The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson Cairns Dissect 'Last Night in Soho' Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

We’re so lucky to have Edgar Wright returning to the show along with his co-writer Krysty Wilson Cairns to dive into the themes and crafting of their new horror movie, “Last Night In Soho”!

In this episode, we talk about...

How the movie is a sort of love letter to experiencing a story.
The 60s nostalgia present in the movie and whether the Good Old Days really were good.
The messaging of the movie, including themes of time travel and trauma.
The film’s relatable portrayal of feeling like a fish out of water.

Links to Resources:

Last Night in Soho - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9639470/

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Manfrotto Camera Movement Week and Box Office Victories Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

It's Manfrotto Camera Movement week at No Film School, check out all our great camera movement content!

In this episode, we talk about...

How Manfrotto has rolled out a whole new system that is going to make things a lot easier for filmmakers!
An analysis of the features in the new Manfrotto system.
The DJI 4D - a really cool new type of camera - and how it works and what type of shooting it’s good for.
An in-depth review and discussion of the new Macbook Pro.
How we’ve just had our biggest box office weekend since the pandemic - which is great news for the industry!
How Dune is totally worth seeing in IMAX and what makes the film so special.
Why some movies are really best seen in the movie theater.
The French Dispatch and the value of niche movies.

Links to Resources:

Manfrotto - https://www.manfrotto.com/

DJI 4D - https://www.dji.com/ronin-4d

Dune - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1160419/

The French Dispatch - https://www.searchlightpictures.com/thefrenchdispatch/

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Film Set Tragedy Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Shock waves went throughout the entertainment industry and beyond when the unthinkable happened and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by a live round on the set of the film Rust.

This sort of thing should never happen.

The circumstances surrounding the event have become clearer in the days since, only adding to the horrific nature, even as we break it all down in an attempt to process it during this podcast, there were some further disturbing details yet to be released.

Perhaps the most chilling fact is that this incident is not as isolated as we'd wish it to be. There have been numerous incidents of deaths on film sets due to negligence and poor working conditions.

Can anything change that?

We encourage readers to donate to various causes including this Gofundme page raising funds for Halyna's husband and 9-year-old son.

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IATSE’s New Contract Oct 23, 2021

Show notes

Today’s episode sees the return of Good Deal, Bad Deal, along with other important industry and tech news!

In this episode, we talk about...

How the union IATSE has been threatening to go on strike to get a living wage for everyone and better meal and rest breaks - but instead of a strike, a deal was just reached.
Why many feel IATSE should have gone on strike since they had the leverage to do so.
The particulars of the deal that was reached, what they mean, and whether or not the deal is “good” or “bad”.
The case for an 8-hour work day in the film industry.
How a negotiation isn’t over until it’s over, and IATSE could still ask for more changes.
How Apple has released their new Macbook Pro and a discussion of this computer’s exciting new features.
What the new Macbook Pro means for work-life balance.
A discussion about the best gear to use for remote recording and livestream setups.

Links to Resources:

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Justin Long, Christian Long, and Justin Chon for 'Lady of the Manor' and 'Blue Bayou' Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Tune in for a discussion about two great movies with three great guests - some of whom are actors who have now moved behind the camera!

In this episode, we talk about...

Why Justin Chon decided to star in his movie, even though he didn’t initially set out to.
How Justin Chon creates a safe and open environment on set, how he works with his DPs, and other insights into his process.
How Justin Chon chose and secured his co-star.
The challenges of working with children.
How Justin Chon went about researching the issue at the crux of Blue Bayou.
How Lady of the Manor came about and how Christian and Justin created its “odd couple” style comedy.
The similarities to the play Blithe Spirit and how the writers just may have been inspired by it!
The rather surprising choice to write this type of comedy script for women!
How they approached the directing process for Lady of the Manor.
Why keeping the plot simple can be really key in comedies.

Links to Resources:

Lady of the Manor - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11826450/

Blue Bayou - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11121664/

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Should You Pay For Script Coverage? Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Get ready for a deep dive into script coverage, whether or not you should pay for it, and which platforms are best for it.

In this episode, we talk about...

What script coverage is and why a writer might want to hire a coverage service.
Price points for different script coverage services and what those prices might include.
What script coverage can lead to (there are success stories) versus what your odds of success from the services are.
A script coverage experiment trying three different services - linked below.
How subjective Hollywood is and why you need to learn which notes to take and which to ignore.
How Canon, surprisingly, just dropped a brand-new, dual fish-eye VR lens.
How the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, is out now and is proving to have a lot of filmmaking lessons for us all.
The interesting push and pull between making a James Bond movie stay true to the originals and still be appropriate for today’s modern world.
Amazon’s new involvement in the James Bond franchise.
Whether or not we’ll ever see a female or BIPOC Bond.

Links to Resources:

Script Coverage Experiment - https://nofilmschool.com/screenplay-coverage-services

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Fuqua, Gyllenhaal, and Melfi on THE GUILTY and THE STARLING Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Antoine Fuqua and Jake Gyllenhaal discuss the surprising results of filming in COVID confined spaces and Theodore Melfi shares his experience of writing and going for the yes...

In this episode, we talk about…

The challenge of creating a film with limited space and characters
How shifting the story to Los Angeles changed Fuqua’s approach to the film
How the pandemic impacted production and why directors and actors must always have complete trust with each other
Why you have to trust in the magic of filming
How Kevin Melfi went from working at an Italian cafe to making feature films
The difference between lying vs. saying yes
Remembering how simple filmmaking can be—six simple shots!
How Kevin learned to direct and communicate with actors by studying them in acting classes
Advice for raising money to fund a film and how filmmaking is more accessible
Kevin’s journey as a writer and why he believes directors and filmmakers need the skill to write
Screenplay books, guidelines and how Kevin operates when writing a film

Links to Resources:

Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effects

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrY

Subscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook.

Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE

You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side.

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Bond is Back And We're Chatting With No Time To Die's Visual Wizards Oct 08, 2021

Show notes

This mini bonus episode features two awesome guests who both worked on the new James Bond film, Linus Sandgren the cinematographer, and Chris Corbould the special effects supervisor.

In this episode, we talk about...

How the process went shooting the movie on film and how they chose which sections to film differently for IMAX.
Setting the mood for different scenes by carefully choosing the filming location.
Behind the scenes thoughts about some of the really cool shots in the film.
How the team approached shooting close-ups for so many different actors, from a technical standpoint.

Links to Resources:

No Time to Die - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/

iPhone 13 Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXUENXWD_gw

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STRIKE! And Russians in Space... With Cameras? Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Lots of big and exciting news in the film industry this week, including the recent strike authorization vote by IATSE!

In this episode, we talk about...

IATSE, the union representing thousands of TV and film employees, has authorized a strike to gain equal pay for new media (such as streaming services), higher bottom rates for living wages, and adequate rest breaks.
How the resounding “Yes” vote for the strike got negotiations to start moving again.
The support and solidarity that’s been seen in the film community about the strike - but how much are these supporters putting their money where their mouth is?
Thoughts on the roles of unions, pay scales for different positions in the industry, how this all affects producers, and more.
How Russia sent a film crew to space to shoot a movie at the International Space Station!
Exciting news regarding the iPhone 13’s camera’s LiDAR capabilities.
An Ask No Film School question regarding how we can help support the IATSE strike, if it happens.

Links to Resources:

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Sara Colangelo Tells The Truth in 'Worth' Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Today’s topic is a recent film that does a great job with one of the trickiest types of stories to tell in film-making - true stories which the audience is already familiar with.

In this episode, we talk about...

The timing for the film’s release, and all the ways that makes it more poignant.
The process for bringing the film to Sundance, then making a deal with Netflix, and then adding high-profile backers like the Obamas.
Sara’s career as a writer and director.
How she got involved with this project, how 9/11 impacted her, and how she brought her experiences in post-9/11 NYC to the film.
How Sara likes to change genres and experiment with her range, and how she is able to land a variety of films to work on.
Ways Sara simplifies her cerebral thought process to communicate directions to actors.
Choices Sara made as she was deciding how to film the movie and the types of cameras used.
What Sara is currently writing and other ideas she has in the pipeline.
The cultural shift that happened after 9/11 and how it even impacted the kinds of movies being made.
Sara’s advice for new filmmakers - which is to only take projects you’re excited about!