The No Film School Podcast

Sundance's Indie Episodic Program presents filmmakers and creators with a new platform that reflects the exciting content we're seeing today. Sundance Programmer Charlie Sextro breaks down all things Indie Episodic for us. He offers insights into its creation, the selection process, and the purpose behind it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you attend Sundance even if you don't have a film there? YES! We tell you why, how, and provide some tips about doing so. We also talk about an interesting new lens, an 8K Drone, and... Grownups 3. And sure, we talk a little bit about that big industry award show whose nominations just came out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Michelle Delateur joins Charles Haine and George Edelman to discuss the genius behind '1917', what Chris Terrio meant when he insulted ILM, and the latest from Insta 360. This episode is brought to you by edelkrone. Reinventing filmmaking solutions for filmmakers. Learn more at http://edel.kr/nfs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few people who know the ever-shifting landscape of indie film as well as Michelle Satter. In fact, there may be no other people. Michelle helped found the Sundance Institute's feature film program alongside Robert Redford in 1981. All they've done since then is help build the very identity of indie film, developing and bringing audiences some of the most important voices in cinema. From Tarantino to PTA, Michelle has witnessed it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we couldn't ignore contextualizing the latest version of Alan Moore's graphic novel. We also cover news from Nikon, a VFX studio that shut down, plus a question from the community on how to work within fair use laws on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is talk that Disney's The Mandalorian is not truly HDR, which we're not even sure should matter, but we get into that and all things baby Yoda anyway. If you've made a short film, and many of us have, you may have some questions or even answers about what it's future could be in terms of platforms. We talk about how that market has evolved, where it may be headed, and about Frame IO's new iPad app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are joined by Filmmaker Katherine Tolentino as we discuss the benefits and challenges of creating a proof of concept or sizzle reel. We also talk about Rian Johnson's Knives Out, and Charles updates us on the iPhone 11 Pro after some time using one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Scorsese's mob epic has come to Netflix. This week Charles Haine and George Edelman invite filmmaker Charlene Wang to help break down every aspect of the movie from the 9 cameras used to the groundbreaking de-aging effects. We also talk about Netflix purchasing a New York movie theater and some tech news regarding Frame IO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Justice is working to rescind the Paramount consent decrees, we break down what those are and how it could impact film and the entertainment industry at large. Charles also gives us further insights into the new MacBook Pro, what he loved about it and what he'll have to learn to live without. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we discuss the sudden arrival of multiple new major streaming platforms, and what's going on with the marketplace as a result. Guest Oakley Andeson-Moore shares her journey delivering a documentary to TV, and we talk about how and why Apple and RED have ended their patent battle. This week's episode is brought to you by PolarPro. Challenging the boundaries set by traditional camera gear, PolarPro is a team of designers who are trailblazing creative freedom for storytellers everywhere. Check out the Basecamp system now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Sundance 2019 George Edelman spoke with actor/writer/director/comedian Andre Hyland about how he built his career from DIY roots to starring in A24's 'The Death of Dick Long' and writing/directing his own short 'Old Haunt', an official Sundance selection and Vimeo Staff Pick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk the biggest stories out of Adobe MAX, specifically what auto-reframe means, plus Martin Scorsese's op-ed, Olivia Wilde taking on censorship, and in a really fun "ask no film school" we try to figure out which great HBO series are the most under-watched. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director of Photography Lawrence Sher takes us through his career from the early days (he calls his first day "the worst first day in the history of first days") to how he lensed the most successful R-rated movie of all time, offering insights as well as practical tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we discuss Alexander Payne's new movie being canceled the DAY before production started, Davinci Resolve's new huge update, and an amazing book about the Making of 'Moon'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we also discuss the Sigma fp, Deakins using all ARRI on '1917', and writing lessons from Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we sort through the various debates in the community, get into macOS update Catalina and how it could affect you, then finally break down the film festival submission process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We put the de-aging process under the microscope, catch everyone up on the demise of Distribber, discuss the latest from GoPro, and talk about our favorite non-No Film School educational resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we discuss what we know about the Distribber situation, how 'Ad Astra' pulled off that moon chase, and what you can do with a great idea if you want to get it on TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with director Michael Engler about his career directing theater, television, and how he took 'Downton Abbey' to the big screen without missing a beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How we went from Cesar Romero to Joaquin Phoenix, where we stand with all things raw, and does Charles live in a 1970s New York movie? Listen to find out! Editors note: George's children and dog were not cooperating with him this week. If you hear the crying of young children and animals we apologize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are so many cameras to talk about we needed more people to talk about them. One person for each lens on the iPhone Pro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week NFS Founder and CEO Ryan Koo stops by to discuss his time using the BMPCC6K, plus more news from Charles and George. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, we sit down with writer-director-actor Justin Chon, whose latest film Ms. Purple hits theaters this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Charles and George discuss the big news from KitSplit and Sharegrid, the Panasonic S1H, if we'll finally REALLY be able to see movies the way Nolan intended, plus tech news, and an "Ask No Film School." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Titans clash on the pod this week as George and Charles discuss Spider-Man's corporate fate, why Apple and Red are fighting, and some major changes that fixed some of everyone's favorite TV shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week The No Film School Podcast covers the BMPCC 6K, plus a look back at Michael Mann's Collateral, why Olivia Wilde's deal is as exciting as it is important, and some more tech news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tarantino's 'Boogie Nights' complaint gets dissected by George and Charles, who also dig deep on film stock and early landmarks in filmmaking technology. From the silent era to porn in the 70's we touch on the whole lot this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8.1.9: Once Upon A Time in (No) Film School by No Film School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, Editor-in-Chief George Edelman and Charles Haine try to work through their nightmares over the Cats trailer, talk about Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and how Roman Polanksi feels about it (and if we should care), plus how we should feel about what Sony and Aputure are up to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Potrykus, DP Adam J. Minnick, and actors Joshua Burge and Andre Hyland sit down with us to explain how they became collaborators, how they made Relaxer, and why making films for yourself is the only way to go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, Editor-in-Chief George Edelman joins host Charles Haine talk about news from Apple about their laptops, a Panasonic firmware update, editing John Wick 3, plus tech news and "ask No Film School" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, Editor-in-Chief George Edelman joins host Charles Haine talk about tech news, a feel-good distribution story for an indie filmmaker, reimbursements on set, and most importantly, Superman's facial hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Hurlbut and our host Charles Haine talk about the Hurlbut Academy, how Shane got started, and what he's been busy with lately. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's safe to say that legendary auteur Jim Jarmusch has a talented roster of actors at his disposal. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Tilda Swinton are just a few of the names that would rush to the director's beck and call if summoned. But this fact is not solely due to the director's uniquely wry vision and radiant cool, it's because Jarmusch has never taken the actor for granted. The relationship between the actor and the director is a collaboration as important, if not more important, than any other on set and some director's seem to forget just how hard the actor's job is. Not Jarmusch. He takes the time to sit down with the actor, recognize their needs, and identify how he can best serve them to get the type of performance they both crave. It's true that over time he's built a shorthand with the actors he's worked with through multiple films (to the point he's even written dialogue with them specifically in mind) but at its root, the basis of their relationship remains the same. Respect. Respect seems to be the through line in our conversation today. Jim's latest film "The Dead Don't Die", is yes a zombie movie, but also a plea for humanity to begin respecting one another and the earth on which they call home. In it, the peaceful town of Centerville finds itself battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves: a result of reckless fracking which has thrown the planet off its axis. Even more so, it's evident how much Jarmusch, a true cinematic chameleon in his own right, respects the medium of film and would like emerging filmmakers to do the same. We talk the director's earliest influences, how music and sound effect every aspect of his production and how keeping empathy and an open mind are the two most important qualities a director can possess. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, our resident tech-expert Charles Haine and Editor-in-Chief George Edelman chat about a new HBO show everyone loves and what makes it such a must-watch, a teenager who won Tribeca with a movie he shot in three weeks, that Apple monitor that is driving people a little nuts, plus Charles' unique way of using his computer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast, Host Charles Haine and NFS Editor-in-Chief George Edelman talk tech. They discuss Apple's new Mac Pro, unveiled on Monday, which features a completely overhauled design, a massive 32-inch Retina 6K display, and internal specs that will certainly pique the interest of pros. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is a very special episode of The No Film School Podcast and perhaps a momentous occasion in the history of the universe itself. The very balance of the cosmos hangs at a thread as Academy Award Nominated screenwriter John Fusco and former No Film School Producer Jon Fusco finally meet to discuss their craft. John Fusco is, of course, the legendary screenwriter who dropped out of high school at age 16 to travel the south as a blues musician before returning to the Northeast and attending Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He later went on to write such hit films as Young Guns, Hidalgo, and most recently Netflilx's The Highway Men, which made its debut at 2019's edition of the SXSW film festival. The man has been writing films for over thirty years and has a wealth of knowledge to share with us all including practices on how to become disciplined (and stay that way), getting yourself into the screenwriting zone, and ways to retain control of your script once it hits the production stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Egypt Mortimer's latest feature, like many others currently on the festival circuit, is the result of an enormous amount of careful planning and obsessing over details. About thirty-two pages or so's worth to be precise. In pre-production for Daniel Isn't Real Mortimer created what he calls a "style guide", which is essentially a heavily detailed look book that breaks down every single aspect of production for the key members of his crew. This includes not only notes on how the film should look aesthetically, but also the reasoning behind the choice of gear for each shot and how each scene relates thematically to the broader arc of the story. The guide played an essential role in both keeping the crew on the same page and allowing key production members to keep Mortimer on track if they saw him straying from the mission. The mission, in this case, was to convey the harrowing story of a troubled college freshman named Luke who, after undergoing a violent family trauma, resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him cope. The film features a few young members of Hollywood royalty in it's cast with both Patrick Schwarzenneger and Miles Robbins playing the schizophrenic duo. NFS sat down with Mortimer for a case study of sorts back at SXSW. We discuss the process and components involved in creating the perfect look book, using his own work as a guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The No Film School Podcast is a weekly show devoted to catching you up on all the notable things you may have missed while you were making films. Host Charles Haine and NFS Editor-in-Chief George Edelman discuss the myriad flaws and wonders of the ‘Game of Thrones’ finale (is Drogon smarter than we think?) and how Verve made a crucial move in the WGA vs. ATA battle. They also go over some exciting gear news: the MicroFogger blasting onto the scene, DJI taking on GoPro, and why normal-speed scenes in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ might be shot at 48 fps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there's one universal truth about filmmaking, it's that it's hard as hell to get your picture made. So if you're going to go through all the trouble of making a movie, you better damn well make sure you're not scared to tell the story that you want to tell. Luckily, there's no better time to do this than at the very beginning. Rick Alverson is one of the most daring filmmakers on the planet. His latest film, The Mountain, is a surreal odyssey concerning the very heart of creativity itself: the mind. Or rather the antiquated science behind destroying it. In the film, Tye Sheridan plays a young man who after losing his mother, goes to work with a doctor, portrayed by the unhumanly charismatic Jeff Goldblum, who specializes in lobotomies. The timing of this film's release is no coincidence. While there may not be a literal blade held to our skull, every day we are subject to creative suppression from an overabundance of media, screens and pop culture. And while mainline cinema may do its best to further this narrative, Alverson argues that it's our duty as independent filmmakers to buck the trend and create art that leads to critical thinking. It's a truth that he learned some time along the middle of his career, that filmmaking should be about having a conversation with the medium and not a promotional exercise. Filmmakers should meditate on how they can contribute to the art form itself and not look for personal advancement. There is no better time to start this practice, than at the very beginning. NFS sat down with Alverson and Sheridan to discuss how filmmakers can look to achieve this very notion at SXSW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The No Film School Podcast is a weekly show devoted to catching you up on all the notable things you may have missed while you were making films. Host Charles Haine and NFS Editor George Edelman dive into the latest Game of Thrones controversy (this week style and content are at war), Roger Deakins’ old-school, single-LUT methods and why ARRI is invading Charleston, North Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Time Adolescence is a feature close to director Jason Orley's heart, and why shouldn't it be? In addition to making its world premiere at Sundance back in January, the film has the unique distinction of being the first screenplay he ever wrote. It's not often that the first thing you write ends up being your first feature. But the fact that this is Orley's first feature is not from lack of trying. In the process of achieving this seemingly unachievable feat, Orley penned multiple scripts with the goal of "proving he could write." A few of them, including Big Time Adolescence ended up on The Black List. And if you don't know what The Black List is, it's time to get familiar, because it's an accolade that could end up changing your screenwriting career forever. That's what ended up happening for Orley in any case. Adolescence tells the story suburban teenager comes of age under the destructive guidance of his best friend, an aimless college dropout. That dropout is played by none other than Saturday Night Live standout Pete Davidson, who in addition to joining the film as an executive producer, turns in a star-confirming performance. NFS sat down with Orley at Sundance to discuss the basics of writing to prove you can write, what The Black List can do for your career, using the star of your film as your greatest collaborator and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For his new film Olympic Dreams, filmmaker Jeremy Teicher was granted unprecedented access to one of the most exclusive residences in the world. This is a location so rare that it's only available once every four years. A place where pheromones course through the veins of some of the most beautiful and physically talented people alive: The Olympic Village. Teicher and his partner Alexi Pappas were provided a grant and, perhaps equally valuable, permission to shoot anywhere they wished at 2018's Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Pappas, an Olympic track star in her own right, stars in the film with the always hilarious Nick Kroll. The two are the only actual actors in the film, playing a young cross-country skier and a volunteer doctor that fall in love over the course of the winter games. Everyone else who appears in the film is either a competing Olympian or unknowing passerby. For this reason, it was crucial the production had the smallest footprint it could possibly get away with. The opportunity wouldn't be without its challenges, however. Namely, Teicher would be shooting an entire narrative film in a chaotic foreign location, entirely by himself. NFS sat down with Teicher and Pappas to discuss the most important parts of one man crewing, what gear to bring along, how to make things easier for yourself in pre-production and, at the end of the day, why it may be a better idea to bring at least one other person along to help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing the No Film School Podcast a weekly show devoted to catching you up on all the notable things you may have missed while you were making films. Host Charles Haine dives into the current state of the WGA - ATA conflict, discusses the perceived darkness of the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, and gives us some insight into a new LED cube light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mariam Webster defines "democratization" as to make (something) available to all people: to make it possible for all people to understand (something). So when we talk the democratization of filmmaking, in a way we're talking about the evolution of filmmaking itself. Over the past decade or so we have seen some radical changes in both the type of video content that is being created and the industry at large. Not only are filmmaking tools growing more sophisticated, they are becoming cheaper to access as well. What's more, the language of film itself has seemingly been instilled in the minds of new generations of creators who have grown up with the social media platforms like Instagram, Vine and TikTok. These creators are learning to edit and tell stories, whether that's their intention or not. At SXSW, NFS led a panel featuring Instagram Co-Founder Mike Krieger, KitSplit Co-Founder Lisbeth Kaufman, and Frame.io Founder Emery Wells. We discussed how each of their platforms has contributed to the democratization of filmmaking, what the revolution means to them and how emerging filmmakers should be taking advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Jenkins once said, "Art is inherently political. Even trying to make a film that has nothing to do with politics is, in and of itself, a political act." Unfortunately for filmmakers, not everyone these days will jump at the chance to see a movie that advertises its own inherently political nature. So how do you subvert an audience's expectations with a film like The Wall of Mexico? The title itself implies one of the most controversial issues facing the United States of America today. Directors Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak would say that the first step lies in staying ahead of the audience. How do you stay ahead of an audience expecting a social issues movie? Don't write a movie explicitly about social issues. That's exactly what the directing partners did with their SXSW standout. The film is heavy on magical realism and doesn't beat the audience over the head with any one single message. As Colter and Zyzak put it, ambiguity is a part of their artistic creed. And it's one that benefits the social issues genre greatly. In what is a subversive plot in and of itself, The Wall of Mexico tells the story of a wealthy Mexican family who decides to build a wall around their ranch to stop American townspeople from stealing their well water. I sat down with the cast and directors to discuss the art and importance of subtlety and messing with audience expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Forte never met Mike Ahern or Enda Loughman before jumping on board the pair of Irish director's debut feature. He didn't need to. The script for Extra Ordinary was just that good. All he needed to know was that they'd be directing. Why? Because according to Forte, in comedy, writing and directing go hand in hand. In that respect, writing and acting may go hand in hand as well. While Forte and scene partner Claudia O'Doherty may bring some star power to the project, it's the relatively unknown comedian Maeve Higgins who truly carries the brunt of the project on her shoulders. And as we learned in this interview, she had a hand in writing the film as well. Higgins plays Rose, a sweet, lonely driving instructor in rural Ireland, who is gifted with supernatural abilities. Rose has a love/hate relationship with her 'talents' & tries to ignore the constant spirit requests from locals - to exorcize possessed rubbish bins or haunted gravel. Forte plays a washed-up pop star/satanist in his usual outlandish manner, O'Doherty his indifferent wife. Also joining us on the show is actor Barry Ward, Roses' love interest in the film. We sat down after the film's premiere at SXSW to discuss trusting actors to write, the advantages of comedy jamming with directors and "funnying" your way out of any problematic situations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making a coming of age film can be a tricky thing. There's a delicate line between teenagers keepin' it real and overly nostalgic reminiscing. Even though it's his first feature, it's clear that Ninian Doff will never have a problem toeing that line and is truly a master of keepin' it real. SXSW Midnight standout Boyz in the Wood follows a group of kids as they set off deep in the Scottish Highlands, as part of a camping program for troubled youth. As they push through the wilderness they encounter everything from rap-loving farmers to hallucinogenic rabbit shits. What really sets the film apart from the traditional coming of age story, however, is its strong influence from hip hop culture. This might be obvious from a film whose title so closely resembles John Singleton's 1991 classic, but Ninian Doff's film is about as contemporary in tone as you can possibly get. While it's his debut film, the director made a name for himself in his music video collaborations with acts like Run the Jewels, and his past work is clearly seen in the frenetic graphics, a pulsating soundtrack and blitzkrieg action that pervade through the feature. We sat down with Doff and his cast of boyz soon after their opening night premiere at SXSW to talk about shooting a film that's 95 percent exteriors, building trust with young actors and how to make a coming of age film that doesn't suck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast, we’re going to talk about one of the most largely undiscussed nuances of filmmaking: the portrayal of masturbation on film. Specifically, of the female kind. 'Yes, God, Yes' is a film unlike any you’ve seen before. In it, a Catholic teenager in the early aughts discovers masturbating and struggles to suppress her new urges on a religious retreat. But this ain’t no American Pie satire. Writer/Director Karen Maine (who you may know as half of the writing team from 2014’s indie hit 'Obvious Child') truly brings us inside the mind of female adolescence. Much of this ability is due to the fact that she lived through this experience as a teen herself. As I learned when I sat down with Maine and her cast at SXSW earlier this month, however, it was the director’s openness to collaborate with her talented young leads that truly sealed the deal. The cast is led by a standout performance from Natalia Dyer, who shows she clearly deserves more complex roles than the likes of 'Stranger Things'’ archetypal Nancy Wheeler provides her. Dyer joins us on the show today, along with Timothy Simons (perhaps best known for his role as Jonah Ryan from 'Veep'), and talented new comers Francesca Reale, Alisha Boe and Wolfgang Novogratz. We talk about building an atmosphere on set comfortable enough to to avoid the pitfalls of the typical coming of age story and masturbation, lots of masturbation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greener Grass is a project that has been on a whirlwind path to success since the very beginning. Directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe's first iteration of the surreal comedy turned heads as a short film back in 2016, when it won awards at major festivals like SXSW and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. Upon its release online, it also achieved viral status and earned distinctions from Short of the Week and Vimeo. It's rare that a short finds success like that both on the festival circuit and online, but hey, when you watch Greener Grass, it's easy to see why. Though they claim to have had no intention of doing so initially, the duo expanded the short into a feature film which hit Sundance in a big way back in January. The film's meticulously crafted aesthetic places it on a level somewhere between Adult Swim and David Lynch. With the aid of talented production designers, costume designers, and a brilliantly specific script, DeBoer and Luebbe's film brings us into a candy-coated utopia that we've never seen the likes of in film before. Of course, things descend into dystopia by the time the film's through. Suburban tensions reach their boiling point after one mom willingly gives up her daughter to a friend, who I might add later goes on to give birth to a bouncing baby soccer ball. Things get weird. But not odd enough to sway IFC Midnight from purchasing the film earlier this week, or SXSW programming it into their festival to be seen in Austin later this week. Jon Fusco sat down with the directors and producer Natalie Metzger at Sundance this year to talk about using characters to build a world, hiring geniuses as collaborators and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices