The No Film School Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How to Avoid the Crucial Mistakes Everyone Makes on their First Movie Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

At Tribeca, No Film School's Emily Buder sat down with first time director Sophie Brooks and her producer, David Brooks, who also happens to be her brother. Their film The Boy Downstairs went through a very well structured series of steps to prepare it for a premiere at a major festival. The duo talk the strategies they put in place to prevent Sophie from making the same mistakes any other first-time director would make. From test screenings to re-writes, they share some great tips that you can borrow on the lead up to your own future releases.

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IFW 6.1.17: Canon's Leaked Camera & Why the Judges Cried at Cannes Jun 01, 2017

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In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder reveal the film that got Jessica Chastain and Pedro Almodovar teary-eyed at Cannes, and a lot more about the best and worst of the world's pre-eminent film festival from this year. We also discuss Canon's latest offering—an affordable camera whose specs were leaked ahead of this week's Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles. In Ask No Film School, we share some tips on finding a job in the film industry. As always, we also bring you this week’s indie film releases, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this show in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com

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How Do You Know if Your Film is Porn or Art? May 29, 2017

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'Flames' co-directors Josephine Decker and Zefrey Throwell waded into the most intimate waters with Ashley Connor, the DP who filmed them having sex. The threesome joins No Film School’s Liz Nord to discuss their provocative film—an art-docu-fiction-softcore porn-hybrid about Decker and Throwell's real-life relationship and its aftermath—after its Tribeca premiere. The conversation includes the fine line between porn and art, what happens when you add a third person and their camera to your relationship, how they managed to make a cinematic-looking film on the 5D, and so much more.

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IFW 5.25.17: How to Keep Your Actors in the Moment & Where Not to Pitch Your Project May 25, 2017

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In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco and Charles Haine divulge how to get the most authentic performances out of your actors, and how this year’s television NewFronts affect indie filmmakers. We also discuss an alternative to YouTube where you might actually get paid for your work, and share advice for directors, producers and cinematographers from industry pros in our newest segment: Weekly Words of Wisdom. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, this week’s indie film releases, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this show in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com. http://nofilmschool.com/2017/05/indie-film-weekly-052517-podcast

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Divide and Conquer: Why You Should be Working With a Co-Director May 22, 2017

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Brothers Eshom and Ian Nelms come from humble beginnings. Neither went to film school, instead, they learned from going out and shooting a lot of bad stuff. Their first feature, Squirrel Trap, may be the perfect example. Shot for $1500 in the woods behind their parent's house, their crew consisted of only three people. Their father lit the whole thing with a flashlight and a bounce board. After submitting to a ton of festivals, they only were accepted to about four or five. Things are much different now, to say the least. Their latest film Small Town Crime, was one of the buzziest films at SXSW this year. It's a sterling entry into a resurgent neo-noir genre, which stars John Hawkes as an alcoholic ex-cop who finds the body of a young woman and becomes hell-bent on finding the killer. Much of the duo's success can be credited to the fact that they are just that, a duo. Each acts as the yin to the other's yang with different skillsets and strong-suits, but they are able to maintain a synchronicity on-set that is much appreciated by the entirety of their crew. With a co-director at your side, you have the ability to delegate different jobs, divide and conquer, and possess an instant soundboard to shoot down or agree with your ideas. No Film School's Jon Fusco sat down with the directing duo as well as their recurring partner in cinematography, Johnny Derango, and composer Chris Westlake to discuss all the benefits of having a partner in crime on your film shoot.

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IFW 5.18.17: A Game-Changing Law for Freelancers & Are Indies Rising From the Blockbuster's Ashes? May 18, 2017

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In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Charles Haine wonder if the massive decline predicted for summer box office returns is a hidden boon for indie filmmakers. We also discuss the new rules that might affect every freelancer, new E-mount lenses from Sony, an obituary for the MP3, and why the war between Netflix and movie theaters rages on even at the Cannes Film Festival. In Ask No Film School, we reveal the best way to set up a 4:3 timeline (and whether you’d really want to). As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, this week’s indie film releases, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this show in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com. http://nofilmschool.com/2017/05/indie-film-weekly-051817-podcast

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How to Turn an On-Set Day Job Into Your Own Film May 15, 2017

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Renée Felice Smith and C.A. Gabriel, co-writers and directors of ‘The Relationtrip,’ join No Film School’s Liz Nord after the film’s SXSW premiere to discuss how they parlayed everything they’ve learned on other people’s sets (Smith as a lead actress on 'NCIS: Los Angeles' for eight seasons, and Gabriel as a commercial composer for high-profile brands) into their own utterly charming indie feature. They made the film with their best friends, and used low-budget practical effects to make their weirdest fantasies real on screen, including spending six whole hours out of a 16-day shoot on an eleven-second stop motion animation.

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IFW 5.11.17: How to Beat the Film Fest System & David Lynch Leaves Movies Behind Forever May 11, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder introduce a filmmaker who learned how to tell whether festivals have actually watched his movie, and mourn the inimitable David Lynch's retirement from cinema. We also discuss what the annual Newfronts advertising presentations can tell you about where to pitch or sell your films, the closure of Facebook's VR production wing Oculus Story Studios, and whether or not other movie awards should follow in MTV's footsteps by eliminating gender-specific acting awards categories. Charles Haine joins us to report on the latest filmmaking tools, including a new wireless light meter that might change the way you evaluate a scene. Charles also answers an Ask No Film School question about the necessity of director's viewfinders. As always, we also bring you this week’s indie film releases, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this show in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com.

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What to Expect on the Road to Becoming an Ace Documentary Producer May 08, 2017

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What does it take to be a fantastic documentary producer? From sitting in a ditch in Greenland’s below freezing weather, to pulling out an intensely personal story from a cut that may be a few hours too long, experienced producers Kate McLean and Glen Zipper embody the sort of intrepid attitude that a producer on a non-fiction film tends to need. What exactly does a documentary producer do, and why become one? No Film School's Oakley Anderson-Moore sat down with Kate and Glen at SXSW after the premieres of their latest respective films, Bill Nye Science Guy and Ramblin' Freak. Together they discuss the adventurous steps necessary to take on the role of an ace documentary producer.

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Indie Film Weekly 5.4.17: 'The Handmaid's Tale' Backlash & Is Tribeca Secretly a Doc Fest? May 04, 2017

Show notes

In this special festival episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord and Emily Buder ask whether the Tribeca Film Festival has a secret identity, and talk about why everyone is talking about 'The Handmaid's Tale.' We share tales and trivia from our on-the-ground coverage of Tribeca, including fest acquisitions, awards, dystopian premonitions, plant musicians and the most memorable festival films to look out for. We also discuss recent news outside of the festival bubble, including a major update on the Writers Guild of America negotiations, and a labor strike at camera stalwart B&H photo. As always, the show also brings news you can use about upcoming grant and festival deadlines, this week’s indie film releases, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films. You can see all the links from this show in this week’s podcast post at nofilmschool.com.

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