The No Film School Podcast

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

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‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Production Designer Yashar Kassai on the Future of Animation Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Yashar Kassai is the production designer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The team behind the film pushes the boundaries of animation by adding depth, complexity, and messiness to both the visuals and emotional tone of the film. Yashar describes the design of the film as bad. He says, “it’s like good-bad. It’s like dumb-good.”

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with production designer Yashar Kassai to discuss:

What it means to be a production designer in animation
Defining the parameters of the world his team built
How being a lame hero is refreshing in a world of ultra serious heroes
Why they intentionally designed the whole film to be “imperfect”
The value in destroying the film over and over again
The power of shaping light to tell your story
What Yashar hopes to see in the future of Western animation
Feeling both terrified and impressed by the capabilities of A.I.
How animation has room for more complexity

Memorable Quotes

“How do you tie together all the brilliant work that’s being put in front of you and make it into one cohesive thing on screen.” [8:40]
“You can do anything you want to, no matter how crazy it is.” [09:09]
“It’s really endearing to be lame as a teenager and not know who you are.” [14:09]
“We thought we had it. We thought we really went for it, but we didn’t.” [18:24]

Resources:

Yashar's Instagram

Yashar's website

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Killers of the Flower Moon

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Avoid Making Your Sets Look Like Sets; Plus, Are Intermissions Back? Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Should filmmakers include intentional intermissions on long films? How do you properly film on a set, so it doesn’t look like a set? Is it possible to shoot your entire project using an iPhone?

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

Movie theaters adding intermissions to a Scorsese film without permission
The reason 3D movies in the 1950s used intermissions
Filmmakers creating different formats for different viewing options
Scenarios when filmmakers should plan for intermissions in their films
What GG’s first sound stage experience was like
How to make a set NOT look like a set
Everything we love about Apple’s recent products
How Apple shot their news event entirely on the iPhone 15

Memorable Quotes

“Since the invention of television, every filmmaker has had to think in multiple formats.” [16:14]
“Scorsese can do whatever the fuck he wants and if he says ‘no intermission,’ I will not drink liquid ahead of time.” [17:09]
“There’s a way to shoot with limited resources to still think big.” [25:12]
“A set wall will never look like a real wall no matter how hard you try.” [31:10]

Resources:

Learn to Shoot 35mm

An Apple event shot on the iPhone

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‘Joyland’ Director Saim Sadiq Redefines What It Means To Be a Director

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Why Horror Films Are a Mirror of Society Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

The horror genre has not always been widely appreciated, yet it is one of the best genres to explore the challenges facing our world at large. “It is very easy to find the horror in reality,” whether it be the current ecological crisis or inequality facing female filmmakers. This genre offers an opportunity to bring awareness to important issues, in an enlightening and entertaining way.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Director Elza Kephart to discuss:

Her experience attending film school in the US as a Canadian filmmaker
Funding a film with insurance money received from a burglary
Getting paid as a director, for the first time, in her 40s
How the Fantasia Film Festival helped her grow in confidence and connections
The differences between the Canadian film industry and the US film industry
Why you shouldn’t rely on the social justice angle for your film
Recognizing gender inequality in the filmmaking industry
Why it’s okay to be a filmmaker who is an introvert
Specific tips to know if you found the right actor

Memorable Quotes

“This is a mature career. It takes decades to build to the point where you have a sustainable career.” [8:05]
“No matter how strange an idea…if it’s coming from an unconscious, organic place, that’s the story you need to follow.” [21:56]
“Expectations: Make a good film and don’t be an asshole.” [40:16]
“If you cast good actors, you almost don’t have to do anything.” [51:34]

Resources:

Slaxx

Kelly Fremon Craig Shares With NFS How To Adapt Beloved Classics for Theaters

The Confidence Code

Hope for Film

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A Creature was Stirring

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Piloting Real-Time Post-Collab on Damien LeVeck’s Holiday Horror Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

Is the best time to release your horror film during the month of October? Damien LeVeck certainly doesn’t think so. Damien is an award winning filmmaker known for his work in the horror genre. We can’t wait to see his most recent film, A Creature was Stirring. This “Christmas meets horror” movie will be released this December.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Damien LeVeck to discuss:

One of the best horror scripts he has ever read
Why he takes script submissions on his website
Taking a good script and making it into a great script
How a Minimum Guarantee (MG) deal works
Using the cloud system provided by Black Magic Design
A simple tech tip that all directors should know
The challenge of writing, directing, producing, and editing your own movie
Doing screenings in order to get honest feedback

Memorable Quotes

“You should be glad you did this, because it might be the only time in your life when you will take these kinds of risks.” [3:39]
“If you cannot see the twist coming on the page, that’s a real feat.” [7:21]
“If you know how to edit, you will be a much better director.” [18:24]

Resources:

Top Legal Mistakes Filmmakers Make and How To Avoid Them

Skubalon Entertainment

Damien’s Instagram

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Check out Ricardo's website

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Breaking Down the Color of Horror with LatinXorcists’ Ricardo Martinez Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

Ricardo Martinez is a multi-hyphenate Editor, Writer, Director. He is known for his award-winning documentary, The Wall, which won the 2010 SF Latino Film Festival and screened on PBS. If we had to describe Ricardo’s work, we would say he is an expert at “finding the horror and beauty in the reality” of everyday life.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Ricardo Martinez to discuss:

The LatinXorcists - a group made of latino screenwriters who love horror
Why he was inspired to create the documentary film, The Wall
Creating a horrifying video trailer for The Bloodstone
What we need to know within the first 5 pages of a script
What makes a good monster story
Exploring the horror in our everyday human fears
Why Ricardo loves using Black Magic tools
Color correction tips and tricks
Our suggestions for some of the scariest movies

Memorable Quotes

“I think there’s beauty in horror as well.” [18:25]
“Making sounds yourself is actually a lot of fun and a cheap way to boost up production costs.” [23:45]
“Every good monster story is not about the monster. The monster means something, it represents something.” [31:49]
“That dread is part of the joy of horror.” [32:48]
“Horror can be so many different things. That’s the joy of horror. There’s such a wide spectrum of types of horror.” [41:12]

Resources:

About the LatinXorcists

Citadel Scavenger

Creators of Earth

Seed to Strain

The Bloodstone Comic

The Handy Foundation

The LatinXorcists website

The LatinXorcists Instagram

Ricardo's Instagram

The Bloodstone Instagram

Burden of Dreams film

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Benji & Stephen's website

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Practical Advice for Practical Effects With the Directors of SXSW Creature Feature ‘Snatchers' Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Can you make a feature film using practical effects in a way that feels realistic and not “cheesy?” That’s what the team behind the film, Snatchers did. Snatchers is a horror-comedy film about a teen girl who wakes up nine months pregnant with an alien.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and Jason Hellerman speak with filmmakers Stephen Cedars and Benji Kleiman to discuss:

Practical effects - what are they?
Some of our favorite practical effects in film
How practical effects can be more effective than cgi
Scaring away a famous editor with the smell of farts
Finding a balance between cgi and practical effects
How Stephen and Benji approach writing sketches
Transitioning into making feature films

Memorable Quotes

“Horror movies are trying to show you something you can’t fathom or haven’t seen before.” [9:34]
“It’s really hard to be creative while also tamping down on your creativity.” [27:09]
“There’s no greater killer of creativity than feeling insecure.” [38:14]
“If you’re passionate and prepared, you can’t go wrong.” [43:48]

Resources:

Snatchers Trailer

Speruchet Pan Tournegos Short

Stephen's Instagram

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Adventures in Indie Filmmaking and Leveraging Famous Faces Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

How do you handle post set blues? How do you properly adapt something you don’t have the rights for? What can we all learn from Taylor Swift’s recent movie?

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

Shooting an indie film in panama - excitement, exhaustion, and mosquito bites
All the work involved after wrapping
The importance of screen acting and what’s involved
Being blown away by the commitment and generosity of the cast and crew
What we love about Taylor Swift’s newest film
Why film set people are the best
Adapting without the rights - is it worth it
Benefits to writing unlicensed biopics

Memorable Quotes

“This whole thing is greater than the sum of its parts.” [9:31]
“We need better sound proofing between the theaters please.” [34:15]
“You will lose to money. You will lose every time.” [50:52]

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How 'The Creator' DP Challenges Big Budget Filmmaking with an Indie Mindset Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Can you make a big budget, sci-fi film that isn’t a franchise, or a sequel, or a reboot, and tackle it using an indie mindset? That’s what the team behind the film, The Creator did. The film, which tells a story about war between humanity and artificial intelligence, is currently in theaters.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine speaks with DP Oren Soffer to discuss:

Being offered a co-dp position on the film
How shooting on one lens made the VFX much easier to work with
The differences in lenses over time that affect their consistency
Leaning into natural light as much as possible
Wanting to maintain the creative energy of guerilla style filmmaking
How the project originally got the green light from the studio
Working in a very trusting environment
Looking at tons of references images the director pulled from

Memorable Quotes

“The visual effects approach was designed to fit the footage and not the opposite.” [6:53]
“What do we need to add or subtract from that lighting to create a more curated lighting environment?” [22:04]
“The filmmaking process itself felt really scrappy in the best way possible.” [36:39]

Resources:

The Creator

Oren’s website

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Onyx, The Fortuitous, and The Talisman of Souls

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How The Weird Satanist Guy Spawned a Sundance Indie With Demon Puppets Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Making a film is a laborious task that requires dedication, passion, discipline, and inspiration. Seeing the success of other filmmakers, who are more often than not in the same position as us, is not only motivational but can be a guiding light for those making their first film.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s Yaroslav Altunin speak with multi-hyphenate creative Andrew Bowser to discuss:

How Andrew came up with the Onyx character
Starting his career as a child actor before becoming a writer and director
Questioning his original script after getting some harsh notes
Why having multi-hyphenate creatives work on the film was necessary
Working with VFX and puppets and the challenges that came with it
Discovering some continuity errors they didn’t catch in the final edit
Why Andrew likes a slower editing process
Not looking down on non traditional film platforms

Memorable Quotes

“It was this revelation. I felt like I had found something to pursue creatively.” [2:23]
“I was led to writing and directing purely out of a want for more control.” [5:39]
“On indies there's not a lot of time to explore.” [40:22]
“Editing for me is such slicing and splicing.” [48:19]

Resources:

Tickets to Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls

https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Onyx-the-Fortuitous-and-the-Talisman-of-Souls/

Andrew’s YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@BowserVids

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