The No Film School Podcast

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