The No Film School Podcast

There are countless books, guides, and templates on writing screenplays - but how important are they?In this episode, we talk about… Guest Robert McKee, his background in both theatre and novels, and the role his books have played in the world of screenwriting. What makes writing exciting. Whether or not there are “rules” to good screenwriting. The principles and forms of writing. The influence of Aristotle on writing today. What truly is a scene, an act, a movement, a season, etc. Discussions of good character development and important principles for the relationship between character and story. The difference between revelation and change, and how the audience’s perception of a character changes as a storyline goes on, rather than the character themselves changing. McKee’s new book that will be coming out soon about the art of writing Action. Why needing advice on a good starting point when building characterization is, frankly, amateur. Links to Resources:Robert McKeeCharacter: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen For a free Ebook on How to Write a Screenplay, sign up for our mailing list 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles and Kath are back to chat about big news in mergers and acquisitions, HD in television, and their thoughts on the smartest first film industry job you could take.In this episode, we talk about… HBO Max is getting merged with Discovery - which is exciting for filmmakers because whatever name it ends up with, it will have a much bigger documentary platform. The nature of mergers and acquisitions and how some film studios and platforms “marry” and “divorce” partners quite frequently. Lessons for filmmakers in the story of how the HBO Max merger happened and why friendships are complicated in this industry. How Amazon is in talks to buy MGM. The lessons filmmakers can take about their relationships to intellectual property from Amazon potentially buying MGM. No one starts out in their dream job, but you can be strategic about your early career jobs.  Both Kath and Charles’s early-career jobs and how they got where they are today, plus things they wish they had done differently in retrospect. How networking has evolved from the days when Charles cold-faxed hundreds of companies to today, where social media lets you gently remind people that you exist. Pros and cons of being a script reader as an early career job. Resources for finding jobs so you know where to apply. How broadcast television moves much slower than other technologies, because moving to film in HD is a huge infrastructural change. Why TV companies have little incentive to make that big of an investment unless there's a huge push from consumers. Various factors that can affect the appearance of resolution of 4k and 8k streaming. Links to Resources:Women of Color Unite Production WeeklyCharles Haine: http://www.charleshaine.com/ Charles’ Webseries: Salty PirateKath Tolentino: https://katherinetolentino.com/ Kath’s production company: https://www.borderwoman.pictures/ You can find everything we spoke about today and more here: https://nofilmschool.com/. Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles and George are joined by filmmaker and writer Kath Tolentino today to chat about lots of topics like AAPI movies, seeking representation, and tech news. Today’s big topic is one that’s sure to benefit filmmakers starting out: budgeting for independent features. Give this episode a listen for guidance on your next Indie film’s budget!In this episode, we talk about… How many streaming services are currently offering carousels of films that supposedly celebrate AAPI Heritage Month (Asian American & Pacific Islander), but the nature of the content they’ve chosen has been disappointing to say the least. Questions about how they chose the content - should the films be about AAPI issues or have a prominent AAPI actor or director?  How the carousels of AAPI content could have been expanded if more Indie and short films were included. How to know when to hunt for agents or managers once you’ve created a great short film. Why shorts can generate interest from representation but have a lower ceiling for next steps - representation will always want to immediately know what you can do that will make them money. The roles of agents vs managers, how they differ, and what they do for you. How people perceive that this industry will make them a ton of money, but it’s hard to make a lot of income, especially with the amount of money agents and managers take as their cut. Atlas Orion Anamorphic lenses which are great for widescreen and a specific quality.  Atlas’s new Limited run of Silver Edition lenses which will allow the flare to match the color of the light. These are super niche lenses and they're going to make 100 sets. What to look for in buying your first set of lenses if you feel overwhelmed by all the review blogs and videos out there. Why creating a budget where you pay people at proper industry scale can be difficult to determine. What ends up happening with most Indie films is that the budget is created backwards from what producers feel like they can realistically raise for the movie. How the schedule is closely intertwined with the budget - the number of days you shoot will alter the costs drastically. Why if you’re hiring a line producer, you want to find someone who is used to working on films with a similar schedule to yours. How usually you will have a few factors locked in and will build the rest of the budget around that. Why you need to always build a contingency into your budget and allow more for cast than you think. Using Kickstarter and WeFunder and why there’s something to be said for finding a way to make your movie within the confines of a smaller budget. Links to Resources:Atlas anamorphic lensesFor more information about lenses, check out our Gear Guides.Our last episode with Kath where she chatted about her indie feature: I'm Producing a Feature...What First Steps Do I Take?Charles Haine: http://www.charleshaine.com/ Kath Tolentino: https://www.borderwoman.pictures/ You can find everything we spoke about today and more here: https://nofilmschool.com/. Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check us out on Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, it can be hard to figure out new ways to innovate on film, since it often feels like “it’s all been done before”. But today, we’re chatting with director Timur Bekmambetov, who found a new way to tell stories and is now deep in “screen life”, a new way of filmmaking that’s a great way to connect with younger audiences and push the boundaries of the medium.In this episode, we talk about… Timur’s early career and how he got into filmmaking in Russia, which included doing just about every job except acting! What happened when Timur first started getting into more artsy, avant garde movies, and his realization that the only way to tell stories is to be real about fears, dreams, and other vulnerable emotions. How screen life can work with every genre, and examples of types of films Timur has shot in that format. The nuts and bolts of creating screen life films, from how acting is very different (it’s about the movement of the cursor or what is typed rather than facial expressions), to how it’s filmed, to how it’s edited in post. Timur’s advice for young filmmakers who want to get involved in this new type of film making. Links to Resources:Director: Timur BekmambetovTimur Bekmambetov’s screen life film, Profile (2018)  For more information about the medium, visit www.Screenlifer.com  Wondering what gear to buy or rent for your next project? Check out our Gear Guides! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Haine, a writer at No Film School, is joined by Editor-in-Chief George Edelman to chat about a fun assortment of topics like the Pacino-ing phenomenon, new products by tech company Atamos, and what’s going on with IMDB ratings! If you have concerns about how the dreaded algorithm is affecting your career, you’ll definitely want to check out this episode.In this episode, we talk about… Steven Follow’s email list which has really fun and useful data dives. “Pacino-ing” - Al Pacino likes the challenge of being in bad movies to try to improve them and for this reason his career has seemed to follow a downward trajectory. How some actors like Pacino and DeNiro started really strong, and have now been in worse and worse movies. But other actors, like Chris Pine and Chris Evans have had the reverse Pacino effect.  Looking at where data for good movies vs bad movies comes from, who is making the ratings (critics vs audience), and what that means - especially in the context of modern day vs the 70s. Atamos, the Australian tech company which has some amazing products. Atamos just announced the new release of a Ninja Stream, which has some interesting features, especially for social-distancing on set. IMDB and internet rating systems - including a case study where weighted users can bring down a review average with just a few low ratings. How much of the internet is driven by algorithms, which are very imperfect. Different theories about how ratings and algorithms might work. Links to Resources:Stephen Follows’ article about "Pacino-ing" Subscribe to Steven Follows’ email list for weekly data dives!For more about the Atomos Ninja Stream Fake ratings and reviews on IMDb Help us algorithm it up by rating:Amigo Undead (2015) Salty Pirate (TV Movie 2020) Let us know your theories about what is going on with IMDB ratings over on Twitter!Ask us a question about the weirdest thing you can find on IMDB at editor@nofilmschool.com and we’ll eventually talk about it on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast, after mourning the loss of the Arclight and Pacific Theaters, we now speculate on hopes for its survival. Also, we offer the secrets of keeping a franchise fresh and exciting after many sequels or reboots.In Tech News: FilmConvert releases new software to get your iPhone to match the look of high-end cinema cameras.And for Ask No Film School, we discuss scholarships for (...yes) film school.Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Channing Godfrey Peoples and Neil Creque Williams put everything on the line for a personal story, and it worked. How do you make the degree of difficulty even higher for a feature film debut? Channing and Neil found a way, but the commitment they had to the material, their faith in one another as sounding boards and creative visionaries helped them pull off something that you should definitely not try at home. But to hear it from them is best, so what are you waiting for? Miss Juneteenth is available to stream on amazon prime as well as other services. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think of the film and Channing and Neil's story.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast, we the low ratings of the Oscars -- and why it ain't just because of COVID. Also: Apple gets a class-action lawsuit filed against them for the misleading use of the word "BUY."For Ask No Film School, Katherine asks what the first steps should take are for producing an indie feature -- and some very useful tips are dropped.And for this week's Deep Cuts: movies that made us leave the theater stunned.Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com!*Editorial note: Burning was released in 2018, the year prior to Parasite.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm took over the culture for a minute or two back in the fall of 2020, not just because Sasha Baron-Cohen as a knack for this with his comedic stylings, but because timing is... everything. In the heat of an election cycle, Borat went for the jugular and put American culture on its heels once again. Hear how the editors saw it and pieced it together. All three of these guys have had amazing careers both with Cohen and on their own. They haven't just been cutting Cohen's work, but much of the BEST comedy to come from the last decade-plus. They talk about working with Cohen, working with comedic genius of all variety, and finding the keys to keeping a story that shifts between scripted and non working in all the most important ways.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast: can an AI do a decent job writing additional scenes for Lady Bird? In our final segment, the creators of the new app Dynascore join us to explain how AI can help create music that fits your video.Also: some hot takes on why adding product placement to classic films may not be the craziest or worst idea ever.Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices