The No Film School Podcast

Matt Yoka, director, producer and editor of Whirlybird discusses why he made a film centered on high-speed chases and the family behind this medium of reporting and filmmaking, and how he mastered zen and the art of movie marketing during lockdown. In this episode, we talk about… How Los Angeles Plays Itself sparked the creation of Whirlybird  Focusing on high-speed pursuits and providing an emotional character-focused experience vs. intellectual experience   45 minutes of beautiful VHS glitches  Matt’s experience at the Sundance Film Festival and Covid’s impact on marketing the film How excessive film-watching during quarantine inspired Matt as a filmmaker Why it’s almost impossible to end a documentary      Advice to approach filmmaking focused on the story you want to share with a “less is more” mindset  Links to Resources:Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effectshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrYSubscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook. Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side.Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What made Shang-Chi’s opening so successful and when’s the last time you played Dance Dance Revolution? In this episode, we talk about… “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”: 2nd biggest box office opening of the pandemic  Preserving theatrical releases and “Petty” headlines Evolution of subtitles and reality of product placements in film budgets  Good Deal/Bad Deal: Working on holidays  Tech news about Red’s new V-Raptor camera and Fuji’s upcoming sensors and lenses    Links to Resources:Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effectshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrYSubscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook. Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side.Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every once and awhile, a movie comes along that resonates and connects with people, becoming an instant classic. A screenwriter who makes multiple of these movies is even rarer, but Paul Schrader is one of those gems.In this episode, we talk about... The literary inspirations Paul drew from when creating the characters in his film Taxi Driver. Other iconic characters Paul has written over his career. The things Paul looks for he gets notes and who he seeks to take notes from. Whether or not Paul thinks about the actor when he’s writing a character. What drives Paul’s confidence as a writer/director. Paul’s story about Taxi Driver 2. Links to Resources:Turn Cheap Miniatures into Awesome Visual Effects - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrY The Card Counter (in theaters now) - https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-card-counter Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/ Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you be a writer’s room PA? What’s up with blockchain technology and what does it mean for Hollywood? Also, is it really okay to skip out on watching work you helped create but had no control over? In this episode, we talk about… Good deal or bad deal: Kath’s experience as a writer’s PA Lessons from the bad deals and the need for boundaries  Questions around the Coppola’s blockchain and the need for “Film Beans” Why it’s okay Tarantino never watched True Romance or Natural Born Killers  New photo tech with Polycam  Links to Resources:Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effectshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrYSubscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook. Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side.Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shawn Levy, director, co-writer, and producer of “Free Guy”, joins the show to discuss how to approach failure, humility and why you’ve got to really know yourself and see yourself to find the path that’s right for you. In this episode, we talk about… What led to Levy’s “Hollywood System Career” The power of seeing yourself with harsh clarity to truly know thyself Understanding on the other side of the hard path is a chance at greatness Reconciling the idea of your identity with who you really are and what you can be Knowing how to use your words, persona and vision to inspire movie stars (and money) to bet on you Spielberg’s advice on knowing when you’ve got it right  Why Shawn believes directing requires decisive leadership and being clear about what you want  Learning the language of actors so you can put them in the mood and the moment so they can be great   What Shawn and Ryan Reynolds added to the Free Guy script and why it worked   How Shawn picks his projects based on comedic and heart-felt content Links to Resources: Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effects https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrY Subscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook.  Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side. Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram! Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Details about Adobe’s multibillion-dollar deal to acquire Frame.io and why film industry workers deserve the same care as free range chickens... In this episode, we talk about… Frame.io’s capabilities  The growing reality of video being made by collaborative teams  3 reasons Frame.io is worth what Adobe paid for the acquisition  A common love-hate relationship with Adobe  Letter from top cinematographers addressing long working hours Why the entire film industry needs 8 hour workdays and why it may never happen How our culture always romanticizes filmmakers putting in extra effort   Links to Resources: Frame.iohttps://www.frame.io/Turn Cheap Miniatures Into Awesome Visual Effectshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuf2bHdGrYSubscribe to our newsletter for news, contests, deals, and a FREE ebook at https://nofilmschool.com/screenwritingbook. Check out our new video on lighting night shoots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66WWsCp7XE You can read about all this and more at https://nofilmschool.com/. You can also check out our Gear Guides and Entertainment News on the right hand side.Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram!Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo takes us through his collaboration with David Lowery on 'The Green Knight’ in today’s interview.In this episode, we talk about... Palermo’s previous work as both a director and director of production. How ‘The Green Knight’ came to be - it’s been a long process! Some of the really cool production elements in the movie and the equipment used to capture them. The rich soundscape for ‘The Green Knight’ and the process for creating it. Inspirations for the lighting used in the film. How the team created the story from myths and legends, and why they made the choices they did. Links to Resources:Learn all about The Green Knight and what it means in our in-depth mega-post: https://nofilmschool.com/Sir-gawain-the-green-knight-explainedThe Green Knight - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9243804/ Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/ Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make sure you listen to the whole episode for a new segment that we’re debuting at the end.In this episode, we talk about... How toxic fandom has become incredibly common on the internet. Director Alan Taylor losing the will to direct due to the toxic fandom he has to deal with. Why it's good that more big name people call out online harassment and cyber-bullying. The ways that what people say online can be taken very personally and affect creators’ mental health. How Quentin Tarantino is still carrying anger towards his mother about a comment she made early in his career. Whether or not Tarantino’s viral comments should be surprising. The role of cults of personality in the film industry. Advances in 3D modeling, including phone apps you can use to scan 3D objects using LiDAR sensors. Introducing a new segment designed just for the gig economy - Good Deal, Bad Deal. Ideas for how to make a bad deal better (it’s not what you think) and examples of times you might want to take a bad deal. Links to Resources:Check out: https://www.saluteyourshortsfest.com/https://www.amazon.com/Salty-Pirate/dp/B08B8Z96JQ Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/ Ask us questions or submit to Good Deal, Bad Deal at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the film industry’s most prolific producers - John Davis and John Fox of Disney's Jungle Cruise - are giving us behind the scenes info and stories on many of the huge blockbusters they’ve been a part of.In this episode, we talk about... How these producers who work on movies with huge budgets and top stars still have to pitch their films and go through the same process as other filmmakers. How the two of them decided to become producers and what their early inspirations were. Each of their earliest jobs in the industry and how they worked their way up. Fun stories about filming Predator. How Jungle Cruise came about, got pitched, and got a team together. The ways that even for big name producers like Davis and Fox, the process of pitching to a studio is still competitive and difficult. Why you should see limitations as opportunities. Thoughts about how to respond to and learn from test audiences. Links to Resources:Jungle Cruise - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0870154/ Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/ Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode covers a range of film current event topics and some important food for thought for your film career.In this episode, we talk about... James Gunn’s use of a hot take about his new The Suicide Squad as a marketing tactic and (differing) opinions about whether or not it was ok to do. General thoughts about filmmakers criticizing each other over social media. Varying opinions about the new The Suicide Squad. The update to the 2019 MacbookPros that Apple just announced and tips on how to finance a Macbook if you’re buying it for school or work. How to handle vendors that don’t deliver what you need. The importance of learning which tool to use for which job as a filmmaker. Knowing when to be willing to pay more for gear, and the risks you take when you buy something cheap. How to best handle rejection, which you will face quite a bit as a filmmaker. Why what you do with criticism can define you and your career. When rejection can actually be a gift. The sometimes fine line between responding to rejection with polite tenacity versus plain rudeness. Links to Resources:The Suicide Squad (2021) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6334354/ https://www.amazon.com/Salty-Pirate/dp/B08B8Z96JQ Please like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nofilmschoolSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Check us out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool/ Ask us questions at editor@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices