The No Film School Podcast

Does Sam Elliot know he’s not a real cowboy? Would you watch the Oscars if it was broadcast like the Super Bowl? Whether we can move past the term “urban” and ideas of virtue signaling…  In this episode, we talk about… Deconstructing the myth of the American Westerns and Sam Elliot’s mustache  More Oscar drama and a suggestion for a 5 hour Super Bowl-esque broadcast  Advocating for a creative way...

'Winning Time' is a win for filmmakers everywhere.  By combing period mediums and camera angles, these two DPs take us back in time. In this episode, we talk about… Capturing the cultural knowledge tied to this era and keeping film living in the dirty bottom end of the 70s  Playground of production design and blurring the line between new footage vs. found footage  The beauty and challenge of film...

Calling out bullshit propaganda videos, praising Ukrainian filmmakers, Aputure LED light news, a badass editing MasterClass, and why the Academy Awards may never really be about the craft of filmmaking… In this episode, we talk about… Shout out to Ukrainian filmmakers and a reminder to check the metadata when videos seem suspect Sean Penn, World War 2 film directors, and TikTokers on the ground in...

I used to think the Oscars were pretty worthless, Then TCM host Dave Karger changed my mind.  We walk through the history of the Oscars, share our favorite non-winning films, and make a strong case of how the Oscars really do shine a light on movies that people might not otherwise see… In this episode, we talk about… Historical context of the Academy Awards and its evolution over 75 years How mark...

Why isn’t Francis Ford Coppola using Decentralized Pictures to fund Megalopolis? How long will Moviecoin, NFTs and cryptocurrency in filmmaking last? Exciting Panasonic release and advice for how to handle the budget of your first production…   In this episode, we talk about… Francis Ford Coppola’s decision to borrow $120 million to make the movie he wants  Everybody wants to work with people they...

Talia Lugacy (writer/director of indie film This is Not a War Story which is nominated for a Spirit Award) and Chad Galster (editor of the acclaimed series Yellowstone and 1883) share their different experiences of how film school influenced their current careers and remind us there’s no right way to filmmaking… In this episode, we talk about… Watching a Clockwork Orange obsessively and loving a c...

The return of MoviePass, tech updates, and how eyeball tracking gets us one step closer to the perfect shot… In this episode, we talk about… MoviePass’s new eyeball tracking model  How “watch this to get this” ads might impact content and filmmaking  Orwellian implications of tech vs. artistic possibilities  The art of storytelling in advertising in an attention economy  Shooting in ProRes RAW and...

The Power of the Dog Editor Peter Sciberras breaks down the process of choosing the right cut, respecting the audience, and creating the slow burn of Bronco Henry…   In this episode, we talk about… How cutting music videos led to Peter’s editing career Peter’s approach to getting hired for The Power of the Dog  Letting the audience figure things out vs. what you need to tell them  Piecing together...

The 'shocks' and 'snubs' of the Oscars, the toxic fandom surrounding The Last Jedi, and whether or not you’re ready to make the leap into a creative career…  In this episode, we talk about… The weird political gamesmanship of the Oscars The bubble of which films are nominated for Best Picture   How Spider-Man is this year’s Dark Knight Why more theaters need to offer independent films    Has any o...

Station 11’s cinematographers Steve Cosens and Daniel Grant dive into the details of creating a world enduring a pandemic, while the world is enduring a pandemic…  In this episode, we talk about… How Steve and Daniel got their start in cinematography  A shared love of film processing and what it’s like working with a partner cinematographer The irony of making a show based on a pandemic, during a...

China’s happy ending to Fight Club, nerding out about DJI’s new 4D camera and Skydio drones…  In this episode, we talk about… China’s take on Fight Club and whether Fight Club holds up in today’s world  Why Fight Club’s “new” version is going viral and Chuck Palahniuk’s response Recognizing late 1990s movies that capture the anticipation of a shift in culture Shooting with a DJI 4D and why it’s mo...

Which cameras and lenses are being used at Sundance? Why stunt people deserve an Academy Award even if it doesn’t make the show and verifying SpiceDAO’s $3 million intellectual property mistake…    In this episode, we talk about… Results of the annual No Film School Filmmakers Survey How filmmakers are diversifying their toolkit and why Sony cameras are gaining popularity Two types of filmmakers i...

From competing in the Channel 101 short film festival to writing for Rick and Morty and other hit tv shows, Willy Roberts and Wade Randolph explain why you can’t be precious about anything and why it’s always better to just get out there, make stuff and have fun…  In this episode, we talk about… Moving to LA pre-9/11 and boxing porn at the Hustler warehouse How one job at non-union movie has led t...

What does it really mean to get canceled, are NFTs just another con, and why sometimes it’s better to not know just how hard things can get…  In this episode, we talk about… The undoing of Joss Whedon and the reality of cancel/consequence culture  NFTs, intellectual property and buying land on Earth 2.0  The wild west of the financial industry and its impact on filmmaking  The increasing affordabi...

Dan Attias, who has directed seemingly every great show from the last few decades, breaks down his prolific directing experience and getting to the authenticity of storytelling…  In this episode, we talk about… What sparked Dan’s interest in directing  How being a visiting series director is like the impulses of an actor  What happens when two people who have different understandings collide The i...

Memorializing the celebrities we’ve lost recently, circling back to work during the lull of January and calling out the state of Alabama when you’re just trying to be safe…  In this episode, we talk about… In Memoriam: Celebrities who have passed away within the past 6 months  Film recommendations for Peter Bogdanovich and Sidney Poitier Why January is typically the slowest time of the year for th...

Is Spider-Man No Way Home Oscar worthy? How you can raise money at Sundance or other festivals and what makes the Skydio Drone worth checking out…  In this episode, we talk about… Spider- Man No Way Home’s box office record during the pandemic The disappearance of the Golden Globes and the relevance of the Oscars   Phenomenon of billboards and how films cut through the noise How to get people to w...

Nathalie Biancheri shares her non-traditional path to filmmaking and her creative process behind writing and directing the feature film ‘Wolf’...   In this episode, we talk about… Nathalie’s No Film School approach to filmmaking  How loving books and writing led to making documentaries  Working hard, perseverance and luck and making the jump from Nocturnal to Wolf Managing anxiety and going all in...

Nora Fingscheidt shares what it’s like to be plucked from German filmmaking to direct a Netflix feature film starring Sandra Bullock… In this episode, we talk about… How Nora skipped “Development Hell” and got hired for The Unforgivable  Shifting from System Crasher to a commercial film with a massive Hollywood set  How the core work of directing remains the same regardless of film types  What it’...

Andy Jurgensen and Michael Bauman break down the process behind making Licorice Pizza look, feel and sound just like the 70’s…  In this episode, we talk about… How Andy got his foot in the door as an editor and built his career Using internal screenings to understand the flow of the movie  Process of using dailies to narrow down shots and discover problems World building with specific choices of s...

Dan Laustsen and Cam McLauchlin dive into some of the nooks and crannies and hidden crevices of 'Nightmare Alley'…  In this episode, we talk about… Insight to artistic influences, color palettes, and cameras    Making an original noir vs. an artifact or art movie  Delicious low-hanging fruit and balancing realism  Working within Guillermo’s bubble of storytelling  Exploring a character’s free will...

Wrapping up the best of 2021, consuming content Gangnam Style and Todd’s tinfoil hat corner… In this episode, we talk about… Acknowledging we’re now in a place where everything is pandemic created Whether or not movies should stay true to the book or polish the story  Favorite movies and shows released in 2021  Being happy about seeing movies at the theater again Geeking out about filming in color...

Sir Kenneth Branagh shares how his own family’s experiences influenced Belfast, his new film that focuses on adult-sized issues like 'the troubles' in Ireland from the perspective of a child…     In this episode, we talk about… Making a film from the perspective of a child  Sir Kenneth’s Western inspiration and influences from his own father  Capturing feelings vs. facts and trusting what makes se...

Did the Austin Film Festival bite off more than it can chew? And updates about the ongoing film workers' labor issues with IATSE and Blender’s newest software release and amazing community… In this episode, we talk about… No Film School’s relationship with the Austin Film Festival  The difference between reading scripts for a studio vs. festival What is the goal of submitting your script to a film...

You may know Dolph Lundgren from his never-ending list of action-packed roles, but you may not really know Dolph Lundgren at all... In this episode, we talk about… What led Dolph away from MIT and changed the course of his life What happens when the first big movie role you land is ROCKY IV How meditation, therapy, and 'Aquaman' gave Dolph the confidence to shift to directing  Making the transitio...