selma, Solo) is an Oscar award nominated cinematographer and an extraordinary new presence in the space of commercial directing. Joined in conversation with King She in this very first episode he discusses the necessity of creative community, the cosmological ingredients of great filmmaking, and the unexpected potential for creative freedom found in commercial advertising. Bradford also speaks on the power of strong visual language paired with artistic rigor. He shares his vision for genuine creative trust and freedom in his working relationships and offers advice on building one’s own bridge to directing from other crew positions.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.
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