I recently stumbled on a wonderful thing: "Off Camera," with host Sam Jones. Now I'm obsessed.
(If you already know all about this, then apologies for my obliviousness. But if not, I'm giving you a gift.)
In a nutshell:Off Camerais a website, magazine, television show, and podcast. Director/photographer Sam Jones created the show out of his passion for the long form conversational interview, and as a way to share his conversations with a myriad of artists, actors, musicians, directors, skateboarders, photographers, and writers that pique his interest.
As he puts it, "Because the best conversations happen Off Camera."
It's interviews. Fascinating, in depth, smart, unique, seriously entertaining conversations. Like a dream dinner party just for you, with people you've always wanted to meet and ask exactly what Sam Jones asks them.
There are count 'em TWELVE seasons of this show! Over 200 episodes. With artists like Richard Linklater, Edward Norton, Tracy Letts, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Bridges, Thandie Newton, Common, Don Cheadle, Sarah Silverman, Titus Welliver ... I mean, honestly.
Here's a tiny sampling of the show's pretty much unanimously rave reviews:
"Off Camera with Sam Jones is as relaxing as it is fascinating, with Jones never ever throwing a “gotcha” question into the mix, yet always bringing something out of his famous friends that they’ve probably never admitted anywhere near a camera before. This show remains as intimate as it is interesting, no matter who the guest is, and it will feel like the convo is happening right in your living room." —The Decider
With over 200 episodes under his belt, Sam Jones has put to use his decades of experience working with actors and artists as a photographer and director. On Off Camera, he employs a casual conversation style to allow his guests to open up and give insightful retrospectives on their careers. Jones guides these conversations in a natural and seamless way ... allowing actors and artists to reveal the choices and moments that got them to where they are, and it has become a resource for many artists seeking inspiration and strategies in their own careers.
— The Podcast Review
"Sam has a rapport and casual, insightful interview style that instantly captivated me, because he truly 'gets it' when it comes to the art of the interview. There’s a delicate dance between being too forceful and helping the guest open up: and he has mastered it. (Though you’d never know it by his humility.) On the topic of conversation Sam says he is simply incredibly curious about his guests, and about other people in the world who are doing creative things with their lives. He wants to know how they do what they do, and what led them there and what drives them forward. He believes a conversation is 90% chemistry, and every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new about the other person, about the world or about a particular subject."
