Beyond the Craft With Emmy Nominees From “The Last of Us,” “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” & More

A ruined world, decimated by a fungi-borne plague and teeming with zombified hordes and hardened survivors who can be just as dangerous. A biopic about one of the all-time greatest musical tricksters who created an astonishingly successful career parodying hit songs. A reality show where contestants move into a palatial castle and need to cohere as a team to complete a series of increasingly difficult missions to earn big money, with some in the group committed to thwarting their ambitions from within. A zany children’s show based on the most iconic puppets of all time. A live-action epic centered on one of the most legendary characters in the history of cinema. These are descriptions of the shows four talented Emmy nominees worked on—The Last of Us production designer John Paino; Weird: The Al Yankovic Story composer Leo Birenberg; The Traitors casting director Jazzy Collins; and Muppets Mayhem main title creator and Obi-Wan Kenobi consulting producer Hannah Friedman.

John Paino schools us on what it took to build a believably destroyed world. Leo Birenberg describes some of the surprising choices he and his co-composer, Zach Robinson, made when crafting the score for a movie about a musical legend. Jazzy Collins breaks down the hundreds (even thousands) of auditions required to populate The Traitors with a perfectly balanced cast. Hannah Friedman describes what it’s like to set off for a galaxy far, far away and help shape a new story about an old favorite, Obi-Wan Kenobi. And that’s just a portion of what’s on hand.

In collaboration with Impact24The Credits was delighted to moderate “Beyond the Craft,” in which these talented individuals, recognized for their stellar work, talk about the above and a whole lot more.

Check out our “Beyond the Craft” panel below:

For more interviews with TV creators, check out these stories:

Emmy-Nominated “The Last of Us” Hairstylist Chris Harrison-Glimsdale on Shaping the Locks of the Living and The Dead

Emmy-Nominated “Barry” Cinematographer Carl Herse Steps into the Darkness for the Final Season

Emmy-Nominated “House of the Dragon” Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt on Lensing a Bloody Family Affair

Featured image: L-r: Daniel Radcliffe in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” courtesy Shout!; Bella Ramsey. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.