The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Shooting in Real Time with “The Pitt” DP Johanna Coelho Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins speaks with cinematographer Johanna Coelho about building the immersive visual language behind The Pitt. Coelho breaks down how she approached the show’s real-time structure, 360-degree hospital set, handheld camera movement, lens choices, and complex multi-camera choreography to create an ER that feels immediate, intimate, and emotionally raw. She also reflects on her path from France to Los Angeles, becoming one of the youngest DPs to shoot network television, and the collaborative mindset required to lead ambitious productions without losing sight of story or performance.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Johanna Coelho discuss...

How Johanna Coelho got started in cinematography and built her career from France to Los Angeles
What it means to shoot The Pitt in real time across a single ER shift
How handheld filmmaking, long takes, and transition-based blocking shape the show’s immersive style
Why Coelho chose the Alexa Mini LF, prime lenses, and a zoom setup to maintain intimacy and flexibility
How the team lit a 360-degree hospital set with white walls while protecting skin tones and realism
The collaboration between cinematography, production design, lighting, grip, and actors to execute complex choreography
How season two pushed the show’s visual perspective and emotional immersion even further
The difference between handheld, Steadicam, and Zero-G rigs when designing movement for a scene
How Coelho thinks about burnout, leadership, and keeping a calm set during high-pressure television production
Why trusting your eye and communicating your vision are essential for emerging cinematographers

Memorable Quotes:

“I don't have to make a choice. I can just live all of it behind the lens.”
“We have to give that same feeling visually for the audience.”
“Our master shot is not a wide shot where you see everything.”
“Trust yourself. Don't let everyone tell you what to do.”

Guests:

Johanna Coelho

Resources:

Johanna Coelho's website

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A Path to Profitability in an Industry Built on Fear? Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins speaks with Kino co-founders Brit MacRae and Daril Fannin about the broken handoff between post-production and release, and how insecure screeners, fragmented feedback workflows, and fear-based distribution norms undermine independent film. They break down Kino’s evolution from an interactive streaming idea into a secure post-to-delivery platform, explain how they built a film fund around de-risked sub-$2 million features, and use Undertone as a case study for aligning budgets, creative ambition, and profitability.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests Brit MacRae and Daril Fannin discuss...

Why the current post-production and release pipeline is still built around insecure links, scattered notes, and outdated habits
How piracy, leaks, and weak screener security can hurt filmmakers, investors, and distribution momentum
The original idea behind Kino and how it pivoted from interactive streaming to a B2B platform for secure screeners, dailies, cuts, approvals, focus groups, and final delivery
Why discoverability is one of the biggest problems in independent film, and why indie projects are competing with TikTok and other forms of passive entertainment
How fear-based thinking shapes decisions around marketing, exposure, festivals, and distribution
What “LVOD” means to Kino and how the company tried to create a window that adds marketing value without cannibalizing TVOD
Why MacRae and Fannin believe filmmakers need to think like business builders, not just artists, when raising money
How Kino structured its film fund around contained, creatively aligned stories with budgets under $2 million and meaningful de-risking through incentives and exchange rates
Why Undertone made sense as a fund project: one location, a contained story, and a production model that matched the script’s scale
How equity participation and aligned incentives can help cast, crew, and investors move in the same direction
Why iteration, early feedback, and collaborative review should play a larger role in filmmaking, much like they do in tech and animation
What kinds of projects Kino is pursuing next, including a Band of Brothers documentary and more genre-focused features

Memorable Quotes:

“Something’s not working and we’re going to dig into it.”
“Fear makes you stupid.”
“Coming to the table with great art is table stakes.”
“It’s not about the project, it’s about the people you’re surrounding yourself with.”

Guests:

Resources:

Kino

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Reimagining Post: AI-Powered Rough Cuts Editing Overnight (Partner Episode) Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

In this sponsored episode, GG Hawkins speaks with Eddie AI co-founder and CEO Shamir Allibhai about Eddie AI’s latest release, Eddie v3, which launched on April 14, 2026 ahead of NAB Show 2026. Their conversation explores the new Night Shift workflow, designed to process footage overnight by sorting interviews from B-roll, syncing multicam interviews, logging media, and building a rough cut ready for Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro by morning. They also discuss Eddie’s expanding role as an AI assistant editor for professional workflows, including docu-style rough cuts with B-roll placement, and the broader questions filmmakers face around creative control, sustainability, curiosity, and the future of storytelling in an AI-assisted post-production landscape.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Shamir Allibhai discuss...

Eddie AI’s new Night Shift feature and how it aims to build a structured rough cut overnight
Why the company positions Eddie AI as an assistant editor rather than a replacement for Premiere, Resolve, or Final Cut Pro
How AI can help with multicam syncing, A-roll and B-roll organization, logging, and assembly edits
The difference between AI tools that generate synthetic media and tools built to work from a filmmaker’s real footage
Why editing still depends on human taste, timing, emotional judgment, and story instinct
How AI tools may help filmmakers handle paid client work more efficiently while protecting time for passion projects
The tension between fear and curiosity as filmmakers adapt to new technology
How creative professionals can think about money, sustainability, and long-term career support without sidelining the art
Why Allibhai sees storytelling as a fundamentally human act, even in a future shaped by AI
What filmmakers should watch for around security, ownership, and platform terms when using AI tools

Memorable Quotes:

“We’re not trying to be another timeline editor, like Premiere, Resolve, FCP.”
“When we think about it from the consumer’s perspective, they just care about great stories.”
“This is the root of a lot of the fear because we have struggled so hard just to be able to be here.”
“In 10,000 years, we will still be sitting around a campfire or somewhere and telling each other stories.”

Guests:

Shamir Allibhai

Resources:

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From Evil Dead Rise to The Mummy: Lee Cronin on Evolving Horror Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

Writer-director Lee Cronin joins No Film School to discuss how he approached reimagining The Mummy through the lens of family trauma, mystery, and body horror. In conversation with GG Hawkins, Cronin breaks down the emotional architecture behind effective horror, the challenge of staging fear in broad daylight, and the way Irish storytelling, personal experience, and practical effects continue to shape his work. He also reflects on building a long-term creative partnership, collaborating with horror powerhouses like Jason Blum and James Wan, and the discipline required to keep refining a film all the way through the edit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Lee Cronin discuss...

How Cronin infused The Mummy with mystery, family drama, and horror
Why broad daylight can make horror feel even more unsettling
The emotional groundwork required to make gore and shock land with audiences
How themes from The Hole in the Ground evolved into The Mummy
Why character is always the engine of fear in Cronin’s films
How Cronin thinks about the “contract” he makes with audiences from the earliest story stage
The practical and creative lessons he learned from years of making corporate videos and commercials
What it was like collaborating with Jack Reynor, Jason Blum, and James Wan
How shooting in Ireland and Spain helped shape the scale and texture of the film
Advice for emerging filmmakers on collaborators, restraint, and cutting what does not work

Memorable Quotes:

“Writing is not hard at all. Knowing what to write is incredibly difficult.”
“Nothing is more exciting to me than watching something I’ve created with an audience and hearing them vocalize, scream, drop the popcorn, whatever it might be.”
“If something doesn’t work, don’t leave it there.”
“Never be afraid.”

Guests:

Lee Cronin

Resources:

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How to Edit for a Screen Life Film: Insights from the Team Behind Mercy Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins speaks with editors Lam T. Nguyen and Austin Keeling about building the visual language of Mercy, a hybrid screen life thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov. They break down how editorial shaped not just pacing and performance, but also the film’s digital camera moves, interface design, screen choreography, and collaboration with VFX. The conversation also expands into how texting, phones, and screen-based storytelling can work in contemporary filmmaking, and why the core principles of editing still matter even inside a highly technical workflow.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss...

How Lam T. Nguyen and Austin Keeling first came together on Mercy
What defines the film’s hybrid “screen life” visual language
How the team used early previs to explore a more immersive 3D screen experience
Why the Apple Vision Pro became an early point of reference for the film’s digital courtroom design
How editorial functioned as editing, design, animation, and virtual cinematography all at once
The Premiere Pro workflow they used to manage complex multi-layered timelines
Why the team kept the process technically simple with adjustment layers, transform effects, and blur
How they decided where the audience should look when multiple story elements were happening at once
What the handoff to VFX looked like and why the editorial version had to be nearly final
Their thoughts on how texting and phones can be made cinematic in modern films
How Mercy balanced futuristic technology with interfaces that still feel recognizable to audiences
Why collaboration, adaptability, and saying yes to unexpected opportunities helped shape their careers

Memorable Quotes:

“We had four weeks to build the previs and all they wanted was in traditional screen life formats.”
“The best way to do is simplify it, right?”
“The fundamentals still apply as an editor for this film.”
“It’s all just using the tools that are available and kind of like using them to your advantage.”

Guests:

Resources:

Vote for No Film School’s Webby-nominated explainer video
Tickets: Beacon Film Society screening — May 7, New York

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How a $30K Animated Indie Scored a Theatrical Run — Then Landed on HBO Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with animator and director Julian Glander about making his microbudget animated feature Boys Go to Jupiter for just $30,000, premiering it at Tribeca, building momentum through a 50-festival run, and eventually landing theatrical distribution and a streaming home on HBO Max. Glander breaks down the realities of producing an animated feature outside the studio system, from teaching himself new tools in Blender to embracing the scrappy story behind the film, negotiating festival fees, navigating distribution conversations, and figuring out what comes next after a breakout first feature.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Julian Glander discuss...

How Glander and producer Payson made Boys Go to Jupiter with a tiny team and a $30,000 budget
Why Blender and open-source communities made an indie animated feature possible
What surprised Glander most about audience reactions to the film’s scrappy origins
The reality check of premiering at Tribeca without an instant splashy acquisition
How a long festival run helped the film build momentum and recoup its budget through screening fees and prizes
Why showing up in person for festival screenings and Q&As can make a lasting impact
How Cartuna helped shape the film’s theatrical rollout
The role of PR, timing, and critical response in helping the film break out theatrically
What it means to let go of control during distribution while still protecting the work
How Glander is thinking about a second feature and resisting the pressure of “heat”

Memorable Quotes:

“You really do have to be delusional and not know what’s going to happen.”
“I was embarrassed by how scrappy it was but it turned out to be like the thing that brings people in and the thing that makes them love it.”
“If you don’t ask for it, you don’t get it.”
“Most things are Googleable.”

Guests:

Resources:

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The AI Doc Breakdown — Filmmaking in the Age of Uncertainty Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with director Charlie Tyrell and editors Davis Coombe and Daysha Broadway about The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. The conversation explores how the team shaped an essay-driven documentary around AI, parenting, authorship, and uncertainty, while also breaking down the collaborative editorial process, the ethics of making a film in real time about a rapidly changing subject, and the analog craft choices that gave the project its tactile visual identity.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss...

How The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist uses a filmmaker’s journey into impending parenthood as a narrative device for exploring AI anxiety and optimism
Why the team chose an essay-documentary structure while still grounding the film in Daniel Roher’s on-camera perspective
The challenges of shaping a documentary whose subject kept changing during production as AI news evolved in real time
How Charlie Tyrell, Davis Coombe, and Daysha Broadway each found their way into filmmaking and documentary storytelling
The creative and ethical complications of having a co-director also function as a subject within the film
How the filmmakers balanced accessibility, complexity, and emotional honesty while making a movie about a massive technological shift
The editorial collaboration behind the film, including remote workflows, shared creative decision-making, and leaving ego at the door
Why the team intentionally avoided using AI in the film’s creative workflow
How Premiere Pro Productions, transcription tools, Blender, After Effects, Dragonframe, stop-motion builds, and practical effects supported the film’s handmade aesthetic
Where the guests currently land on the spectrum between AI optimism and AI anxiety as working filmmakers and editors
Why the guests believe the biggest question is not just what AI can do, but how people choose to use it

Memorable Quotes:

“It actively wrestles with it in real time, both thematically and in the way that it was made.”
“Everyone kind of just left their ego at the door and showed up to do the work.”
“Filmmaking only brings suffering.”
“I don't feel like AI is the big bad. To me, the people are the big bad.”

Guests:

Resources:

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Synopsis: From the Academy Award-winning filmmakers behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and Navalny, a father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created and what’s at stake if we get it wrong.
For resources and ways to join the apocaloptimist community, visit theaidocgetinvolved.com

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Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #1: 'OBEX' Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Pete Ohs for the first installment in a quarterly 2026 series tracking how he releases four films over the course of the year. Using OBEX as the case study, Ohs breaks down the film’s microbudget production, Sundance 2025 premiere, U.S. acquisition by Oscilloscope, and the realities of theatrical rollout for independent films. Their conversation explores how booking works, what filmmaker participation in Q&As can actually do for a release, and where creative energy, audience-building, and sustainability meet during distribution.

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

How OBEX was made with Albert Birney in and around his Baltimore home
Why the film’s Sundance 2025 premiere led to a U.S. deal with Oscilloscope
What sales agents, distributors, and theater bookers each do in an indie release
Why January became the strategic release window for OBEX
How theatrical runs expand based on performance, per-screen averages, and momentum
Which Q&A appearances felt worthwhile in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Baltimore
What the marketing campaign looked like, including social assets created with Continue Agency
How Ohs thinks about audience response, Letterboxd reviews, and the digital release
Why preserving energy during release may matter as much as inventing new promotional ideas
What Ohs is testing next as Erupcja begins its release

Memorable Quotes:

“The walk from here to the bathroom is also recovering time.”
“They said he couldn't do period pieces on a budget.”
“I just love that it's proof that somebody watched it.”
“There are limits to the time and the energy, and that you can have all these ideas, but they're just ideas until you kind of do them.”

Guests:

Pete Ohs

Resources:

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SXSW 2026 Was Where Film and AI Met as Frenemies Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge report from Austin during the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival, reflecting on how the event felt different after the convention center overhaul and how the festival’s film and tech worlds collided more directly than ever. They discuss the growing tension between filmmakers and artificial intelligence, the value of human intuition in directing and storytelling, standout panels and screenings, and what Ryan learned while serving on the narrative shorts jury. The episode also highlights how SXSW continues to champion bold filmmaking, practical craft insights, and the importance of in-person creative community at a moment when AI is reshaping the industry.

In this episode, No Film School's Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge discuss...

How SXSW 2026 felt different on the ground after the festival’s reorganization across downtown Austin
Why AI became one of the defining themes of this year’s SXSW conversations, panels, and screenings
Ryan’s takeaway from Steven Spielberg’s SXSW appearance and his emphasis on intuition in filmmaking
The documentary The AI Doc and how it framed AI through both filmmaking and fears about the future
The tension between slick AI-generated imagery and the value of human-made, lived-in artistic choices
Ryan’s experience serving as a narrative shorts juror and what he learned from watching all 19 shorts in competition
Why short films need to stand on their own instead of only functioning as proof-of-concept features
How filmmakers today are reaching an incredibly high level of craft across directing, cinematography, and performance
The narrative shorts that stood out to Ryan, including Supper and Souvenir, which won the jury honors
Jourdan’s spotlight on Mantis Stream (Like and Subscribe) and why inventive midnight filmmaking still feels vital
Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters as a bold opening-night film and a perfect example of SXSW’s creative identity
What they learned from SXSW panels on documentary storytelling, virtual production, immersive audio, and emerging filmmaking tools
Why film festivals and in-person artistic gatherings feel even more essential in an increasingly virtual world

Memorable Quotes:

“The human hand of it is the point of art.”
“I’d as soon eat nails, then use AI in my films.”
“Go to festivals, make friends, make art, mess up.”

Resources:

No Film School SXSW coverage

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The Horror in What You Don’t See—How Sound and Rhythm Build Suspense in 'Undertone' Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with editor Sonny Atkins about shaping fear through sound, rhythm, and restraint in the horror feature Undertone. Atkins breaks down how the film’s audio-first concept influenced everything from the script to the cut, why long pauses and musical timing can heighten dread, and how a deeply personal story about grief and caregiving evolved through the editorial process. He also shares practical insights into working scrappy on a low-budget feature, using Premiere Pro’s Productions workflow, speech-to-text, temp sound design, and test screenings to refine both story and suspense.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Sonny Atkins discuss...

How Undertone began as an audio-driven concept and why that immediately stood out in the script
Why sound design became central to the edit, not just an atmospheric layer
The challenge of building horror around what the audience hears instead of what they see
How Ian Tuason’s personal experience with caregiving and grief shaped the emotional core of the film
Discovering story solutions in post, including the addition of a saved voicemail from the protagonist’s mother
Creating distinct sonic and visual worlds between the downstairs living space and the mother’s upstairs room
What it took to make a low-budget Canadian horror feature feel polished and cinematic
Why Atkins cut his first assembly extremely short, then built the film back up from its essential skeleton
How rhythm, blank space, and even drum rudiments became part of the team’s language for suspense
Using Premiere Pro’s Productions workflow to keep a feature edit organized and responsive
How speech-to-text helped manage ADR, offscreen dialogue, and hundreds of audio files
Why editors should mock up sound ideas early for test screenings instead of waiting for the final sound team
How Frame.io helped organize notes with timecode-based feedback
Why humor can be an important release valve inside horror
Career advice on longevity, mentorship, process, and closing the gap between taste and ability

Memorable Quotes:

“Because in this film, sound isn't just part of the atmosphere, it's the engine of the story.”
“A lot of it's about rhythm and where to leave blank space, and that kind of stuff.”
“The people who make it in this business are the people who don't quit. It's a longevity game.”
“If your focus is really just not about making the work really good and working a lot, you can sort of inoculate yourself against having your heart broken over and over again.”

Guests: