The No Film School Podcast

Kevin Macdonald started out in the Documentary world and reached dizzying heights (quite literally) with his Oscar-winning film 'Touching the Void'. When the chance came to try narrative on 'The Last King of Scotland' he proved he had all kinds of chops. Now he's back with 'The Marautinian' based on a harrowing true story. He tells us how his love of studying film helped him build his voice and continues to inform his approach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, we are joined by Oakley Anderson-Moore who gives us the lowdown on Sundance 2021 and its virtual experience, as well as her favorite films of the fest -- and of course the record-breaking sale of 'CODA'.We discuss how PA-level crew members are now COVID compliance officers, giving this important task to folks who are unfortunately at the bottom of the film set's food chain. In Tech News, Charles discovers a file copying app called Levee which at only $4.99 is a must-have. And for Ask No Film School, we tackle the issue of plagiarism in regards to a recent short film based on an online comic. Enjoy!Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nestled among Jonathan Furmanksi's advice is another particularly useful tidbit; be someone people want to work with again. Seems obvious, right? At the same time, it's often overlooked or sidestepped in the name of so many other priorities. But it's actually the reason you'll get hired and keep earning a living. Jonathan expands upon this and other ideas in our interview with him.Search Party season 4 is streaming on HBO MAX.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast, we are joined by Jo Light and Katherine Tolentino to discuss what the post-pandemic Sundance is looking like and why it may be an improvement on the old model. (By the way, Boots Riley has some great advice on how to get the most out of Sundance 2021.)Also, the CEO of AMC takes a major risk on the future of theatrical, which leads us to a vital question: why do theaters not show episodic content?In Tech News: the Sony Alpha 1 makes a big splash in the cinema camera market.For this week’s Ask No Film School... is it okay to embellish your resume to get a job?Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Directing Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself brought Oz back to his creative anarchist roots.It's hard to put Frank Oz and Derek Delgaudio's In & Of Itself into words. That's how they wanted it. It's something that must be seen to be... not believed?We keep the interview spoiler-free, diving into what inspired this anarchy, what moved Oz and DelGaudio to build something new, and break things in the process.After I switched off my recorder and took in all Oz and DelGaudio shared, I walked into the other room to find my children watching... "The Muppets" (which Oz helped create and found). It served as a reminder that Frank Oz's drive to create things with a purpose and risk failure by being different, results in a legacy and an impact that echoes for generations.We are motivated to create things for a variety of reasons. Frank Oz and Derek DelGaudio were motivated by some of the best reasons. Oz said working with DelGaudio reminded him of the early early days with Jim Henson when they were just trying things. Breaking things. Discovering things. More than success, the highlight is always concocting something new.There is no guarantee that you can find the type of success Oz and DelGaudio have. But there is a guarantee that you can find the same joy if you pursue things the way they did. Let their anarchy guide us all to taking chances, evading definitions, and breaking molds.In & Of Itself is NOW streaming on HULU.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The No Film School Podcast: Twitter gets testy about Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World... but Russell Crowe fights back. The Amazon series The Boys takes on the superhero genre (successfully) and we discuss how trying your hand at the genre is may not be the worst idea. Also: did Chinese producers rip off IP with the recent The Fault In Our Stars knockoff that conquered the 2020 box office.In Tech News: can you make an artificial sun for a thousand bucks? And does it look any good? YouTuber DIY Perks has an answer. Additionally in Tech News: the new, upgraded WiFi 6.*Note: Please excuse any minor issues in our audio.*Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howard Barish formed the production company Kandoo Films in 1992 and he gave Ava DuVernay her start, executive producing her first narrative features. He then went on to produce the acclaimed documentary 13th with her as well. This process inspired Barish's right hand man, Michael Nell to write a feature called Blindfire.Nell's script tackles the murky intersection of race and police with the story of a hostage situation gone wrong. Barish liked the script so much, he couldn't say no.Nell and Barish join us to talk about their controversial new film and how they both navigated Hollywood to get to where they are.Blindfire is out now on VOD.*Note: we apologize for any imperfections in our audio. This podcast was recorded remotely.*Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast: HBO Max's strange new way of handling residuals, Tarantino's rallying cry to screenwriters to stop worrying about getting staffed on TV shows and write more specs, and the NFL's new adoption of "indie" camera setups.In Tech News, we discuss Sony's innovative entrée into the drone market. For Ask No Film School, what advice do we have on crowdfunding? (Plenty.) Enjoy!*Note: Please excuse the issues in our audio, it sounds bad at the very beginning but goes away shortly thereafter.*Please email us any questions at ask@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kirsten Johnson is a filmmaker who is pushing the limits of the form. Her latest feature, Dick Johnson Is Dead, is a documentary/experimental film about her father's struggle with dementia and his imminent demise. Our talk with Kirsten is wide-ranging and she is quick to turn the tables on the interview and talk about George. But we promise you this is no self-indulgent therapy session, it's a thorough examination of why we tell stories and how we grieve those closest to us. We also discuss the necessity of "humanizing" the crew members on a set and how whatever camera you shoot on is a beautiful and historic artifact. Make sure you're sitting down for this one -- it gets real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the No Film School Podcast, we talk about Patty Jenkin's comments on the first Wonder Woman film, and we have thoughts about it. Joined this week by Katherine Tolentino, we also discuss the Golden Globes' regulations that are preventing Minari from getting the recognition and press it deserves. Plus, a few Tech News bits and we talk about a new film showcase of Bay Area filmmakers co-founded by Katherine! Hope you enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices