The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Jim Cummings Might Owe His Directing Career to a Shopping Cart Oct 27, 2020

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Facing failure isn't scary. In fact, it might be exactly what you need. The ever-inspiring Jim Cummings joins us once again to discuss his new horror/comedy The Wolf of Snow Hollow, just in time for Halloween. As with his (proper) debut feature Thunder Road, Cummings writes, directs and stars. He tells us about the beauty of having a democratized film set, even on a production as large as Snow Hollow and why filmmakers should think of themselves as competition to the industry, rather than “subordinates.” Also, why the most important thing to learn about directing is how to set up a C-stand. The Wolf of Snow Hollow is out on iTunes today. Enjoy!

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How Filmmaker Friendly is the iPhone 12? Oct 22, 2020

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This week on the No Film School Podcast, AMC follows Alamo Drafthouse's lead, letting consumers rent out their theaters for a low price -- and why this may be a sign of what the post-pandemic world will look like. For Tech News, a double whammy: Apple releases it's innovative, filmmaker-friendly iPhone 12 and DJI steps up it's gimbal game. And for this week's Ask No Film School, we discuss how a great character arc can sometimes be found in a not-so-great movie... Enjoy!

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'Back to the Future' Writer Bob Gale Shares Timeless Screenwriting Advice Oct 20, 2020

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Here to celebrate the 35th Anniversary 4K Blu-Ray release of the beloved Back to the Future trilogyis its writer and producer Bob Gale. He gives us his own origin story including his years of collaborating with Robert Zemeckis which led up to their big hit. He highlights the integrity of executive producer Steven Spielberg, who made Back to the Future the first Amblin production. Bob Gale has been a protective gatekeeper of the franchise and he explains why. Make sure to stay until the end because he drops some of the purest and most valuable storytelling wisdom you're likely to find anywhere.

Learn more about Back to the Future here!

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Not Coming to A Theater Near You? How Disney+ Is Changing Movies Oct 15, 2020

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On this week's podcast, joined once again by Oakley Anderson-Moore, we discuss how the rise of streaming not only impacts how films are distributed, but how they're made as well. We also take on the egregious pay disparity between men and women in the industry, including the example of the writers for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel. For Tech News, Charles praises the innovative new Sachtler Activ tripod. And finally for Deep Cuts, we reminisce on our favorite theatrical experiences. Enjoy!

*Editorial note: contrary to what was said in the podcast, Adele Lim and Pete Chiarelli are not writing partners. They are both credited writers on Crazy Rich Asians who worked separately.

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No One Gives A Sh*t About Max Barbakow and Andy Siara, Creators of “Palm Springs” Oct 13, 2020

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Director Max Barbakow and writer Andy Siara tell us how their therapeutic writing process and friendship made Palm Springs what it is, and was ultimately the most rewarding part of the process. And why the fact that no one gave a sh*t about them was, in a way, their greatest strength.

In case you've been living in a time-loop cave, Palm Springs, starringAndy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, came out earlier this year after netting the biggest sale in Sundance history with a Hulu + Neon deal for $17,500,000.69 to acquire the film. The movie was released during the pandemic in July, which was a blessing in disguise: breaking out with a record-setting opening weekend on Hulu.

Learn more about Palm Springs here:

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Why Can't The White House Find a Competent Video Editor? Oct 09, 2020

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This week Oakley Anderson-Moore joins the podcast as we discuss who edited that strange video from Walter Reed and why they don't know how to use a morph cut. Since it's election season, we also cover a "get out the vote" contest from M Night Shayamalan. We also dive into a certain tactic used in development to take advantage of screenwriters.

Plus the closing of UK's Cineworld theaters, the miraculous Hocus Pocus re-release that's competing with brand new releases, and for this week’s Tech News, we talk about a new kind of pipe... for film production.

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How One Filmmaker Gave Up A Successful Career to Make Documentaries... And How it Worked Oct 06, 2020

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Dawn Porter made the transition from a successful lawyer to a successful documentary filmmaker. But there were no guarantees. She took a big risk but she took it for very specific reasons, in a way that eventually led her to more success. Her new film The Way I See It, chronicles the story of Pete D’Souza, the official White House photographer for Ronald Reagan and Barrack Obama. Earlier this year, another Dawn Porter documentary, John Lewis: Good Troublewas released on Hulu. Her insights into the process are invaluable.

The Way I See It is currently out in limited release and will be broadcast on MSNBC on October 9th, 2020.

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What Grants Should You Be Looking At This Fall? Oct 01, 2020

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This week, Alamo Drafthouse allows folks the opportunity to rent out screens for a low, low price and the Avatar franchise gets put under scrutiny (by us). We are joined by our very own Oakley Anderson-Moore, who gives us the lowdown on the grants and contests of Fall 2020 that you need to be aware of. In Tech News, Charles Haine discusses the competing lens mounts favored by different brands. For this week’s 'Deep Cuts', we talk about our favorite political films in light of the upcoming election. Stories covered:

A Massive List of Fall 2020 Grants All Filmmakers Should Know About

'Avatar 2' Has Finished Filming, Rejoice!

Alamo Drafthouse Lets You Rent an Entire Theater for $150

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’The Last Shift’ is a Masterclass in How to Make the Leap from DIY Nonfiction to Big-Time Narrative Sep 28, 2020

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Richard Jenkins was nominated for an Oscar in The Shape of Water. He's acted in a hundred movies (literally). How did writer-director Andrew Cohn get an experienced actor like Jenkins in his first narrative feature? How did the first-time director approach working with Jenkins? And how the heck did he go from making docs with his friends (and putting them on credit cards) to Sony Pictures releasing his first feature, The Last Shift, in theaters nationwide? Our podcast has all of these answers and more. Cohn discusses how he made the transition from documentary to narrative, being mentored by executive producer Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways), and what it means to “shoot for the edit.” The film hit theaters September 25th.

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9.24.20: Why the Canon C70 Is The Compact Camera We've Been Waiting For Sep 24, 2020

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This week: unions and studios come together on a new COVID-19 production agreement, Hulu tries their hand at deep fakes (with rather successful results), and Canon announces the ultimate small cinema camera (Charles Haine is beside himself).

Also, in light of RBG's supreme court seat vacancy... we get political. Read more:

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