The No Film School Podcast

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Charles Haine reveal the best anamorphic lens test we've ever seen and ponder the future of indie stalwart Fox Searchlight. We also discuss how one actor is proving that Hollywood really can change how it does casting, and say a sad goodbye to influential horror director Tobe Hooper. In gear news, we discuss ShareGrid's comprehensive new anamorphic lens test, and Charles answers an Ask No Film School question about how to best pull off a multi-user workflow in post-production. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Janicza Bravo and actor Brett Gelman were 'covered in blood' while trying to get their film ‘LEMON’ made, but now it's theatrically released by Magnolia Pictures. The pair are rising stars in both TV and independent film—she directed a Sundance-winning short and an episode of Emmy-winning ‘Atlanta’ and he has appeared in dozens of shows and his own Adult Swim comedy specials—but ‘LEMON’ was born out of the same creative frustrations and anxiety that plague the rest of us. The real-life married couple co-wrote the film, which Janicza directed. In it, Brett plays Isaac, a bit of an unlikable sad sack in the middle of one of life’s downward spirals. In this episode, No Film School’s Liz Nord sits down with the couple on the night before the film's New York premiere, and they share very candid details about the six-year struggle to get the film made, how they overcame each hurdle, and how the industry actually works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder discuss the CineFamily controversy that's shaking up LA's underground film scene, how much cash exactly is made by the films of top-grossing indie directors, and an update on last week's record-breaking story about whether or not MoviePass will mean the end of theater-going as we know it. We also say sad goodbyes to editor Eric Zumbrunnen, comedian and filmmaker Jerry Lewis, and the print edition of the Village Voice. Charles Haine joins us for gear news, including the death of Final Cut 7, and answers an Ask No Film School question about how to create a fog effect in your film. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The reigning families of modern American movies are household names: the Coppolas, the Gyllenhaals, the Afflecks. But what about the Kaufmans? If you are a filmmaker, they have very likely affected your life. Dad is Lloyd Kaufman, creator of the Toxic Avenger and king of B-movies, whose independent studio Troma Entertainment has produced and distributed more than 1,000 films. Mom is Pat Swinney Kaufman, who was the deputy film commissioner for New York State for 20 years. Their daughter is Lisbeth Kaufman, co-founder of KitSplit, which is now the biggest online camera rental company. Liz Nord speaks with the family and between the three of them, there’s a veritable treasure trove of industry gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder ponder whether or not cameras have reached peak resolution, and debate the merits of MoviePass’s new plan to let you see unlimited movies in theaters for $10 a month. We also discuss Facebook's aim to become the new YouTube and Apple's billion-dollar content investment. I answer an Ask No Film School question about what the heck to do with your short film once it's finished, and we hear from the Safdie Brothers about their new film ‘Good Time’, which opens in theaters this week. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The quality of this summer’s offering of independent films has just been utterly ridiculous. There have already been so many new voices, new perspectives, and unique stories hitting the big screen and now we can add Matt Spicer’s Ingrid Goes West to the list as yet another standout title. The film, which earned the coveted Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance follows Ingrid Thorburn, an unhinged social media stalker, frenetically brought to life by Aubrey Plaza, who moves to LA in an attempt to make friends with her latest obsession, the boho-chic social media influencer, Taylor Sloane, a character that’s oh-so convincingly played by Elizabeth Olson. Even with a hilarious cast and chuckle-worthy premise, it's hard to call Ingrid Goes West a comedy, in the truest sense of the word, because, well, it is really, really, creepy. The disturbing tone carefully planted beneath the film's shimmering Los Angeles foreground will stick with you long after you've left the theater. For Spicer, who penned the film along with David Branson Smith, this was the culmination of a ten-year journey from screenwriter to director. He joins us this week to discuss the steps he took to make this film happen, the pros and cons of social media’s new role in the film industry, and how making a film is the only thing that can ever really prepare you for making a film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco,and Emily Buder discuss two new and very different industry studies: one about the use of swear words in movies, and the other about the future of the documentary film industry. We also talk about the new President of the Academy of Motion Pictures, updates from the Locarno, TIFF and NYFF festivals, and Netflix’s first acquisition of another company. Charles Haine joins us for gear news, including the Panasonic EVA-1 specs and an embarrassing moment for Apple. Charles also answers an Ask No Film School question about how to assess and buy tripods in a range of budgets. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The experienced cast of ‘In the Radiant City’ joins No Film School’s Liz Nord to dish on how (and how not) to direct actors. 'In the Radiant City’ is directed by Jeff Nichols protégé Rachel Lambert and co-written by Lambert and Nathan Gregorski. The film is a quiet but very tense family drama about a man who testified against his brother in a murder trial when they were kids, and his return to their rural Kentucky hometown twenty years later to face the family that was left behind. Its talented ensemble cast includes Marin Ireland ('Hell or High Water’), Michael Abbott Jr. (‘Loving'), Madisen Beaty ('The Master'), and Celia Weston, who has over 60 credits to her name but may be best recognized as Barb Tucker from 'Modern Family.’ On this lively episode, that entire group, plus Lambert and Gregorski, discuss what you should *not* do on set as much as they give constructive tips for directing actors. Lambert also shares the details of how she got her debut feature off the ground, including great advice like "Get to know every goddam bartender in the area,” as well as the most important things she learned from mentor Jeff Nichols, who produced the film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco,and Emily Buder wonder if DSLR filmmaking is finally dead, and whether Soderbergh's new production model can revive indies. We also discuss a former Google Android exec who extols iPhone filmmaking, Netflix's $20.5 billion in debt, and say a sad goodbye to Pulitzer-Winning writer, director, and actor Sam Shepard. We hear from video essay guru Kogonada about his debut feature ‘Columbus,’ which hits theaters this week. In gear news, Fusion gets a VR toolset and big price break, the TSA adds filmmaker-unfriendly travel rules, and lens mount options grow for the Fujfilm MK zooms. Ask No Film School fields a question about what extent you should involve an author in your film when it's based on their book. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back at Sundance, No Film School's Jon Fusco sat down with a few of the teams behind a few of this summer's best independent films while they were still fresh off their premiere highs. Brigsby Bear, which came out July 28, obtained a $5 million deal from Sony Pictures Classic for Distribution rights. Director Dave McCary and screenwriter Kevin Costello join the podcast to discuss the journey each of them took to get that deal. From stupid YouTube sketches with their comedy group Good Neighbor to Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts and now full-length features, their process is a great model for collaborative filmmaking. Through a lethal combination of non-linear storytelling, gender reversals, and Deliverance type thrills, director Damien Power successfully toys with audience expectations all the way throughout his debut feature, Killing Ground, which we might add took 11 years to make. We discussed how Australia's film scene helps to foster artists who take greater risks, the lengths Power went to to get his film made, and the strategies he put in place to create the script for Sundance's most mind-bending horror film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder discuss the new rules for breaking into Hollywood and why "constantly reminding people you exist is now part of the job." We also share what we learned from last week's Comic-Con and the 38th News and Docs Emmy nominations, which were announced this week. We bid farewell to both Adobe Flash and the YouTube editing tool. Our rundown of this week's indie film releases is particularly robust, with no less than six festival favorites hitting theaters. Charles Haine joins us for gear news, including Canon's latest camera fail, and answers an Ask No Film School inquiry about the differences between online and offline editing. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Landline’ co-writers, Director Gillan Robespierre and Producer Elisabeth Holm join No Film School’s Liz Nord to discuss how they overcame the typical hurdles to get their second feature made and theatrically released. The pair first collaborated on 'Obvious Child', which premiered at Sundance 2014, where Holm won the Red Crown Producer’s Award, and went on to critical and audience acclaim and theatrical release. They joined efforts again for ‘Landline', which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2017 and opened in theaters last Friday. In this episode, Robespierre and Holm talk about how they avoided the "Sophomore slump", writing authentic dialog and getting equally authentic performances out of your actors, and how filmmaking is like polyamory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco,and Emily Buder discuss George Romero's DIY Legacy, what filmmakers should note about last week's Emmy nominations, and a trio of stories about crucial on-set safety issues. We also share the best advice we've gotten from some of summer's biggest indie directors, and hear from ‘Killing Ground’ director Damien Power about his 11-year journey to get his newly released film made. Charles Haine joins us for gear news, and answers an Ask No Film School question about whether your production company should accept credit cards. As always, we also bring you the latest upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know Steve Ellison better by his beat-making alias Flying Lotus, or perhaps even as Flying Lotus' MC alias, Captain Murphy. Music, however, was not his first love. The director, who now simply goes by "Steve" actually went to film school far before he laid down his first mixtape. Just don't call him a product of the cinematic education system. Steve's debut feature Kuso truly goes against every single rule his teachers may have taught him back in his days as a student. In fact, Steve says he had to consciously take some time off to unlearn film school, where he believes things were taught to be done in a certain, almost factory-like way. He is a staunch believer that if you limit yourself to what you learn there, you may miss out on crucial organic discoveries. Instead, Kuso plays out more like his music: free-form, chaotic, jazz-like. It is comprised of four horrifying shorts, woven together, but separated by a series of animated hip-hop freak-outs that, when put together, form some sort of grotesque psychedelic tapestry. No Film School's Jon Fusco sat down with Steve to talk about what scares him about being a filmmaker, erasing all self-doubt, and jumping into your first project with a punk rock, let's do this attitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco,and Emily Buder discuss how even indie movies aren't safe from Russian interference, updates in the indie box office, the battle to save net neutrality, and a too-early goodbye to actor Nelsan Ellis. We also hear from director David Lowery about the challenges of making his summer indie hit ‘A Ghost Story.’ Charles Haine joins us for gear news, including RED’s incessant product teases and a TV that might replace movie screens for good. Charles also answers an Ask No Film School question about which affordable monitors to buy. As always, we also bring you the latest gear news, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, new indie film releases, weekly words of industry wisdom, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Film School's Emily Buder sits down with prolific indie filmmaker Nathan Silver and the stars of his latest movie, Thirst Street, Lindsay Burdge and Damien Bonnard. Silver has made a movie every year for the past 8 years. Last year, he had the film Actor Martinez at Tribeca. Needless to say, Silver is a staple in the New York indie film scene. In their conversation, they discuss how Silver manages to get his micro-budget projects off the ground, some tips for shooting with limited resources, Thirst Street's distinctive '70s psychodrama aesthetic, and the extreme emotional risks some of the main actors had to take for their roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, Emily Buder, Jon Fusco and Charles Haine discuss Hollywood studios' beef with Rotten Tomatoes and what the highest-grossing films of the year so far have to do with it all. They also talk about Canon's latest misfire with the 6D Mark II, Christopher Nolan's 70mm Dunkirk release, and Emily's favorite movie of the year thus far: David Lowery's A Ghost Story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Liz Nord spoke with first time Palestinian filmmaker Maysaloun Hamoud back at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, her narrative feature In Between (or Bar Bahar in Arabic) was just about to premiere. As with any new director, she had no idea what the response would be or what the coming year would bring. But her film’s path has been particularly unpredictable, leading to three awards in San Sebastian, Hamoud being hand-chosen by Isabelle Huppert to receive the Young Talents Award at Cannes, and being issued the first religious Fatwa in Palestinian history. In their fascinating conversation, Hamoud shares her methods for trying to make audiences see themselves in her characters, working with non-actors, and what it was like to make the first film of its kind in her community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, Charles Haine and Emily Buder discuss the real problem with Lucasfilm's firing of Lord & Miller, and how to protect yourself from a cyberattack. We also reveal why a promising streaming subscription was killed before it even had a chance to live, and why you might never see Albert Maysles’ final film. In Ask No Film School, we outline the best color grading software for Premiere Pro. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley McKenzie is the type of director that does it all. The Canadian multi-hyphenate runs her own production company, writes her own scripts, and directs all of the company's films. When she’s on set, however, she gives up almost all notions of planning and control to make her shots as organic and in the moment as possible. For her debut feature, Werewolf, which has won awards at almost every regional Canadian festival she’s brought it to, this included throwing the actors into real-life situations, adding events into scenes without telling them, keeping the camera rolling after the scene had cut, and even casting non-actors as key characters at locations on the fly. The film itself follows a pair of outcast methadone users who push a rusty lawnmower door-to-door to cut grass for money to feed their addiction. No Film School’s Jon Fusco sat down with McKenzie and her two lead actors Andrew Gillis and Breagh MacNeil to discuss their intensely real collaboration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Charles Haine weigh the benefits of film school against its rising cost, and debates the merits of renting out your own gear. We share some fun facts about the crossover between TV directors and the year's biggest films, say a (possibly temporary) farewell to one of the world's greatest actors, and discuss whether or not Apple is finally a serious contender in the original content game with its latest hires. What’s more, we discuss the Canon and Sony summer gear rumors, and hear from ‘Wonder Woman’ DP Matt Jensen about the differences between shooting for action and drama. As always, we 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We saw a lot of movies in the Midnight Section at Sundance this year. There were a lot of weird movies. 'Bitch,' however, is a batshit insane movie. In terms of understanding what we’re dealing with here, the premise really only gets you half the way there: an underappreciated mother finds out her jerk-off husband is cheating on her and as a result, well, she turns into a dog. The real insanity, however, comes across in a near constant destruction of genre conventions. Is it a horror? Is it a comedy? Is it a relationship drama? At times it’s all of these things all together, at times it is very clearly just one. Marianna Palka wrote the script in just two days, which aside from being a remarkable achievement, is a testament to the free-wheeling nature of the film itself. She also directs and stars in the film. At Sundance, NFS Producer Jon Fusco was joined by Emily Buder, Palka, and actor/musician Zack Clark to discuss Palka’s unrivaled writing technique and the benefits of being a multi-hyphenate. If you're in New York you can check out Bitch at BAM CinemaFest this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder discuss the new coalition that has longtime rivals HBO and Netflix joining forces, why producers are losing money, and a new digital filmmaking initiative in LA. Charles Haine joins us for gear news and answers an Ask No Film School question about how to buy good lenses on a budget. In Weekly Words of Wisdom, we share tips from Steven Spielberg, Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton, and David Mamet himself on the three best ways to learn filmmaking. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Emmy award-winning co-directors of Berlinale premiere ‘For Ahkeem', Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest, and one of the film’s producers, Iyabo Boyd, join No Film School’s Liz Nord for a frank and fascinating discussion about how to overcome the challenges inherent in telling the story of someone whose background is entirely different from your own. In this case, the film’s co-directors are two, middle-class white men from New York City, and their subject is a charismatic, 17-year-old African-American girl named Daje Shelton from outside of Ferguson, Missouri, where fellow black teenager Michael Brown had been famously shot and killed by police. In order to authentically portray this story as outsiders, Levine and Van Soest made Shelton a partner in the filmmaking process, and diversified the larger crew of people working on their film, including Boyd, their female, African-American producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder discuss the camera that Panasonic hopes will win back indie DPs, and the threat holding Hollywood ransom. We also uncover the indie heart of the Wonder Woman phenomenon, and how its director Patty Jenkins' next move is coming directly to a niche streaming service near you. The episode goes into Apple's first original program, and says goodbye to Peter Sallis, the voice of Wallace from the ‘Wallace and Gromit’ films and a true supporter of independent filmmakers. Charles Haine joins us for an update from the Cine Gear Expo—including Panasonic's EVA1—and more gear news. In Ask No Film School, Elise McCave from Kickstarter shares some do's and don'ts for crowdfunding your film. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chances are, you know John Carroll Lynch’s face even if you don’t know his name. The actor, whose perhaps best known for his role as the Zodiac killer in David Fincher’s Zodiac, has a staggering 110 acting credits to his name. At this year’s SXSW, Lynch finally added another role to his resume: Director. His debut feature, Lucky, stars the legendary Harry Dean Stanton, another actor who is no slouch when it comes to having a prolific acting career. In fact, the ninety-year-old vet has amassed 199 acting credits to his name throughout his career. The film is a character study of an elderly, yet spirited atheist living in small town Texas. Lucky must come to terms with the fact that he may be in the midst of his last few years of life. Lynch has worked with some of the best directors of our age, a list that includes everyone from Fincher to Scorsese to Clint Eastwood. We talk the techniques he brought with him from his favorites of the bunch, the transition from actor to director, and what it's like directing David Lynch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Indie Film Weekly, Charles Haine, Micah Van Hove and Jon Fusco broadcast live from the historic Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. The trio of No Film School editors come together for a moment of solace to discuss a week of non-stop coverage at the annual NAB Show. What they identify is a worrying trend. Another year with no huge gear announcements and technological advances which signal the further automation of filmmaking. As cameras and accessories get more sophisticated, it appears that some human elements of filmmaking may be in jeopardy. It wasn't all bad though. Whatever news was missing from the usual suspects, the emergence of some smaller start-ups they found while exploring the halls of the convention center more than made up for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Leon made only one short before breaking onto the indie scene with his SXSW winning debut feature Gimme the Loot. With a budget around $60,000 the writer/director won the "Someone To Watch" award at the Film Independent Spirits and was able to get his film into almost every notable film festival on the market, including a run in the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes. How did he pull it off? Hard work and humble beginnings. Leon's work ethic was noticed on set as a PA and as a result of his efforts, he found collaborators and producers that were eager to invest in his future. His latest film, Tramps, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last summer and was quickly scooped up by Netflix. It follows a young man and woman as they are unwittingly thrown into the middle of a money drop off gone awry. But for Leon, the real challenge came in crafting a genuine romance without leaning on cliche. To achieve this goal, he turned to his writing partner and producer Jamund Washington early on in the development process. Leon and Washington join us on this week's episode of The No Film School Podcast to talk filmmaking as a collaborative art form, the right way to take notes on your screenplay, and finding partners that won't compromise your vision but help to build upon it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco and Emily Buder get excited about the 16th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival opening this week, and discuss whether (finally!) Netflix might let us see its films in theaters. We also say goodbye to the genius cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and remember his storied career working with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola. Tech writer Charles Haine joins us to share more previews of the big NAB gear expo that starts this weekend. He also answers an Ask No Film School question about creating Digital Cinema Packages for your movie. 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/2017/04/indie-film-weekly-042017-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three cinematographers with three very different films at SXSW 2017 discuss their favorite gear, what DPs can do to stand out off set, how they make room for their actors or subjects in vulnerable situations, and of course, the shoots that almost killed them. Guests include Autumn Eakin, who shot Jessica M. Thompson's realist, contemporary THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, which won the SXSW Narrative Feature Audience Award; James Axel West, who shot Adam Keleman’s stylish, ‘70s-referencing drama EASY LIVING; and Shane King, who shot Jennifer M. Kroot’s feature documentary THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN which won the SXSW Documentary Spotlight Audience Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord and Emily Buder discuss the strike that threatens to bring Hollywood to a halt, while a big move by Netflix attempts to bring a whole new life to production in Tinsel Town. Charles Haine joins us to disclose all of the drone rumors from this year’s upcoming NAB show, and answers an Ask No Film School question about what focal lengths to consider when buying prime lenses. We also talk about what the new Oscar eligibility rules mean for you, and hear from two directors of indie films that are being released this week: Joe Swanberg of ‘Win it All’ and Michael O'Shea of ‘The Transfiguration.’ As always, we 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The docu-fiction hybrid genre isn't necessarily a new thing. In fact, there are some festivals that are entirely devoted to those films that blur the line between what is real and what is written. It's the liberties in which the filmmakers choose to blur the lines where the real magic shines through. Kristoffer Borgli, director of the SXSW standout DRIB and guest on today's episode of The No Film School Podcast, didn't realize the full potential of the genre until he was halfway through making his film. He always knew he wanted to screw around with his audience, but to what extent? DRIB is the true story of performance artist Amir Asgharnejad, a man who amassed a following through fake fight videos he would put up on the internet. For Amir, it was never about getting famous however, it was all just a joke. It seems the joke was lost on an LA based energy drink company who decided Amir would be the face of their new brand. This is a film unlike any other, weaving together an embellished narrative of Amir's story, with real interviews discussing Amir's experience on which the narrative is based, and behind the scenes footage of what it was like making the film itself. If that sounds confusing. It's because it is. Oh yeah, and on top of all that, Amir stars as himself throughout the film's entirety. NFS Producer Jon Fusco sat down with Kris, Amir and co-star Brett Gelman at SXSW to get some insight into the art of play and trickery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFS Writer Oakley Anderson-Moore talks with the talented artists behind Felix & Paul studios, one of the leading VR production companies in the film world. The cinematic quality that is a hallmark of their projects is very uncommon in these rudimentary days of VR. Virtual reality has been excelling in the realm of documentary because exhibiting an immersive experience of a location goes almost hand in hand with that genre. With narrative VR, however, it’s been a harder nut to crack. How do you create a character arc in a 360 environment where viewers can look anywhere they want at any moment? It’s a challenge Felix & Paul take head on in their film "Miyubi," the story of a 1980s toy robot through whose eyes we watch a family grow up as he grows obsolete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When attending film festivals, there is no more exciting prospect than catching a screening of a midnights shorts section. These are generally made up of the strangest, and in many ways, the most innovative projects accepted. They are playgrounds for exploration, coming from filmmakers who are absolutely fearless in exploding the themes and neurosis of their own daily lives. And SXSW selects the best of them. NFS Producer Jon Fusco sat down with a handful of crew members from shorts featured in this year's edition of SXSW, including Drew Maynard and Caleb Dirks from The Saurus, Celine Held and Logan George from Mouse, and Sarah Winshall from Whiskey Fist. We discussed the different favors, planning efforts, and resources it took for each of these filmmakers to get their short into SXSW. There was one constant in every path, however. No one made a short to get into a midnight section or even a film festival. They all just made stories which they felt needed to be told. The stories also just happen to be bat-shit insane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, co-hosts Jon Fusco and Emily Buder discuss what's causing major panic in the studio world, why (and how) you should use Facebook to promote your movies, and why it may finally be time to concede to HDR. We also hear from Richard Kelly, writer/director of 'Donnie Darko,' about how his cult classic scared off distributors at Sundance and then flopped at the box office, and Charlie McDowell, director of Netflix's 'The Discovery,' about why he opted for a streaming deal out of Sundance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before "Ramblin Freak'," Tacodeli employee Parker Smith had made only one movie featuring sound. The three three-time film school dropout was stuck between a rock and a hard place after realizing his internship at The Austin Film Society was little more than the theater job he had left in Boulder, Colorado to make a name for himself in Texas. Now, the task of making your first feature is a daunting one. Some would think that filming it entirely alone should make things a hundred times more difficult. For Parker, however, being the only member of his film crew provided him with exactly the freedom necessary to experiment, learn and shoot his movie right. No Film School's Jon Fusco sat down with Smith at SXSW to learn how he pulled off making a movie about a guy who doesn't know how to make a movie. From watching five documentaries a night to finding a producer through Instagram, he provides us with tremendous insight into the art of learning as you go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, No Film School co-hosts Liz Nord, Jon Fusco, and Emily Buder dissect Netflix’s balancing act between the indie and studio worlds, and how indie theater guru Tim League threw down the gauntlet against the streaming giant. We also cover why getting your film graded F could be a good thing, according to IMDB, and a sad goodbye to indie film producer Robin O’Hara (‘Raising Victor Vargas’, ‘Gummo’). We hear from two directors whose films are hitting theaters this month, Alice Lowe of ‘Prevenge’ and Sarah Adina Smith of ‘Buster’s Mal Heart’. Charles Haine joins us for gear news, including an app that lets you shoot in LOG mode on your phone and his review of the new Sigma Cinema Zoom lenses. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re kicking off our SXSW coverage on a particularly high note. That’s because this interview features arguably the best voice we’ve ever had on the podcast in Nick Offerman, and also one of the best laughs we’ve ever had on the show in actress Trieste Kelly Dunn. They are joined by acclaimed indie director Bob Byington to discuss the creation of Infinity Baby, a film that premiered to uproarious laughter at the festival last week. The film is a convergence of three separate narratives surrounding a corporation that sells a highly unusual product: babies that never age. So while Byington may have made a name for himself with naturalistic movies like 7 Chinese Brothers, the surrealistic elements of Infinity Baby’s plot act as a springboard to the intricate dialogue of screenwriter Onur Tukel and grounded performances from Offerman, Kelly Dunn and the rest of the cast. We talk about how script supervising may be the best training ground for directors, how Nick Offerman overcame being a "sucky actor," and how sometimes if you want to get your break in Hollywood, all you have to do is make sure you have fresh laundry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-hosts Jon Fusco, Emily Buder, Oakley Anderson-Moore and Liz Nord have been running all over downtown Austin, Texas for the past week to bring you insights from America's coolest film event, the SXSW Film Festival and conference. In this episode, we forego our regular show format to share in-depth festival coverage, from keynotes with the likes of Rogue One director Gareth Edwards and legendary Muppeteer Frank Oz, to interviews with festival award-winners, to the best advice from industry panelists. Of course, we ask the perennial question: What is this festival good for, anyway? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of The New Film School Podcast, writer Oakley Anderson Moore talks with two DPs. Her guests are Andrew Ackerman, who shot the brilliant, colorful underwater documentary "Chasing Coral," and Ante Cheng who DPed the nuanced black and white narrative Gook, set during the 1992 LA riots. While the style of productions are practically polar opposites of each other, from underwater timelapse nightmares to stylized lighting for black and white, they find common ground in the joy of telling a story through the visual image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices