The No Film School Podcast

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Navigate All Facets of Comedy With 'The Office' & 'Abbott Elementary' Director Ken Whittingham Jul 18, 2024

Show notes

Ken Whittingham has directed shows we all know and love such as, The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation. More recently, he has worked on the TV comedy, Abbot Elementary, which uses a mockumentary production style, similar to The Office. While Ken is an award-winning director with over 25 years of experience, he believes in the power of teamwork and respecting everyone on set regardless of their title.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with director Ken Whittingham and BraveMaker podcast host Priscilla Lam to discuss:

Selling a script as a new PA
How Ken became a television director
Learning how to clearly communicate with actors
The balance between giving actors autonomy and giving them direction
An awkward moment with Alec Baldwin on the set of 30 Rock
Tone meetings - what are they and why are they important
Treating the documentarian in The Office as if it were a separate character
The power of subtlety in comedy
How Ken and Priscilla met
Transitioning from TV into film
Our favorite shows, movies, and hobbies

Memorable Quotes

“I still get nervous. Every Sunday night before I shoot Monday morning, I’m nervous.” [10:37]
“You can’t get into this business, thinking about money. You have to go with your passion, and really believe in yourself.” [42:56]
“Everybody’s job is important and nobody’s job is more important than the other. It’s a team effort.” [48:01]

Mentioned

Abbott Elementary S2E21

The Office S1E3

Ken's Instagram

Priscilla's Instagram

BraveMaker on Instagram

BraveMaker Film Festival

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How ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ Editor Balances Creative, Tech & Negotiates Higher Pay Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

As a beginning editor, working on low-budget projects is normal when you’re first starting. Once you get some experience under your belt, there comes a time when you have to start advocating for yourself so that you can get paid more. The “something is better than nothing mindset” can only serve you for so long, before you start to burn out.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and editor Sofi Marshall discuss:

Falling in love with editing in high school
What the indie film scene is like in New York
How to editors can make themselves more visible and less excluded
What it’s like to watch a Sundance premiere of a film you worked on
Landing the editing role on I Saw the TV Glow
What it was like to work on two different films at the same time
Sofi’s favorite tools in Adobe Premiere
Cutting the entire film remotely
Taking on too many low-budget projects at the start of her career
Knowing when to ask for more pay

Memorable Quotes

“All of my films have come to me via a direct recommendation, just from people I have met.” [5:05]
“There’s nothing like watching your movie during that first premiere. It’s such a dopamine rush and terrifying at the same time. It’s great.” [8:19]
“No matter how much pre-planning you do, it’s always going to change in the edit.” [23:02]

Mentioned

I Saw The TV Glow

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Mastering Scope and Scale in Screenwriting

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Paramount — Skydance Merger; Scope, Scale & Dragon Battles Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Paramount and Skydance are merging. How does that impact the people already involved in those companies and what does it mean for the rest of us? How did House of Dragon pull off the epic Battle of Rook’s Rest, featuring multiple, fighting dragons? Let’s find out together!

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and Jason Hellerman discuss:

What we know about the Paramount - Skydance merger
Whether or not the merger will result in job losses
An epic battle scene on season 2 of House of The Dragon
What we love about this HBO series
Creating flexibility in your shooting process
The importance of scope and scale
Including establishing shots into your script
The types of oners we find frustrating

Memorable Quotes

“There will always be job losses with mergers because there will always be redundancies.” [7:50]
“Whether you’re in TV or you’re in film, we do need to invest in brutality to make it feel real.” [15:38]
“If you’re just letting your camera roll, no thank you. That is not scale. That is not scope. That is not impressive.” [23:12]

Mentioned

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How To Write a Movie To Shoot (In Three Months) Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

On this special episode of the No Film School podcast, host GG Hawkins shares her experience of writing her first feature, 'I Really Love My Husband' on a small budget and arguably, an even smaller timeline. She discusses the constraints she faced, the collaborative writing process, and the challenges of receiving feedback. GG emphasizes the importance of pushing through the bad drafts to reach the good ones and highlights the value of constraints in spurring creativity. She also emphasizes the need for support from others and setting deadlines.

Takeaways

Constraints can spur creativity and lead to unique and specific storytelling.
Writing doesn't have to be a lonely process; seek feedback and collaborate with others.
Push through the bad drafts to reach the good ones; don't be discouraged by initial shortcomings.
Setting deadlines and receiving feedback from trusted sources can help refine and improve the script.

Video: https://vimeo.com/979992225?share=copy

Support the film: gghawkins.com/backourfilm

This episode is Directed & Produced by Max Gibson

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The Burden of Unpaid Work, Ramping Up Your Reps & Roth IRAs; Plus ‘A Family Affair’ Screenwriter Carrie Solomon Jul 04, 2024

Show notes

At what point should you get paid for the work you do to develop a project? What types of conversations should you be having with your agent? How can you show up confidently for potential projects, even though you’re feeling utterly afraid?

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, Jason Hellerman, and guest Carrie Solomon discuss:

Smart ways to save money as a filmmaker
How to build rapport with your reps and make sure you’re on the same page
The truth about doing development work and how you should approach being paid
An important question you must ask yourself when writing a spec
When Carrie realized she needed to scale up the story for A Family Affair
Getting in the habit of reading scripts
Why she quit working as a PA on Ingrid Goes West
Being thrown into the world of studio writing
How doing improv helped Carrie have less fear when going into meetings
Embracing failure and welcoming fear
The most intimidating part about writing A Family Affair
The difference between likeability and lovability in characters

Memorable Quotes

“It's hard to get money out of Hollywood right now. You’re squeezing water from a stone.” [19:59]
“The only way to make money in this business is if someone loves your idea so much.” [22:35]
“I try to read as many scripts as I possibly can. I’m usually not picking up a book, I’m picking up a screenplay.” [29:00]
“From a very young age, I was a storyteller. And by that, I mean as a child, I was a big fat liar.” [37:54]
“Everyone has their own terrible little journey with finally getting their fingers on the keyboard.” [50:50]

Mentioned

A Family Affair

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Why This Doc Editor Let's Himself Get Lost Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

While documentary editor Lucas Harger loves “being lost in a sea of footage” when he first starts a project, his approach to editing is intentional and specific. From his initial meeting with the director to establishing the context of characters and theme, this editor knows what it takes to transform raw footage into powerful stories.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with editor Lucas Harger to discuss:

Falling in love with the community aspect of making a movie
Becoming the editor of the documentary, Lions of Mesopotamia
The conversation he had with the director at the start of the collaboration
The sacredness of the first watch of the footage
Why he doesn’t throw anything away during the early stages of editing
Customizing your space so you can easily get into the zone
The importance of establishing context - it helps you decide what footage is necessary
Difficulties in sourcing and sorting through archival footage
Getting the film on the timeline as quickly as possible
How working for free has brought him amazing opportunities
Three factors Lucas considers when taking on a new project

Memorable Quotes

“Documentary is the editor’s medium. It’s like the editor’s playground.” [6:03]
“You have to interview the collaborator you’re going to work with just as much as they’re interviewing you. ” [9:22]
“I don’t believe in good shots or bad shots, just appropriate shots. You just pick the most appropriate thing in the moment.” [12:58]
“What are the stories that bring to light the most about the time period, the culture, and this person?” [20:44]
“Consume as much as you can, even if you don’t think it’s directly related to the craft or industry.” [34:07]

Mentioned

Lions of Mesopotamia

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Don’t Sacrifice Creative: ‘A House is Not A Disco’ DP & Editor Share Tools on Staying Lean, Nimble Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

You don’t have to have high-end tech or complicated processes to create your film. You just need an open mind and a passion for the story you are telling, as we’ll learn from this week’s episode from the DP and editor of A House Is Not a Disco.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with cinematographer Eric Schleicher and editor Blake Pruitt to discuss:

How Eric and Blake landed on this film
Why the sound designer had to create sound effects
Having everything outlined and organized in a Google Doc
What gave the film a kaleidoscopic structure
Asking for consent to film party scenes
Keeping the operating team small during production
Matchframing - what it is and why it’s so helpful in the edit
Challenges during the shoot and the edit
The beauty of not having a production company fund the film
Making the space to do projects you’re interested in

Memorable Quotes

“I’m not one to kill myself for a job. Even a dream project, I don’t want to work more than 8 hours a day on this.” [10:24]
“It's more PBS doc than this high-end streamer doc that is out there right now.” [16:22]
“You got an idea? Grab your camera. Shoot what you need.” [39:27]
“Be open to unexpected things happening, but also have boundaries.” [45:47]

Mentioned

A House Is Not a Disco

Fire Island

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‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Writer-Director Michael Sarnoski's Path from 'Pig' to Studio Franchise Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

Michael Sarnoski is the director and co-writer of A Quiet Place: Day One, the franchise's third film. The film follows Sam who is trapped in New York City during the early stages of an alien invasion. Michael shares that he was attracted to this film because of the opportunity to explore interesting character dynamics.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Michael Sarnoski to discuss:

Bringing aspects of his feature film Pig to his current film, A Quiet Place: Day One
How the aliens in the film are a vehicle for exploring character dynamics
Michael’s journey as a filmmaker
Giving yourself permission to write something you care about
Figuring out what a “silent New York” would sound like
Balancing VFX and practical effects
Creating a respectful yet constructive environment on set
Michael’s approach to hiring and knowing who to collaborate with

Memorable Quotes

“You just have to find one person that gets your idea and wants to see it happen.” [8:01]
“You have to be constantly focused and moving things forward and not waiting for someone else to step in.” [11:13]
“Write a really inexpensive feature you can shoot with the resources you have, and go do it. You’ll learn a ton.” [32:39]

Mentioned

PIG

A Quiet Place: Day One

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