Morgan Fallon - 10 Years on the Road with Anthony Bourdain, High Standards, and More

Morgan Fallon - 10 Years on the Road with Anthony Bourdain, 9 Emmy Nominations, Lessons from Michael Mann, Adventures with Steven Rinella, High Standards, Wisdom from West Virginia, and More | Brought to you by Gravity weighted blankets (gravityblankets.com/tim), Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement (athleticgreens.com/tim), and Helix Sleep premium mattresses (helixsleep.com/tim).
00:00 Start
00:00:15 How has Morgan’s decision to take up endurance mountain biking in his mid-40s been going so far? As someone who’s still recovering from injuries sustained years ago, am I one to make a judgment call?
00:07:09 After being on track to further develop his talent in ceramics, what compelled Morgan to study film at Emerson College, and how did he get in after his application was initially rejected? What did he take away from his time there?
00:13:27 Who is Michael Mann, and how did Morgan come to work with him? What made him such a rare cinematic force in the early 2000s when they met?
00:27:11 How did Morgan go from dining with the rich and famous at Nelson Mandela’s house in Mozambique to living in his parents’ New Hampshire basement, and what did he do to regroup after this detour and find his niche?
00:32:08 How did Morgan connect with Chris and Lydia at ZPZ, and what did he do to make himself indispensable to the projects he was lucky enough to land during this time?
00:37:00 As someone who worked with and knew the late Anthony Bourdain fairly well, what did Morgan think of Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain? Is there anything about it he wishes had been handled differently?
00:41:33 On going into the wild with conservationist, hunter, writer, living encyclopedia, and former guest on this show Steven Rinella, what it means to get “cliff hung,” and the transferable skills Morgan picked up from documenting their wilderness treks for television.
00:59:05 How did Morgan get the call to first work with Anthony Bordain in Egypt, and what moderately reckless stunt endeared him to Tony and secured a place for him on future runs?
01:04:06 Morgan talks about the time he traveled to Ethiopia with Anthony Bordain and Marcus Samuelson to direct an episode of Parts Unknown during a tuberculosis outbreak. How did he prepare for it, what did he do to manage the anxiety disorders he experienced while there, and why will he probably never watch a John Wick movie?
01:15:09 What are the responsibilities of a director of photography (DP), and why does Morgan tend to drive them crazy?
01:16:39 On Tony’s high standards, why Morgan appreciated them, and the different types of standards one might expect to encounter over the course of a career in Hollywood - or fine dining - depending on the caliber of the people in charge.
01:27:54 What Morgan knows about that time Tony went snorkeling with dead cephalopods in Sicily and how it was made into a hilarious scene for the viewing audience while simultaneously bringing the man himself to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
01:33:02 Why Morgan’s house is filled with memorable detritus.
01:36:42 What tools has Morgan found to be most effective for dealing with the symptoms of his own bipolar disorder? Are people in his line of work prone to coping with similar struggles, and might the condition carry certain benefits for the creatively inclined?
01:42:05 Why did Morgan stop drinking when Tony died, and what’s been his most effective therapy for staying on the wagon?
01:48:58 Morgan explains how he and another cinematographer used two cameras to “dance with geometry” and make scenes more dynamic for The Tim Ferriss Experiment.
02:04:37 What advice would Morgan give his younger self regarding the journey from DP to director to showrunner and transitioning from a narrowly creative role to a broader creative role with more managing responsibilities? What has he learned about delegating constructively - rather than destructively - during his time in this field?
02:10:53 Why was the West Virginia episode of Parts Unknown so special to Morgan?
02:18:44 How does Morgan choose the projects he works on now? What prompted his involvement with United Shades of America?
02:25:38 What’s next for Morgan?
02:26:22 How has Morgan successfully navigated working with his wife?
02:32:53 The best day of Morgan’s career, appreciation for being able to do the work that keeps him constantly in awe of the world, and other parting thoughts.
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[@fukpolitics]

amazing thing about Tim's pods are, you never get what you expect. every episode is a journey. the episode starts with some rough around the edges conversation and eventually leads to a deep discussion about the state of western democracy and capitalism with great nuance. the listener is able to paint brilliantly detailed pictures of the lives and philosophies of the characters interviewed on this show, while leaving space to dig deeper. I've been a long time fan of Tim and this guy is a master at what he does and creates soooo much value to the world without being a salesman. Morgan was a great guest as well! Kudos

[@ponder2006]

Brilliant Episode. It is amazing to hear Morgans recollection of the Ethiopian episode. As an Ethiopian myself he was spot on with his assessment.

[@LadyLove1229]

A tribute to a legend 🙌 Anthony Bourdain

[@andreimocan2331]

I'm from Moldova (a small country in the eastern Europe). Thanks Tim for bringing to a larger audience such diamonds! Your podcast is like a 👑 and the guests are the gems on it! Wear it proudly!

[@sundromos9456]

"I'm so glad I slipped her that twenty..." Perfection-the timing (of your comment), and the serendipity that was required for her to pop into the conversation at just that moment. I'm smiling.

[@lionsheadtv]

I was so blessed to discover this episode! I worked with Mo on Ali and I felt like he worked 24/7. Either in the office or wherever Michael wanted to him to be. From Los Angeles, to Chicago, to Miami, to Maputo, to Accra, back to LA for post... Ali was a B-E-A-S-T and Mo kept up with Michael Mann every step of the way. I'm so glad for his success. Yay!

[@Rick_Iz]

Fantastic episode. I'll definitely listen to it at least one more time. Morgan & Tim, this was one of the best.

[@danieldussan6754]

Absolutely fantastic interview!! You just won a follower 👏🏽👏🏽

[@GRANDDOSE]

Amazing discussion. Being in the film production industry and a shooter/editor, I appreciated this one so much! Parts Unknown is one of my all time favorite series, so was awesome hearing Morgan's stories and insights from all of his experiences. Thanks Tim!

[@cathyweiss5347]

Fantastic conversation you both had! I never even heard of Morgan Fallon. I am now a huge fan. What I found endearing was his explanation of what its like to work in the creative fields (of which I do also) He caught me by surprise in his understanding of the creative challenge. Well worth your 2 hours. I rarely listen to a podcast twice but this one I will. Great job Tim!! I really enjoyed my 2 + hours.

[@sarahmcdonald6980]

This was such an incredible interview, I have so much respect for Mo and his work, the West Virginia episode of parts unknown is so good and very much challenged my own assumptions coming from a very liberal and wealthy environment in Berkeley CA

[@Lordcoog]

This guys a genius. Two of my favorite shows he’s worked on. Parts unknown and Meat eater 🙏🏼

[@lilianadoval8927]

OMG. Most of us would need much more than a lifetime to do all that this man has done in his 46 years of age. I like the fact that he highlights the importance of studing what, togheter with his natural talent and determination allowed him to achieve so many goals. He mentioned among other things, all very interesting, the director Terrence Malick. I especially like directors like him who have the ability to handle silences in a film. They have their own language and they are, sometimes, essential. Thanks Tim for make me curious to explore the production of this creator and thus get to know other lives through his life.

[@oliverjohnson4614]

Absolute banger of an ep. had no idea Morgan Fallon existed before this, huge fan now. Also was reminded from you mentioning him here but please trick josh waitzkin on again, we really need to figure out what codes to the universe that guy is cracking.

[@allenan3341]

Outstanding Episode!

[@Travel_DNA]

Great interview just listen to the whole episode quite amazing!

[@Stereomike11]

Very strange that this only has eight comments.

[@sueraboy7914]

You are right actually it's 18 comments not 8, but still strange. Due to illness I have been binge watching anthony bordain as I found him amazing still do of course but just wanted you to know as I can tell you are a fan that we are all still out here appreciating him. Just seeing this for 1st time. Can't get enuff😮

[@_bergflow]

Speaking of tyrants. Terrence Mallick had Adrien Brody believe he would be a main player in The Thin Red Line, only to reduce him from lead to tiny support role in the final cut.