The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Art of Curation: Inside Kanopy’s Approach to Film Discovery Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Kanopy’s Aaron Spears and Matt Lewis about curation, film discovery, and how independent films find audiences in a streaming landscape shaped by algorithms. The conversation covers Kanopy’s library- and university-based model, the importance of human-led programming, how poster art and social media influence discovery, and why theatrical and festival experiences still matter for the long-term life of a film.

In this episode, No Film School'se GG Hawkins and guests Aaron Spears and Matt Lewis discuss...

What Kanopy is and how it differs from subscription-based streamers like Netflix
Why Kanopy’s free, ad-free model through libraries and universities matters for film access
Aaron’s path from film programming and art house theaters to Kanopy’s content programming team
Matt’s background in entertainment marketing and how he brings that experience to Kanopy
How Kanopy’s programming team curates new titles each week
Why human taste, context, and browsing still matter in an algorithm-driven media landscape
How poster art, title design, and trailers shape audience expectations
What filmmakers should consider when creating key art for their films
How Kanopy uses social media clips and themed collections to help audiences discover films
Why niche programming, rock docs, horror, and repertory-style collections can build loyal audiences
How universities use Kanopy for coursework and casual film discovery
The continued importance of festivals, theatrical screenings, and communal moviegoing
Why libraries may be one of the most important access points for independent cinema
Upcoming Kanopy titles and programming, including I Really Love My Husband, Fright Fest, and The Napa Boys
Advice for emerging filmmakers interested in curation, marketing, and film culture

Memorable Quotes:

“The big headline is, it's free. And also no ads.”
“I really feel like browsing itself, this is probably the librarian in my head too, like browsing itself should be a pleasure.”
“I think if you can represent that with a poster, that really helps too.”
“Do your best to watch one movie a day.”

Guests:

Aaron Spears
Matt Lewis

Resources:

Kanopy

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The Logistics of Chaos: Directing Lord of the Flies With 36 Child Actors With Marc Munden Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins speaks with BAFTA-winning director Marc Munden about directing the new Netflix adaptation of Lord of the Flies, written by Jack Thorne. Munden discusses revisiting William Golding’s novel, shaping the series’ visual language, filming on a remote island in Malaysia, working with 36 young actors, and how limitations around child actors’ schedules helped inspire the show’s hallucinatory nighttime look.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Marc Munden discuss...

Why Munden was initially conflicted about adapting Lord of the Flies again
How Jack Thorne structured the four-part series around Piggy, Jack, Simon, and Ralph
Using the rainforest as an alien, living ecosystem that mirrors the boys’ collapsing society
How production restrictions led Munden to develop an infrared-inspired visual approach for nighttime scenes
Rehearsing for five weeks with 36 child actors before shooting
Directing young performers toward natural behavior instead of “performing”
How Munden uses analog production books filled with references, sketches, script pages, and notes
Why post-production became a continuation of discovery, including iPhone footage and evolving portrait sequences
Munden’s advice for emerging filmmakers: make films, learn to write, be kind, and keep learning from others

Memorable Quotes:

“I thought, well, who needs another Lord of the Flies?”
“I wanted to just characterize the rainforest as something which is alien, that has a strange beauty to it.”
“I think filmmaking is the mixture of extreme joy and small defeats.”
“I would say, shoot your own film.”

Guests:

Marc Munden

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Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #2: Erupcja (and Releasing an Indie Starring Charli XCX) Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins continues No Film School’s 2026 distribution experiment with filmmaker Pete Ohs, focusing on the release of Erupcja, his Warsaw-shot microbudget feature starring Charli XCX, Lena Góra, Will Madden, and Jeremy O. Harris. Pete breaks down how the movie was made, how its TIFF premiere led to a deal with One Two Special, and what he learned from theatrical touring, Q&As, VOD timing, marketing assets, fan edits, and the emotional sustainability of releasing independent films.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Pete Ohs discuss...

Making Erupcja in Warsaw, Poland, with Charli XCX and a small, experimental production model
How SAG’s Global Rule One affected the budget of an international indie production
Premiering at TIFF and navigating sales conversations with CAA and multiple distributors
Why Pete chose One Two Special based on alignment, communication, and “vibes”
Building a release around Q&As, theatrical events, and in-person audience engagement
Creating playful marketing assets, including a zine, a voicemail phone line, and fan-edit materials
Releasing trailer stems and encouraging remix culture around the film
How theatrical box office expectations were framed for a movie made under $100,000
The limits of relying on actors or stars to carry indie film promotion
Why filmmakers should treat Q&As as another form of storytelling
The idea of “regional filmmaking” and creating meaningful local releases
Finishing and releasing projects as part of sustaining a long-term filmmaking practice

Memorable Quotes:

“We went to Poland in August of 2024 for two weeks with half of an outline and shot the movie in order.”
“If the numbers were better or the percentages were better, but the vibe was worse. I would have been suffering.”
“The work doesn't end.”
“Treat it as practice for storytelling.”

Guests:

Pete Ohs

Resources:

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They Started in the Red — Then Made a Movie: The Story of 'Hacked' Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

No Film School’s GG Hawkins talks with filmmaker Shane Brady and producer Emily Zercher-Brady about turning a devastating real-life hack into the revenge comedy-horror feature Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma. The conversation covers the couple’s filmmaking origin stories, how losing $20,000 sparked the movie’s premise, why they pushed forward after their budget was cut in half, what it took to shoot between Los Angeles and Florida during the SAG strike, and how they approached building a collaborative low-budget set.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Shane Brady, and Emily Zercher-Brady discuss...

How Shane’s early love of horror movies, theater, magic, and performance led him into filmmaking
Emily’s background in performance, leadership, and problem-solving as the foundation for producing
How Shane and Emily began working together through Camp Hollywood short films with young actors
The real-life hack that drained $20,000 from their savings and became the emotional starting point for Hacked
Calling the FBI, dealing with law enforcement limitations, and channeling frustration into a revenge story
Why they decided to keep going after the movie’s budget was cut in half just weeks before filming
How Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer production story inspired them to get scrappy
Navigating the SAG interim agreement process while Emily was pregnant
Splitting production between Funko Studios in Los Angeles and locations in Tampa, Florida
Creating a “socialism set” where cast and crew were treated as equal creative collaborators
Working French hours, offering hot meals, and protecting crew morale on a low-budget shoot
Building festival relationships that helped lead to their distributor, Scatena & Rosner
How they are thinking about audience outreach, VOD, and asking viewers to support independent filmmakers

Memorable Quotes:

“The absolute number one thing I want in my life is to be remembered, and when I’m gone and in the dirt, people can put on a film or a TV show or a recording of a play or something.”
“Make it work and nobody can know that anything is going wrong.”
“We have the money to film the thing.”
“Everyone is equal playing fields and cast and crew, like you all mean everything and are a special piece of the puzzle.”
“Everything that you work towards and someone just goes click.”

Guests:

Resources:

Find No Film School everywhere:

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📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com

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They Said This Movie Did Everything You’re Not Supposed To—Then The President’s Cake Won Cannes May 21, 2026

Show notes

No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director Hasan Hadi and producer Leah Chen Baker about the development, financing, production, and release journey behind The President’s Cake. The conversation traces the film from NYU and COVID-era writing sessions through the Sundance Labs, the challenge of building an aggressively independent financing plan, shooting on location in Iraq with non-professional actors, and the impact of winning both the Caméra d’Or and the Audience Award at Cannes.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Hasan Hadi, and Leah Chen Baker discuss...

How Hasan and Leah’s collaboration began at NYU and grew through shorts, writing check-ins, and shared creative sensibilities
Why film school was essential for Hasan as a filmmaker coming from a country with limited cinema infrastructure
Developing The President’s Cake before applying to the Sundance Labs
How the Sundance Screenwriting, Directing, Producers Lab, and Catalyst Forum helped build confidence around the project
Leading with the film’s “risky” elements: a first feature, non-professional actors, no rehearsals, a period setting, and shooting in Iraq
Building a financing plan through micro grants, institutional support, small stakeholders, and equity partners
Why filming in Iraq was non-negotiable for the story’s authenticity
Creating an international crew while ensuring every department included Iraqi local crew
The realities of shooting with limited infrastructure and a long production schedule
What changed after the film won at Cannes
How Iraqi and international audiences have responded to the film
The importance of setting an end point for one project so the next one can begin

Memorable Quotes:

“But for me as a filmmaker who came from country that has almost no infrastructure in cinema. So my first film set when I was in film school almost, film school was necessary for me.”
“There were a lot of do not do's on our pitch for our first feature.”
“Even the failure sometimes was considered progress. It's not a success, it's a progress.”
“Stories have DNAs and roots and they have, you know, fingerprints and this story has a very strong fingerprints that is in Iraq.”

Guests:

Resources:

The President’s Cake on IMDb

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Insights Into Blackmagic Design's Latest Cameras and Products Introduced at NAB 2026 May 15, 2026

Show notes

Jourdan Aldredge speaks with Blackmagic Design’s Simon Westland at NAB 2026 about the company’s latest camera, live production, mobile filmmaking, DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Cloud, and AI workflow updates. They discuss how Blackmagic’s new products serve both high-end live production and independent filmmakers, why hands-on trade show demos matter, and how filmmakers can think about camera choices as they grow their craft.

In this episode, No Film School's Jourdan Aldredge and guest Simon Westland discuss...

Blackmagic Design’s NAB 2026 product announcements and why the company released news before the show
The value of hands-on product demos, workshops, and planning ahead for NAB
Blackmagic’s URSA Cine 12K live production workflow, including 100G connectivity, 2110, 440fps, and 16 stops of dynamic range
Why cinematic images are becoming more important in live production, sports, YouTube content, and live events
How the Blackmagic Camera app is becoming an entry point for iPhone and Android filmmakers
Using mobile phones in professional workflows with HDMI or SDI output, genlock, zoom demands, and focus demands
Apple Watch control for Blackmagic Camera on iOS
How Blackmagic’s products connect across cameras, ATEM switchers, DaVinci Resolve, and Blackmagic Cloud
Why beginner filmmakers should focus on learning craft, exposure, lighting, and storytelling instead of searching for the “perfect” camera
DaVinci Resolve’s new photo editing tools and how shared looks can help match stills and video
How brands, agencies, and social media teams can use Resolve for color consistency across moving and still images
Blackmagic’s view on AI tools, including transcription, media search, object search, and workflow acceleration
The difference between workflow AI and generative AI replacement tools
The future of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras and why the company still sees them as important for independent filmmakers

Memorable Quotes:

“That really is what it's all about. You want to have that hands-on interaction.”
“I would say, look, that camera app is an amazing entry point, but really just try it.”
“It’s about the content. It’s about storytelling.”
“Competition is a healthy thing. It’s healthy for everybody.”

Guests:

Simon Westland

Resources:

Find No Film School everywhere:

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How Specificity Makes Better Films: ‘Mile End Kicks’ and ‘I Like Movies’ Director Chandler Levack Explains May 14, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins talks with writer-director Chandler Levack about making I Like Movies, Mile End Kicks, and Roommates, and how Levack protects a specific filmmaking voice while moving between indie features and studio comedy. They discuss the realities of Canadian film financing, directing with limited time and bigger resources, building cinematic worlds through research and memory, and why filmmakers have to keep making work instead of treating one movie as their only chance.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Chandler Levack discuss...

How I Like Movies helped open doors for Mile End Kicks
Why Mile End Kicks had to be shot in Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood
The overlap of finishing one film while prepping and shooting another
What changed when Levack moved from indie filmmaking to a studio comedy
How music journalism shaped Levack’s directing and world building
Why specificity in props, costumes, locations, and character details matters
Navigating male-dominated creative spaces as a woman filmmaker
The value and complications of film criticism
Building a body of work through collaboration, experimentation, and persistence

Memorable Quotes:

“For me, I mean I'm obsessed with specificity.”
“I think for me once I realized that filmmaking is just talking about treating fake people like they're real…”
“It's weird. It's the only job where you're failing in public…”
“The greatest thing you can do as a filmmaker is just exist and keep making stuff good and bad and having a body of work is like the most important thing…”

Guests:

Chandler Levack

Find No Film School everywhere:

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Inside Premiere’s Color Mode: Adobe’s Biggest Color Grading Overhaul in a Decade May 08, 2026

Show notes

No Film School’s Jourdan Aldridge sits down with Adobe’s Jason Druss at NAB 2026 to discuss Adobe Premiere’s new Color Mode, a three-year effort to rethink color grading for video editors. The conversation covers why Adobe rebuilt its color pipeline, how Color Mode differs from Lumetri and traditional pro-color tools, and what editors can expect from operations, styles, modules, film emulation, AI object masks, and upcoming beta features. Jason also shares his path from film school and color grading at NFL Films to product marketing at Blackmagic, Frame.io, and Adobe.

In this episode, No Film School's Jourdan Aldridge and guest Jason Druss discuss...

Adobe’s major NAB 2026 focus: the public beta launch of Color Mode in Premiere
Why Adobe built Color Mode as a pro-color system designed specifically for video editors
The limitations of Lumetri and the challenges of round-tripping to dedicated color tools
How Alexis Van Hurkman helped lead the creation of a new color grading workflow inside Premiere
The role of private beta feedback from hundreds of working editors
Jason Druss’s career path through film school, wedding filmmaking, Blackmagic, NFL Films, WarnerMedia, Frame.io, and Adobe
How Frame.io Drive connects with Premiere workflows and Adobe’s NAB demo process
The design philosophy behind Color Mode’s simplified interface and shallow learning curve
New Color Mode concepts including operations, styles, modules, clip groups, and sequence-level grading
Film color, contrast kit, range controls, and customizable film emulation tools
Why Adobe sees Color Mode as a new approach to creativity without unnecessary complexity
Upcoming beta features including HSL qualifiers, skin tone lines, auto color, auto balance, vignette modules, and more film stocks

Memorable Quotes:

“What we're really trying to do is evolve and change the video editor's relationship with color and effects.”
“For more than 10 years now, video editors have had two, like, really bad choices when it comes to color grading.”
“We wanted to make the first color grading system ever actually built from the ground up and designed for video editors.”
“Color mode rewards curiosity. It encourages experimentation. It's actually fun to use.”

Guest:

Jason Druss

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'Modern Whore': How a Creative Crush Turned Into a Sean Baker-Backed Film May 07, 2026

Show notes

Director Nicole Bazuin joins No Film School’s GG Hawkins to discuss the decade-long creative collaboration behind Modern Whore, a hybrid documentary based on Andrea Werhun’s memoir about her experiences in sex work. Bazuin explains how the project grew from a music video friendship into a book, short films, and a feature, while breaking down the film’s mix of interviews, stylized reenactments, storybook-inspired visuals, and post-production discoveries. The conversation also covers self-editing a feature, storyboarding an entire film, bringing Sean Baker on as an executive producer, and making work from the stories already in a filmmaker’s orbit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Nicole Bazuin discuss...

Shooting Modern Whore on the Alexa Mini and editing the film in Adobe Premiere Pro
How Bazuin and Andrea Werhun met while making a Super 8 music video for Broken Bricks
Turning a “creative crush” into a decade-long collaboration across a memoir, short films, and a feature
Why the film uses a hybrid documentary format with firsthand storytelling, staged scenes, and stylized reenactments
Adapting Andrea Werhun’s vignette-style memoir into a cohesive feature structure
Protecting authorship and agency when telling stories about sex work
Building a visual language through hand-drawn storyboards, color, and “storybook come to life” compositions
The nine-to-ten-month edit process and the value of test screenings with anonymous feedback cards
How Sean Baker came aboard as an executive producer after working with Andrea Werhun on Anora
Why filmmakers should look at the relationships, stories, and access already present in their lives

Memorable Quotes:

“Sometimes you have to step in and fill a role.”
“I think right from the get go, our work has been multimedia.”
“I do think the adage is true that you write the film once when you're writing the script. You rewrite it again when you're shooting it and you write it a third time in the editing process.”
“Feel free to make it your own.”

Guest:

Nicole Bazuin

Resources:

Modern Whore on IMDb

Find No Film School everywhere:

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How to Build Trust with Documentary Subjects Before You Roll — Live from Aspen Shortsfest Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Jo Light interviews documentary and commercial director Brendan Young live from Aspen Shortsfest about his short documentary The Meloneers, which follows the Rocky Ford High School wrestling program in rural Colorado. They discuss how Brendan found the story through a newspaper article, why he spent extensive time in the community before filming, how he balanced planned interviews with vérité moments, and how commercial work helps fund and shape his documentary practice. The episode also covers documentary ethics, collaboration with subjects, building trust before rolling, and Brendan’s advice for first-time documentary filmmakers.

In this episode, No Film School's Jo Light and guest Brendan Young discuss...

Finding a rural Colorado story through a Denver Post article about Rocky Ford wrestling
Why Brendan visited Rocky Ford repeatedly without a camera before filming
Treating documentary subjects as collaborators, not just subjects
How The Meloneers explores wrestling, family legacy, fatherhood, and small-town change
Balancing core interviews, planned scenes, and vérité moments
Shooting with a small documentary crew and keeping a minimal footprint
Using commercial work to support short documentary projects
Partnerships with Futuristic Films, Voyager, Project Play, and executive producer Lindsey Hagan
Why the process of documentary filmmaking matters as much as the finished film
Brendan’s upcoming documentary about a violin once played by a German Nazi soldier

Memorable Quotes:

“I view the people in my films in these stories as collaborators.” — Brendan Young, 03:44
“It’s not just building trust, but like having buy-in from these people, making sure that we’re telling this story together and in a way that they want it told is really, really important to me.” — Brendan Young, 04:05
“I think when you can find it, it makes a specific story more universal and that's a more impactful film.” — Brendan Young, 08:05
“Commercial sets were kind of my film school.” — Brendan Young, 21:49

Guests: