The No Film School Podcast

How the NFS crew handled their first in-person event at Comic-Con and updates about the ongoing labor dispute between IATSE and film industry workers... In this episode, we talk about… Covering Comic-Con in the pandemic era Benefits of the indie-atmosphere of Comic-Con  Panel experiences and crossovers between fans and creators  Advantages of a smaller Comic-Con compared to past years  Continuing...

Robert Yeoman has worked with Wes Anderson since his very first film Bottle Rocket and shares the ins and outs of what it takes to get those very specific Wes Anderson shots... In this episode, we talk about… Robert’s entry into the world of being a cinematographer Robert’s experience shooting low budget commercials and 25 day, $2 million movies How Wes and Robert ignored the studio about what len...

How to handle awkward questions about your job with a pitch, weird tech news, and why more production companies need to budget for crew needs...  In this episode, we talk about… Connecting with others about filmmaking when they know nothing about filmmaking  Opening up Pandora’s box of people’s interests, opinions, and judgments about film Treating conversations as opportunities to practice your p...

Philip Barantini shares how a restaurant gig inspired a one-take feature film with no cuts and no time for traditional actor’s notes... In this episode, we talk about… How acting can help or hinder your path to directing  Acknowledging imposter syndrome and pushing forward The inspiration behind filming a feature in one take  Adapting the Sony Venice to film for 92 minutes  2 Rules of filming Boil...

Will Movie Pass make a comeback? Plus tech news about Sony’s Venice 2 and Quasar Science’s new light... In this episode, we talk about… Whether Movie Pass can bounce back from bankruptcy Gym and vegetables vs. donuts and movies people  Movie Pass’ business model and well movies  New Venice 2 and changes to color science Venice’s improvements and acknowledging smaller camera bodies are a big deal ...

Guests today Ryan and Kaz Firpo made a huge career jump from directing documentary films to writing a script for Marvel; they’re sharing what that experience was like. In this episode, we talk about... How even at the highest level of film-making, its essence is the same - a group of people making stories. The career journey of these two filmmakers. A movie the two co-wrote that was placed on The...

Today’s episode includes a deep dive into option contracts and what you need in them. In this episode, we talk about... The indie side of writer-director relationships. What you need in your option agreement from an indie perspective of producing and directing movies. The different ways writers approach their work on an indie project versus a commercial project. Why it’s a good idea to bring a law...

The Western is one of the original movie genres, a key part of American culture, and a great way to talk about themes that affect us all today.  In this episode, we talk about... How this new Western is completely told from a Black perspective The cinematographer Mihai Malaimare’s career and how he got started. The first camera Mihai started shooting with and the differences between shooting movie...

Get ready for tons of insight on this massive film! In this episode, we talk about... How the team conquered the challenge of presenting such a dense, beloved, and influential book on the screen. How the team tried to keep elements of the book that may not be the most cinematic, but were important to stay true to the original. The use of montages in the film to convey speed and excitement and how...

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 movi...

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 goo...

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 p...

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....

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...

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 y...

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 d...

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...

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 f...

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-profi...

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 servi...

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 fil...

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...

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 f...

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...

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 emot...