Listening to podcasts is a great way to keep up with what is going on in the business of show business.  Here are five I consider essential for filmmakers.  Note that I subscribe to my podcasts on iTunes, although there are other ways to do it as well.

Showbiz Sandbox

Showbiz Sandbox is a weekly hour-long show hosted by J. Sperling Reich and Michael Giltz. Reich writes for Celluloid Junkie and Giltz is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. Each week they cover the breadth of showbiz news, including film, TV, box office results for the US, plus a segment of short news bits called Big Deal or Big Whoop, and an Inside Baseball segement that dives into topics that “no one outside Hollywood would really care about”. Their analysis is cogent and their delivery is insightful and  fun. (Showbiz Sandbox on iTunes)

KCRW’s The Business

Another insider look at Hollywood is KCRW’s The Business hosted by Kim Masters, a half-hour weekly that focuses on “the people who make the entertainment”.  The Business starts each week with a bit of banter between Masters and John Horn, staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering current and lighter topics.  Masters then dives into longer segments on particular issues. For example, check out her interview with Tom Shadyac where he talks about making films with meaning, or this one with the guy who is Jeff Bridges’ decades-long stand-in.  (The Business on iTunes)

Oh, and while you are there, you should also subscribe to the shorter weekly podcast, KCRW’s Hollywood Breakdown, a three-minute look a a current topic with Masters and Horn. (Hollywood Breakdown on iTunes)

The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith and Creative Screenwriting

The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith is the newest podcast on the list, at only a few episodes old.  But Goldsmith was, until recently, the podcaster behind the fabulous Creative Screenwriting Magazine podcast, which is still a must-listen-to, especially for writers.  Check out this interview with my hero Aaron Sorkin when he was doing publicity for the Social Network, or this interview with Joel and Ethan Cohen.

With The Q&A, Goldsmith has said he will broaden his horizons beyond what he did for Creative Screenwriting, adding directors, producers, and actors to the mix, along with writers.

(The Q&A on iTunes; Creative Screenwriting on iTunes)

Filmspotting

With Filmspotting, we leave the producer’s point of view behind, and come at films from the consumer’s point of view.  Each week, hosts Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson cover a number of films in depth, some new, some from the archives, and some just plain strange ones.  Their discussion (and their taste) is often erudite and opinionated, but very listenable.   For filmmakers, it is an interesting look at how true film buffs talk about film.  Their shows typically have some sort of Top 5, like Top 5 Long Takes or Top 5 Manic Pixie Dream Girls, a segment called Massacre Theater (where they butcher a scene from a movie), and various bits of news about films and DVD releases.  Plus, a few times a year, they do a marathon on a particular filmmaker or topic.  Past marathons have had themes like Akira Kurusawa, Angry Young Men, or New Hollywood.

Filmspotting has been going for a number of years, and they have a large and loyal following, which gives a them plenty of input. (Filmspotting on iTunes)

So…

What’s your favourite podcasts that’s important for filmmakers? Let me know in the comments below.

Image credit: derickkwa