

The No Film School Podcast
No Film School
A podcast about how to build a career in filmmaking. No Film School shares the latest opportunities and trends for anyone working in film and TV. We break news on cameras, lighting, and apps. We interview leaders in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and producing. And we answer your questions! We are dedicated to sharing knowledge with filmmakers around the globe, “no film school” required.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 28, 2024 • 42min
Troubleshooting Tech for Dummies & Bombing an Interview
The small decisions that you make at the beginning of your project, can cause headaches later on. If you want to avoid tech issues in post, then you need to set up your project correctly from the start. Speaking of doing things right from the start, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach your interviews. How should you prepare for your next interview to make sure it doesn’t bomb?In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine, GG Hawkins, and Jason Hellerman discuss:
Bombing interviews in Hollywood
What not to do during an interview
Going to interviews as a slightly fancier version of yourself
How to respond when someone doesn’t read your script
Feeling guilty for not reading other people’s scripts
Career errors we have learned from
The helpless feeling you get when troubleshooting tech problems
Media management issues in post-production
Sorting through the timeline and looking for weird shots
Why it’s worth bringing on subject matter experts early
Memorable Quotes
“Over-researching is never a mistake when you are given an opportunity.” [2:09]
“Everyone I know has made huge, catastrophic career mistakes and we’ve all kept going.” [9:00]
“Setting up things right from the start makes your life so much easier.” [30:29]
“God bless people in post-production. The most patient humans in the world.” [35:48]
Find No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 22, 2024 • 1h 21min
Let’s Talk About Sex (On Screen) With a Team of Intimacy Coordinators
Exploring the role of intimacy coordinators in creating safe spaces for actors during intimate scenes and advocating for consent and boundaries. Discussions on choreographing intimate scenes, prioritizing actors' comfort, and reframing storytelling through respectful portrayals of intimacy. Emphasis on the balance between artistic freedom and safety protocols, fostering a culture of specificity and safety in the film industry, and the importance of maintaining a consent-driven workspace.

Mar 21, 2024 • 45min
To Rent or Buy Gear? Plus, Movies That Made Us Want To Make Movies
You are still a legitimate filmmaker even if you don’t own any gear. Most filmmakers actually don’t own the gear they use and for good reason. And speaking of gear, what movies geared you toward the path of filmmaking? In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine, GG Hawkins, and Jason Hellerman discuss:
Buying gear or renting gear - which is better?
When you should justify buying gear
Realizing how much work it takes to create a movie
The things that made us want to work in movies
Having fun with genre
Looking for books about the making of movies
The idea of being inserted into the story
How to influence others who don’t enjoy movies
Unpredictable twists that bail out the “bad guy”
The balance between fantasy and reality in a film
Memorable Quotes
“Most professionals rent because gear has wear and tear and you outgrow it.” [5:10]
“In the digital era, shit ages fast!” [11:13]
“I cannot imagine a human with two lungs, two ears, two eyes, and a heart not loving Tokyo Drift.” [27:01]
“I already knew I wanted to be a filmmaker before I read my first IMDb trivia page.” [18:32]
Mentioned:Share Grid rental platform Waking Ned DevineClueShirley TempleThe Little Rascals The Secret GardenThe Royal TenenbaumsBeing John MalkovichThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift ProblemistaFind No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 15, 2024 • 55min
Pete Ohs Rethinks How We Make Movies
Discover how Pete Ohs redefines filmmaking by emphasizing creativity over equipment. Explore the unique approach to developing characters and creating scores. Learn about the excitement of limited budget filmmaking and the magic of uncertainty. Hear about their festival experiences and the importance of collaboration in the industry.

Mar 14, 2024 • 52min
How Your First Ten Pages — Or AI? — Will Determine if Someone Finishes Your Script
Getting your script into the hands of the right people is extremely difficult. What is a desperate screenwriter to do if they seek feedback on their screenplay? Are script coverage services helpful or just another cog profiting from an emerging filmmaker’s hope? In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine, GG Hawkins, and Jason Hellerman discuss:
Recalling memories from March 2020 when the world “shut down”
Why we are surprised that Nikon bought RED
The acquisition of BorrowLenses
The importance of the first 10 pages of your script
Why the opening scene of The Godfather is so powerful
The Gauntlet - a controversial script coverage service
What infuriates us about AI script coverage
Why AI cannot evaluate creative screenwriting
Hollywood, the hope machine
Memorable Quotes
“In those first ten pages you know, what is this movie and who is it for.” [14:55]
“The idea of AI evaluating your script is fucking horseshit.” [26:08]
“We keep engaging in this fantasy that AI can think. AI cannot fucking think.” [30:52]
“That’s what Hollywood is. It’s a hope machine. You always have perpetual hope that tomorrow you can become famous.” [40:46]
Mentioned:Lensrentals To Acquire BorrowLensesHeard of The New, Controversial Script Coverage Service The Gauntlet?Why All AI Script Coverage is a Scam Find No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 8, 2024 • 36min
‘Damsel’ Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Sets Fantasy on Fire (And It Looks Awesome)
If you want to succeed with fantasy and make it a transformative experience, you have to create real characters. To convey realness, you have to go beyond the “good versus evil” narrative of traditional fantasy movies. You have to create duality.In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, to discuss:
Why Juan Carlos became a filmmaker
The complicated family dynamics in his film, Damsel
Why he loves portraying duality in the characters
Why you always have to have a plan, even if you don’t stick to it
How he prepares for production
A happy accident that became one of his favorite shots
The inspiration behind the violent fire in the movie
Creating a proper fire simulation
Why you have to chase your own voice
Memorable Quotes
“I thought ‘oh my god I have to make movies like this.’ ” [5:46]
“I’m much more willing to show the grey zone, because I think that takes you into the reality.” [11:35]
“You have to give space to happy accidents.” [16:26]
Mentioned:Damsel Find No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 7, 2024 • 59min
How We Manage Our Careers — From Annual Goals to Daily Tasks
Topics discussed in the podcast include showing films to actors, setting yearly goals, making money between projects, sharing goals, successful screenwriter productivity, effective general meetings, asking about development funds, post-production bond with actors, navigating career goals in film industry, maximizing impact in meetings, collaborative decision-making, financial aspects in projects, and narrative lessons from Survivor.

Mar 1, 2024 • 47min
How Broadcast Dramas Work, With ‘Quantum Leap’ Writer Shakina
What does it look like to advocate for yourself as a creator? Well, it starts with understanding your value and knowing where you can serve. Then, you have to develop the courage to articulate and offer your expertise. This is exactly what Shakina did to land the role of executive story editor on the NBC series, Quantum Leap.In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with multihyphenate creator, Shakina, to discuss:
How she got her start as a storyteller
Why framing is just as important in theater as it is on TV
How her experience as a trans person helps her write for Quantum Leap
What it’s like to work with new cast members every week
Why the coming out scene in “The Family Treasure” episode was so powerful
Telling ground-breaking nuanced stories that are unprecedented
Making queer stories more comfortable and less “threatening” for audiences
The fast-paced yet collaborative nature of writers' rooms
Advocating for herself in various roles on set
Creating space for characters we don’t normally see on television
Memorable Quotes
“Just write something that will never get made.” [8:52]
“You have to be in charge of how you see yourself and lean into the skills that bring you the most joy.” [35:47]
“Space without resources and support is a trap.” [40:00]
“Do something every day that pushes you toward your dream.” [41:02]
Mentioned:Quantum Leap "The Family Treasure" Difficult PeopleFind No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 29, 2024 • 49min
Dissecting Emerging AI and Why Your Human Voice Is So Important
With the rise of AI, will Hollywood begin to neuter your voice? While AI isn’t creating anything original, the immediate convenience of this tool is already impacting our industry. Artificial intelligence is being applied to creative arts, so filmmakers need to understand how it can affect their careers. In today’s episode, No Film School’s Jason Hellerman speaks with acquisition executive and script consultant, Evan Littman, to discuss:
Why we should be concerned about text-to-video AI tools like Sora
Why large studios have a better chance of going against generative AI models
AI-generated screenplays and copyright laws
Using AI to read and give feedback on scripts
Examples of how unreliable AI can be
Developing your voice as a screenwriter
What newer writers need to understand about breaking into the industry
Why 8/10 on a script isn’t good enough
Memorable Quotes
“This is something a lot of people thought was coming, but it arrived faster than we anticipated.” [2:49]
“A.I. is not making anything. It’s just recombining and generating an output based on what it already has.” [7:38]
“A.I. at this point in time, can’t really generate anything good. What it makes is regurgitated slop.” [11:11]
“You just really need one ‘yes’ to get a movie made. It doesn’t matter if you have a hundred ‘I like its.’ You really need one ‘I love it.’” [42:41]
Mentioned:Get Made ConsultingGG's surveyFind No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 23, 2024 • 1h 2min
Career-Sustaining Advice for a Consolidating Film Industry
If you are at square one in your filmmaking journey, you are probably confused about where to start. You’re not sure how you are going to pay the bills, let alone finance your projects. You’re also worried about the state of the industry and wondering if you have a shot at success. Our guest, Ana Liza Muravina, believes that if you’re serious about filmmaking, “it’s your responsibility to understand what kind of business you’re getting into.”In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Ana Liza Muravina to discuss:
How the industry has transformed
The decline of tv and film consumption
What a period of consolidation means for filmmakers
The power of attaching certain elements to your project
Ensuring the project you are pitching is financially viable
Foreign Sales - what are they and how are they impacted by streaming services
Becoming clear on the project you are making
Finding patrons and supporters in your local area
The importance of casting valuable actors
Figuring out what you want out of your career
Having a collaboration agreement and what it should look like
Memorable Quotes
“Streaming tv is going to look a lot like how cable used to look. It’s going to be expensive.” [9:24]
“In our industry and in our society, success is tied to money.” [11:41]
Money is not all concentrated in Los Angeles and New York. Money is wherever there are people who have made money.” [26:45]
“Please make the thing that’s most interesting to you otherwise it’s not going to be interesting and it’s not going to sell.” [28:35]
Mentioned:Ana Liza MuravinaFind No Film School everywhere:On the Webhttps://nofilmschool.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschoolTwitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolYouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschoolInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschoolSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices