The No Film School Podcast

Writer-director Lee Cronin joins No Film School to discuss how he approached reimagining The Mummy through the lens of family trauma, mystery, and body horror. In conversation with GG Hawkins, Cronin breaks down the emotional architecture behind effective horror, the challenge of staging fear in broad daylight, and the way Irish storytelling, personal experience, and practical effects continue to shape his work. He also reflects on building a long-term creative partnership, collaborating with horror powerhouses like Jason Blum and James Wan, and the discipline required to keep refining a film all the way through the edit. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Lee Cronin discuss... How Cronin infused The Mummy with mystery, family drama, and horror Why broad daylight can make horror feel even more unsettling The emotional groundwork required to make gore and shock land with audiences How themes from The Hole in the Ground evolved into The Mummy Why character is always the engine of fear in Cronin’s films How Cronin thinks about the “contract” he makes with audiences from the earliest story stage The practical and creative lessons he learned from years of making corporate videos and commercials What it was like collaborating with Jack Reynor, Jason Blum, and James Wan How shooting in Ireland and Spain helped shape the scale and texture of the film Advice for emerging filmmakers on collaborators, restraint, and cutting what does not work Memorable Quotes: “Writing is not hard at all. Knowing what to write is incredibly difficult.” “Nothing is more exciting to me than watching something I’ve created with an audience and hearing them vocalize, scream, drop the popcorn, whatever it might be.” “If something doesn’t work, don’t leave it there.” “Never be afraid.” Guests: Lee Cronin Resources: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy on IMDb Vote for No Film School’s Webby-nominated explainer video Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram 📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GG Hawkins speaks with editors Lam T. Nguyen and Austin Keeling about building the visual language of Mercy, a hybrid screen life thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov. They break down how editorial shaped not just pacing and performance, but also the film’s digital camera moves, interface design, screen choreography, and collaboration with VFX. The conversation also expands into how texting, phones, and screen-based storytelling can work in contemporary filmmaking, and why the core principles of editing still matter even inside a highly technical workflow. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss... How Lam T. Nguyen and Austin Keeling first came together on Mercy What defines the film’s hybrid “screen life” visual language How the team used early previs to explore a more immersive 3D screen experience Why the Apple Vision Pro became an early point of reference for the film’s digital courtroom design How editorial functioned as editing, design, animation, and virtual cinematography all at once The Premiere Pro workflow they used to manage complex multi-layered timelines Why the team kept the process technically simple with adjustment layers, transform effects, and blur How they decided where the audience should look when multiple story elements were happening at once What the handoff to VFX looked like and why the editorial version had to be nearly final Their thoughts on how texting and phones can be made cinematic in modern films How Mercy balanced futuristic technology with interfaces that still feel recognizable to audiences Why collaboration, adaptability, and saying yes to unexpected opportunities helped shape their careers Memorable Quotes: “We had four weeks to build the previs and all they wanted was in traditional screen life formats.” “The best way to do is simplify it, right?” “The fundamentals still apply as an editor for this film.” “It’s all just using the tools that are available and kind of like using them to your advantage.” Guests: Lam T. Nguyen Austin Keeling Resources: Vote for No Film School’s Webby-nominated explainer video Tickets: Beacon Film Society screening — May 7, New York Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram 📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with animator and director Julian Glander about making his microbudget animated feature Boys Go to Jupiter for just $30,000, premiering it at Tribeca, building momentum through a 50-festival run, and eventually landing theatrical distribution and a streaming home on HBO Max. Glander breaks down the realities of producing an animated feature outside the studio system, from teaching himself new tools in Blender to embracing the scrappy story behind the film, negotiating festival fees, navigating distribution conversations, and figuring out what comes next after a breakout first feature. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Julian Glander discuss... How Glander and producer Payson made Boys Go to Jupiter with a tiny team and a $30,000 budget Why Blender and open-source communities made an indie animated feature possible What surprised Glander most about audience reactions to the film’s scrappy origins The reality check of premiering at Tribeca without an instant splashy acquisition How a long festival run helped the film build momentum and recoup its budget through screening fees and prizes Why showing up in person for festival screenings and Q&As can make a lasting impact How Cartuna helped shape the film’s theatrical rollout The role of PR, timing, and critical response in helping the film break out theatrically What it means to let go of control during distribution while still protecting the work How Glander is thinking about a second feature and resisting the pressure of “heat” Memorable Quotes: “You really do have to be delusional and not know what’s going to happen.” “I was embarrassed by how scrappy it was but it turned out to be like the thing that brings people in and the thing that makes them love it.” “If you don’t ask for it, you don’t get it.” “Most things are Googleable.” Guests: Julian Glander on IMDb Julian Glander on Instagram Resources: Boys Go to Jupiter on IMDb I Really Love My Husband Screening and QA Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram 📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with director Charlie Tyrell and editors Davis Coombe and Daysha Broadway about The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. The conversation explores how the team shaped an essay-driven documentary around AI, parenting, authorship, and uncertainty, while also breaking down the collaborative editorial process, the ethics of making a film in real time about a rapidly changing subject, and the analog craft choices that gave the project its tactile visual identity. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss... How The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist uses a filmmaker’s journey into impending parenthood as a narrative device for exploring AI anxiety and optimism Why the team chose an essay-documentary structure while still grounding the film in Daniel Roher’s on-camera perspective The challenges of shaping a documentary whose subject kept changing during production as AI news evolved in real time How Charlie Tyrell, Davis Coombe, and Daysha Broadway each found their way into filmmaking and documentary storytelling The creative and ethical complications of having a co-director also function as a subject within the film How the filmmakers balanced accessibility, complexity, and emotional honesty while making a movie about a massive technological shift The editorial collaboration behind the film, including remote workflows, shared creative decision-making, and leaving ego at the door Why the team intentionally avoided using AI in the film’s creative workflow How Premiere Pro Productions, transcription tools, Blender, After Effects, Dragonframe, stop-motion builds, and practical effects supported the film’s handmade aesthetic Where the guests currently land on the spectrum between AI optimism and AI anxiety as working filmmakers and editors Why the guests believe the biggest question is not just what AI can do, but how people choose to use it Memorable Quotes: “It actively wrestles with it in real time, both thematically and in the way that it was made.” “Everyone kind of just left their ego at the door and showed up to do the work.” “Filmmaking only brings suffering.” “I don't feel like AI is the big bad. To me, the people are the big bad.” Guests: Charlie Tyrell Davis Coombe Daysha Broadway Resources: The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist Synopsis: From the Academy Award-winning filmmakers behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and Navalny, a father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created and what’s at stake if we get it wrong. For resources and ways to join the apocaloptimist community, visit theaidocgetinvolved.com Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram 📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices