The No Film School Podcast

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering Your Spec Screenplay

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The WGA Strike is Over - What's Next? Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Finally, the WGA strike has come to an end and writers are going to be elated about the new agreement. So what does this new agreement entail and how will it affect the future of Hollywood?

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

The terms of the WGA contract
Scheduled minimum raises for writers
How feature writers will benefit
What literary material is and how it affects scripts written by A.I.
Using A.I. with open disclosures
Why writing may be one of the hardest roles in the entertainment industry
Why we like minimum room sizes
The potential for a spec boom
Why original spec screenplays are coming back in fashion
Advice for younger writers

Memorable Quotes

“We’re not saying A.I. is the devil.” [6:49]
“Your biggest job as a screenwriter is making identifiable character motivations.” [9:24]
“Characters stop acting like you expect them to act. And then it bothers you as an audience.” [11:08]
“The job of the WGA is to protect its writers.” [13:31]

Resources

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Connect with Andreas online

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The Most Disturbing Shorts at Sundance Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

The Midnight Shorts section of the Sundance Film Festival is known for creative, weird, and visually innovative horror. The 2023 lineup features short films with dark, weird, cringey stories that were created with love and intention.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with the filmmakers behind these shorts to discuss:

What each short film is about and what the stories were inspired by
Digging into our own fears about love, our bodies, the world falling around us
Taking specific topics and situations and making it relatable to the general audience
The biggest cuts that had to get made
Removing redundant scenes that embody similar meaning
How the motion of the camera translates meaning into the final cut
What it’s like to work with live animals on set
The biggest technical challenges
Divulging set secrets
Filming in random people’s apartments in NYC

Memorable Quotes

“Wanting to tell a story about fear and desire and the places that those intersect.” [5:14]
“Every word, every sentence is scrutinized on that level.” [18:50]
“I can’t stand anything redundant at all.” [19:50]

Resources

Pipes

Follow Pipes on IG

Alien0089

Follow Alien0089 on IG

Unborn Biru

Follow Per-Josef on IG

Claudio’s Song

Connect with Daphne online

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The Writer's Strike Ends and Social Media Debates a Screenplay Page Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Are you ready for the WGA strike to end? We sure are! After almost half a year, the WGA and AMPTP have announced they have agreed on terms.

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

WGA writers enjoying meals for free due to the generosity of a certain actor
What a reboot of The Office would mean for writers
The role of unions in the film industry
Why labor movements in Hollywood are not going away
The reason film companies fled New York City in the early 1900s
Arbitrary rules of script writing and why we don’t agree with them
Why you need to write many different scripts

Memorable Quotes

“The union is not about getting people rich. The union, if it does its job right, will get some people rich. But it's making sure that everybody that’s working can at least afford to eat and have shelter.” [7:15]
“The film industry being in Hollywood is at least, partially about labor history.” [12:55]
“People want screenwriting to be so formulaic and so rule-driven.” [17:35]
“You’re not gonna find your voice in the first script you write.” [29:55]

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Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out

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How To Cast, Direct and Make Movies for Kids Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

Jake Van Wagoner is a director, producer, and actor known for his work on Impractical Jokers and the film Christmas Time. His recent film, Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, is a family friendly sci-fi feature that premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with director Jake Van Wagoner to discuss:

Getting funding for the film from a family friend
The unique title to the movie
Making a film the whole family could enjoy
Building the production team from many great connections
How directing is like being a father
Guiding the child actors in some challenging scenes
Shooting a 93 page script in only 15 days
Using children from his family to act as little aliens
The process of attaching Will Forte to the movie
Lessons he learned from his first feature, Christmas Time

Memorable Quotes

“We shot a movie in 15 days which is bananas.” [12:43]
“Will Forte is the sweetest man on earth…he’s the LAST sweetest man on earth.” [16:10]
“That’s probably my most embarrassing moment in the movie as a director.” [19:48]
“In the end, we are just making a movie. It’s not the end of the world.” [23:55]

Resources

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The iPhone 15 is for Filmmakers, Casting Problems, and a Panamanian Adventure Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

What unintended shifts to the industry are coming from the current strike? Why is the iPhone 15 the perfect phone for filmmakers? What should you do when one of your lead actors quits right before production?

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

The role of a Production Assistant (PA)
Grinning and bearing your job and feeling burnout later
Why most organizations should unionize
The iPhone 15 - it’s a total gamechanger for filmmakers
Losing a lead actor for a film less than two weeks before filming
Shifting away from people pleasing
Why it is so beneficial to work with casting directors early in your career
No longer feeling bad for asking for help
What’s in our on set binders

Memorable Quotes

“This is such an important structure for supporting people who don’t necessarily have the resources to advocate for themselves.” [7:13]
“We often think about Hollywood as just film and television, but there’s so many more things shooting everywhere, all the time.” [8:13]
“It’s still hard work and a grind, but can it be hard work and a grind where you can afford your fucking rent!” [11:05]
“It is a wild time that a camera this good is going to be walking around in everybody’s pocket all the time.” [22:08]
“I’m shifting away from people pleasing mode. Shifting away from party host mode, to focusing on the end product. Focusing on the story we are telling, and letting that be the only ego.” [27:20]

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SNL Mario Kart Trailer (Edit Time lapse)

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How These SNL Editors Cut an Emmy-Nominated Sketch With 60+ VFX Shots in Two Days Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

If you are moving quickly, you don’t rise to the occasion. But you fall to your ability. If you do the work to get there, you will create great stuff.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and Yaro Altunin speak with SNL editors, Chris Salerno and Ryan Spears to discuss:

How Chris and Ryan started working at SNL
Common traits for people who succeed in their line of work
Realizing quickly that certain things are done for a reason
What is was like editing the Mario Kart sketch
The biggest challenges they faced in editing the trailer
Telling jokes in the most efficient manner
Learning to trust your initial instincts
Advice for emerging sketch editors
Working with mixed frame rates
Favorite sketch moments of all time

Memorable Quotes

“You really have to adapt, just keep moving, and trust your instincts.” [10:35]
“You have to learn to trust what your initial instinct to the footage is, because sometimes you don’t have time to have a second instinct.” [26:34]
“It’s really just finding what the intention of the piece is at its heart.” [34:25]

Resources:

Connect with Ryan on IG

Ryan's website

Connect with Chris on IG

Chris's website

HBO Mario Kart Trailer - SNL

“SNL’s” Emmy-nominated “HBO Mario Kart Trailer” sketch edited with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects

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Secrets to a Happy Set Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

What important lessons can we learn from the current WGA strike? Is there a possibility that writers can make deals with individual studios versus the AMPTP? How do you maintain morale and set the tone for each day on set?

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

Why trying to split up your opponents is a good strategy
How low stock numbers may incentivize executives to end the strike
Why trying to split up your opponents is a good strategy
Getting sufficient sleep and having good food on set
Taking time off and planning non-film related activities
Why you need to invest in hiring a fixer during production
The best way to set the tone for each day of shooting
Our experiences working on a quiet set
How to handle the hard days on set

Memorable Quotes

“Experienced negotiators like to negotiate on as many terms as possible and try to exhaust their opponents.” [6:27]
“When we start to shoot that scene, it should become a quiet set by accident.” [32:22]
“The nice thing about set is that it never feels like you are alone trying to solve anything.” [38:14]
“Don’t overcommit to what you put on the page.” [42:36]

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How “Blackberry” Editor Induces Anxiety in Comedy Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

Curt Lobb is a Canadian editor known for his work in TV series and films, like The Kid Detective, I Used to Be Funny, and Tales from the Territories. He recently edited the film, BlackBerry, the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. This doc-style film, which released May 2023, perfectly captures the chaos of business.

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

Starting his career in the industry as an assistant camera operator
How he got his first paid editing jobs
What it was like being an assistant editor on The Dirties
Giving a frantic feeling to the film, BlackBerry, in the edit
Curt’s approach to editing a scene
Meshing different emotions like humor and anxiety
Using your own instincts in the edit before getting the director’s feedback
What is was like editing in an old train station
Special shortcut keys he loves to use in editing
Going into a project with respect for the story you are telling
Knowing the right time for a joke or not

Memorable Quotes

“The editing side of things was always the most exciting for me.” [5:12]
“I didn’t really turn anything down for a long time.” [10:12]
“Instead of having to pick the best take of something. I’m comparing what's already there in the assembly.” [21:29]

Resources:

BlackBerry

The Dirties

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Strike Updates & Questions Directors Need To Answer in Prep (Feat. A Director in Prep) Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Where are things at with the current WGA and SAG strikes? How do these strikes affect the way we think about work-life balance? How can you make sure all your ducks are in a row, when preparing to shoot a low-budget, indie film?

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

What took place between the WGA and AMPTP in a recent meeting
The incredibly difficult role of being a showrunner
Paying feature writers on a weekly basis
Shooting an ultra, low budget, indie film in small island in Panama
The No Film School Production Checklist for Directors
Why chemistry is so underrated when it comes to casting
Storyboarding more transitions between different scenes
Benefits to filming rehearsals on an iPhone
Being nickel and dimed on the softwares you need as a filmmaker

Memorable Quotes

“We need to remember how important it is to have a sustainable life when you are doing any job.” [6:04]
“We don’t like wondering where our food is going to come from.” [7:58]
“I’m treating it like it’s my life grad school thesis. My No Film School thesis.” [14:59]
“You can really only learn by doing.” [39:37]

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