The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

What Does the Huge CAA News Mean For You? Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

What does the Big Four becoming the Big Three mean for filmmakers? Will IATSE’s potential strike really change the underpaid long hours of film production? And news about Aputure’s new bright light...

In this episode, we talk about…

Details about the merger between CAA and ICM
What challenges indie filmmakers may face because of the merger
The minor bright side of the merger for streaming services
What the merger means for future WGA or union negotiations
A refresher on packaging and understanding the current state of packaging
The dystopian Wild West of Hollywood and what the Solidarity Slate fails to address
IATSE’s impending strike and the evolution of filmmaking work days
Aputure’s launch of the Light Storm 1200d Pro LED light

Links to Resources:

Solidarity Slate: https://www.solidarityslate.com/

IATSE: https://iatse.net/

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.

Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

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How Two Friends Turned an Inside Joke into a Feature Film Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Patricia Gomez and Elza Kephat share the 15-year journey that led to their new horror film SLAXX.

In this episode, we talk about…

Collaboration and splitting the writing and production processes
Hospital booze and graveyard zombies
The arts and sciences of the film industry
Patricia and Elza’s experience with perfecting and performing their pitch
Letting intuition vs. intellect guide you in filmmaking
The intention behind focusing on fast fashion in Slaxx
What’s next for Patricia and Elza

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.

Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Burns Shares the Art of Indie Film Compromise Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Guest Ed Burns is one of a very small number of filmmakers who have been in the thick of the Indie film scene since the 90s and he has invaluable knowledge to share.

In this episode, we talk about...

Ed’s film Summer Days, Summer Nights and how his childhood helped inspire it.
How Ed selected the eclectic music for the film’s soundtrack.
Compromises that need to be made to keep the budget low for Indie films, what cannot be compromised on, and how Ed decides between the two.
Why Indie filmmakers need the skillset of being able to make last minute changes to accommodate schedule and budget.
Ed’s creative process as a writer and how he identifies the good ideas.
How Ed is able to make sure his work is up to par when he’s wearing multiple hats - like writer, director, and actor - all on the same project.

Links to Resources:

Summer Days, Summer Nights - https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Days-Nights-Pico-Alexander/dp/B09CZCS82R

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Subscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool

Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

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Just How Cinematic IS This New iPhone 13?! Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

Take a deep dive into the advanced film-making features on the new iPhone, plus learn about some important union news for two different unions in the film industry.

In this episode, we talk about...

How the iPhone 13 just came out and it has two features that are relevant to filmmakers.
How amazing it is that you can just about film a legit film on a phone with today’s iPhone camera quality and features.
Aperture has announced a new light: the Nove P600c.
How the WJA just had an election.
How IATSE, an umbrella union that covers many film workers (and theatrical stagehands), might have a historic strike soon.
The issues in the entertainment industry that are causing the pending strike, such as long work hours and unlivable wages.

Links to Resources:

IA Stories Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ia_stories/

Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool

Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome To The Wild West Of Streaming Wars and Digital Cameras Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

There’s lots of important news in the film world this week that the gang is going to tackle and break down for you, many of which have implications for the future of the art of filmmaking.

In this episode, we talk about...

How Paramount is restructuring - the Chairman and CEO is being replaced. The new CEO has an interesting story, having ascended from being a child actor in the 90s to a director, to this current position.
How Paramount has joined “The Streaming Wars” and is trying to create more content for their digital platform to get more viewers subscribed.
Why we might see a lot of reboots of older Paramount movies.
Whether the Streaming Wars are the death of art or a great way to get more movies and shows produced.
Disney has announced they’re going back to theaters! This is following them releasing full-length movies on Disney+ for an upcharge during the pandemic.
How long you used to have to wait for a new movie to come out on VHS/DVD versus the new model, where Disney can release a movie in the theater and then on their streaming service about 45 days later.
Canon has rolled out a new camera called the R3 which is mostly a stills camera and, while it may not be the highest resolution camera on the market, it’s great for filmmakers.
This camera’s amazing technology of scanning your retina in the viewfinder to try to keep in focus whatever you’re looking at and how this feature has upsides and downsides.

Links to Resources:

Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool

Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

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How to Carve a Sundance Worthy Doc From Hours of Archival Footage Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Matt Yoka, director, producer and editor of Whirlybird discusses why he made a film centered on high-speed chases and the family behind this medium of reporting and filmmaking, and how he mastered zen and the art of movie marketing during lockdown.

In this episode, we talk about…

How Los Angeles Plays Itself sparked the creation of Whirlybird
Focusing on high-speed pursuits and providing an emotional character-focused experience vs. intellectual experience
45 minutes of beautiful VHS glitches
Matt’s experience at the Sundance Film Festival and Covid’s impact on marketing the film
How excessive film-watching during quarantine inspired Matt as a filmmaker
Why it’s almost impossible to end a documentary
Advice to approach filmmaking focused on the story you want to share with a “less is more” mindset

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.

Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working on Labor Day Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

What made Shang-Chi’s opening so successful and when’s the last time you played Dance Dance Revolution?

In this episode, we talk about…

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”: 2nd biggest box office opening of the pandemic
Preserving theatrical releases and “Petty” headlines
Evolution of subtitles and reality of product placements in film budgets
Good Deal/Bad Deal: Working on holidays
Tech news about Red’s new V-Raptor camera and Fuji’s upcoming sensors and lenses

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.

Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Schrader Tells Us the Keys To Character Study and How 'Taxi Driver 2' Almost Happened Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

Every once and awhile, a movie comes along that resonates and connects with people, becoming an instant classic. A screenwriter who makes multiple of these movies is even rarer, but Paul Schrader is one of those gems.

In this episode, we talk about...

The literary inspirations Paul drew from when creating the characters in his film Taxi Driver.
Other iconic characters Paul has written over his career.
The things Paul looks for he gets notes and who he seeks to take notes from.
Whether or not Paul thinks about the actor when he’s writing a character.
What drives Paul’s confidence as a writer/director.
Paul’s story about Taxi Driver 2.

Links to Resources:

Turn Cheap Miniatures into Awesome Visual Effects - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrY

The Card Counter (in theaters now) - https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-card-counter

Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool

Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Could Blockchain Coming to Hollywood Mean For Filmmakers? Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

Should you be a writer’s room PA? What’s up with blockchain technology and what does it mean for Hollywood? Also, is it really okay to skip out on watching work you helped create but had no control over?

In this episode, we talk about…

Good deal or bad deal: Kath’s experience as a writer’s PA
Lessons from the bad deals and the need for boundaries
Questions around the Coppola’s blockchain and the need for “Film Beans”
Why it’s okay Tarantino never watched True Romance or Natural Born Killers
New photo tech with Polycam

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.

Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!

Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turning Disappointment into Growth with Shawn Levy Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Shawn Levy, director, co-writer, and producer of “Free Guy”, joins the show to discuss how to approach failure, humility and why you’ve got to really know yourself and see yourself to find the path that’s right for you.

In this episode, we talk about…

What led to Levy’s “Hollywood System Career”
The power of seeing yourself with harsh clarity to truly know thyself
Understanding on the other side of the hard path is a chance at greatness
Reconciling the idea of your identity with who you really are and what you can be
Knowing how to use your words, persona and vision to inspire movie stars (and money) to bet on you
Spielberg’s advice on knowing when you’ve got it right
Why Shawn believes directing requires decisive leadership and being clear about what you want
Learning the language of actors so you can put them in the mood and the moment so they can be great
What Shawn and Ryan Reynolds added to the Free Guy script and why it worked
How Shawn picks his projects based on comedic and heart-felt content

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.
Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!
Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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