
Ed Begley Jr. on A Life and Career in Hollywood
08/15/24 • 56 min
In this episode, we welcome Ed Begley Jr. Ed is a legendary actor with roles in films including This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Pineapple Express, Whatever Works, Recount, For Your Consideration, The Accidental Tourist, Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus, Blue Collar, and Cat People — and shows such as “Better Call Saul,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Arrested Development,” “Portlandia,” “Six Feet Under,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “St. Elsewhere”. In our chat, Ed shares all about his background, experience as a Camera Assistant, and path from early roles on through working on today’s top films and TV shows. He also describes his process for preparing for each project, and offers priceless advice for storytellers today.
The Making Of is presented by AJA:
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Talking Cinematography with Jack Schurman:
Emmy Award winning cinematographer Jack Schurman sat with ZEISS Cinema to talk about using the new ZEISS Nano Primes for his upcoming short, We Regret to Inform You.
Watch the conversation here
From our Friends at Broadfield...
V-RAPTOR® [X] 8K VV combines the strengths of RED’s two families of cameras into one powerful all-purpose workhorse. The frame rates, lowlight performance, and resolution of the V-RAPTOR® line combined with the global shutter advancements of KOMODO®, the V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV sensor is the culmination of the latest advancements in digital cinema image making. Using RED’s newest 8K VV sensor, V-RAPTOR [X] leverages the benefits and flexibility of large format, global shutter, high framerate, 8K acquisition, all inside of a compact and feature rich body weighing just over 4lbs.
Read more here
Featured Book:
To the Temple of Tranquility... and Step on It!: A Memoir
Beloved actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. shares hilarious and poignant stories of his improbable life, focusing on his relationship with his legendary father, adventures with Hollywood icons, the origins of his environmental activism, addiction and recovery, and his lifelong search for wisdom and common ground.
Ed Begley Jr. is truly one of a kind, a performer who is known equally for his prolific film and television career and his environmental activism. From an appearance on My Three Sons to a notable role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to starring in St. Elsewhere—as well as films with Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and mockumentarian Christopher Guest—Begley has worked with just about everyone in Hollywood. His "green" bona fides date back to 1970, and have been the topic of two books, a reality show, countless media appearances, and even repeated spoofs on The Simpsons (in one episode, Begley's solar‐powered car stalls out on train tracks, but is saved when the train is revealed to be an "Ed Begley Solar‐Powered Train”).
Begley’s unmistakable voice is honest and revealing in a way that only a comic of his caliber can accomplish. Behind all the stories, Begley has wisdom to impart. This is a book about family, friends, addiction, failure, and redemption.
Pickup a copy here
OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Cards:
Experience the unparalleled performance and reliability of Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards purpose-built for professional filmmakers and photographers to capture flawlessly, and offload files quickly in the most demanding scenarios.
Learn more here
Upcoming Event:
Celebrate th...
In this episode, we welcome Ed Begley Jr. Ed is a legendary actor with roles in films including This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Pineapple Express, Whatever Works, Recount, For Your Consideration, The Accidental Tourist, Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus, Blue Collar, and Cat People — and shows such as “Better Call Saul,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Arrested Development,” “Portlandia,” “Six Feet Under,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “St. Elsewhere”. In our chat, Ed shares all about his background, experience as a Camera Assistant, and path from early roles on through working on today’s top films and TV shows. He also describes his process for preparing for each project, and offers priceless advice for storytellers today.
The Making Of is presented by AJA:
Meet AJA Ki Pro GO2
Easily record up to four channels of simultaneous HEVC or AVC to cost-efficient USB drives and/or network storage with flexible connectivity, including four 3G-SDI and four HDMI digital video inputs, to connect to a wide range of video sources.
Find out more here
Talking Cinematography with Jack Schurman:
Emmy Award winning cinematographer Jack Schurman sat with ZEISS Cinema to talk about using the new ZEISS Nano Primes for his upcoming short, We Regret to Inform You.
Watch the conversation here
From our Friends at Broadfield...
V-RAPTOR® [X] 8K VV combines the strengths of RED’s two families of cameras into one powerful all-purpose workhorse. The frame rates, lowlight performance, and resolution of the V-RAPTOR® line combined with the global shutter advancements of KOMODO®, the V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV sensor is the culmination of the latest advancements in digital cinema image making. Using RED’s newest 8K VV sensor, V-RAPTOR [X] leverages the benefits and flexibility of large format, global shutter, high framerate, 8K acquisition, all inside of a compact and feature rich body weighing just over 4lbs.
Read more here
Featured Book:
To the Temple of Tranquility... and Step on It!: A Memoir
Beloved actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. shares hilarious and poignant stories of his improbable life, focusing on his relationship with his legendary father, adventures with Hollywood icons, the origins of his environmental activism, addiction and recovery, and his lifelong search for wisdom and common ground.
Ed Begley Jr. is truly one of a kind, a performer who is known equally for his prolific film and television career and his environmental activism. From an appearance on My Three Sons to a notable role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to starring in St. Elsewhere—as well as films with Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and mockumentarian Christopher Guest—Begley has worked with just about everyone in Hollywood. His "green" bona fides date back to 1970, and have been the topic of two books, a reality show, countless media appearances, and even repeated spoofs on The Simpsons (in one episode, Begley's solar‐powered car stalls out on train tracks, but is saved when the train is revealed to be an "Ed Begley Solar‐Powered Train”).
Begley’s unmistakable voice is honest and revealing in a way that only a comic of his caliber can accomplish. Behind all the stories, Begley has wisdom to impart. This is a book about family, friends, addiction, failure, and redemption.
Pickup a copy here
OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Cards:
Experience the unparalleled performance and reliability of Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards purpose-built for professional filmmakers and photographers to capture flawlessly, and offload files quickly in the most demanding scenarios.
Learn more here
Upcoming Event:
Celebrate th...
Previous Episode

Director Charlotte Brändström on "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power"
In this episode, we welcome Charlotte Brändström. Charlotte is an award-winning Director working on today’s top shows including “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Shōgun,” “The Consultant,” “The Outsider,” “The Witcher,” “The Man in the High Castle,” “Madam Secretary,” “Conspiracy of Silence” and “Outlander”. In our chat, Charlotte shares about her early days in Europe, path into the industry, on through directing many of the biggest shows streaming today. She also speaks about her creative workflow, collaborating with cinematographers and editors — and offers recommendations for up-and-coming filmmakers.
The Making Of is presented by AJA Video Systems:
Meet AJA Ki Pro GO2
Easily record up to four channels of simultaneous HEVC or AVC to cost-efficient USB drives and/or network storage with flexible connectivity, including four 3G-SDI and four HDMI digital video inputs, to connect to a wide range of video sources.
Find out more here
From our Friends at Broadfield...
V-RAPTOR® [X] 8K VV combines the strengths of RED’s two families of cameras into one powerful all-purpose workhorse. The frame rates, lowlight performance, and resolution of the V-RAPTOR® line combined with the global shutter advancements of KOMODO®, the V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV sensor is the culmination of the latest advancements in digital cinema image making. Using RED’s newest 8K VV sensor, V-RAPTOR [X] leverages the benefits and flexibility of large format, global shutter, high framerate, 8K acquisition, all inside of a compact and feature rich body weighing just over 4lbs.
Read more here
Featured Book:
To the Temple of Tranquility... and Step on It!: A Memoir
Beloved actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. shares hilarious and poignant stories of his improbable life, focusing on his relationship with his legendary father, adventures with Hollywood icons, the origins of his environmental activism, addiction and recovery, and his lifelong search for wisdom and common ground.
Ed Begley Jr. is truly one of a kind, a performer who is known equally for his prolific film and television career and his environmental activism. From an appearance on My Three Sons to a notable role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to starring in St. Elsewhere—as well as films with Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and mockumentarian Christopher Guest—Begley has worked with just about everyone in Hollywood. His "green" bona fides date back to 1970, and have been the topic of two books, a reality show, countless media appearances, and even repeated spoofs on The Simpsons (in one episode, Begley's solar‐powered car stalls out on train tracks, but is saved when the train is revealed to be an "Ed Begley Solar‐Powered Train”).
Begley’s unmistakable voice is honest and revealing in a way that only a comic of his caliber can accomplish. Behind all the stories, Begley has wisdom to impart. This is a book about family, friends, addiction, failure, and redemption.
Get your copy here
Talking Cinematography with Jack Schurman:
Emmy Award winning cinematographer Jack Schurman sat with ZEISS Cinema to talk about using the new ZEISS Nano Primes for his upcoming short, We Regret to Inform You.
Watch the conversation here
OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Cards:
Experience the unparalleled performance and reliability of Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards purpose-built for professional filmmakers and photographers to capture flawlessly, and offload files quickly in the most demanding scenarios.
See here
Filmmakers Call for Change:
Join the dozens of global organizations urging Camerimage to increase its support for women by signing the petition below. These include: Women Behind the Camera, IMAGO Diversity & Inclusion Commit...
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In this episode, we welcome Larry O’Connor. Larry is the founder and CEO of OWC, the industry leader in storage solutions. We also welcome Jon Hoeg, OWC’s Director of Marketing Communications. In our chat, we hear Larry’s backstory, how he created his company from the start, and its evolution over the last thirty-six years. In addition, Larry and Jon share about their solutions for production and post pros, offer best practices for storage and archiving your assets, and provide insights on A.I.
The Making Of is presented by AJA:
Meet AJA Ki Pro GO2
Easily record up to four channels of simultaneous HEVC or AVC to cost-efficient USB drives and/or network storage with flexible connectivity, including four 3G-SDI and four HDMI digital video inputs, to connect to a wide range of video sources.
Find out more here
Talking Cinematography with Documentarian Jennifer Cox
Jennifer Cox is a director of photography, documentarian and owner of Moto Films LLC based in New York. Cox procured one of the first sets of ZEISS Nano Prime lenses and used them on three diverse documentary projects. She tested the unique traits across a Beatles Fan Fest feature film shoot, a short form promotion for non-profit Free Arts NYC and as part of the 2024 Courage Awards from PEN America.
From our Friends at Broadfield...
V-RAPTOR® [X] 8K VV combines the strengths of RED’s two families of cameras into one powerful all-purpose workhorse. The frame rates, lowlight performance, and resolution of the V-RAPTOR® line combined with the global shutter advancements of KOMODO®, the V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV sensor is the culmination of the latest advancements in digital cinema image making. Using RED’s newest 8K VV sensor, V-RAPTOR [X] leverages the benefits and flexibility of large format, global shutter, high framerate, 8K acquisition, all inside of a compact and feature rich body weighing just over 4lbs.
Read more here
Featured Book:
Images: My Life in Film
In this new edition, Ingmar Bergman presents an intimate view of his own unique body of work in film. His career spanned forty years and produced more than fifty films, many of which are considered classics: The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, Persona, Smiles of a Summer Night, Wild Strawberries, and Fanny and Alexander, to name but a few. When he began this book, Bergman had not seen most of his movies since he made them. Resorting to scripts and working notebooks, and especially to memory, he comments brilliantly and always cogently on his failures as well as his successes; on the themes that bind his work together; on his concerns, anxieties, and moments of happiness; on the relationship between his life and art.
Available here
OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Cards:
Experience the unparalleled performance and reliability of Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards purpose-built for professional filmmakers and photographers to capture flawlessly, and offload files quickly in the most demanding scenarios.
Learn more here
Podcast Rewind:
August 2024 - Ep. 42...
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