The No Film School Podcast No Film School
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- TV & Film
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.
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‘Shōgun’ DPs on Lenses, Looks & How ‘The Descent’ Brought Them Together
Long-time friends and colleagues, Christopher Ross and Sam McCurdy, are two of the cinematographers of FX’s mini-series, Shōgun. Filming this series was an incredible experience full of lessons in Japanese culture, lenses, and shooting with cranes.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and special guest, cinematographer Ryan Thomas, speak with DPs Christopher Ross and Sam McCurdy to discuss:
How Chris and Sam met
The type of friendships you hold onto in the industry
What it was like working with an international cast and crew on Shōgun
The singular perspectives that ran throughout the larger storyline
What it was like working with other DPs
The lenses they chose to use in this project
Letting the camera find special moments without much interference
What an ASC masterclass is
What gave the show its atmospheric texture
Bringing truth and honesty to every episode
Why making mistakes is so valuable
Memorable Quotes
“From the start of your career to the end of your career, you’re still on some form of learning curve.” [8:47]
“Being true to what you’re shooting and being true to the script and the story is the still most important tool we bring to any job.” [50:33]
“Be brave and stupid in equal measure. Get smarter every time you shoot.” [54:00]
“Don’t necessarily listen to everyone else. Go and figure it out yourself.” [55:01]
Mentioned:
Shōgun
Original 1980 Shogun series
ASC Masterclass
Connect with Ryan on IG
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Writing the Unfilmable & Managing Your Career When SH*T Hits the Fan
Writing a screenplay is like following a cookie recipe, it’s closer to magic than science. You don’t have to follow screenwriting “rules” to create an amazing story. There’s something else you don’t have to do in your career. When serious problems arise in your personal life, you don’t have to keep working at your typical pace. It’s okay to ask for help and decrease your output.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and Jason Hellerman discuss:
The number of “unfilmables” on the first page of the Challengers script
Not getting hung up on the idiosyncrasies of screenwriting
Hooking the reader in the first 10 pages with your confidence
Asking for specific support when things are rough in your personal life
Accidentally lighting a trash can on fire
Taking time to process life’s challenges
Using writing as a way to process loss and sadness
Cancelling meetings and relying on email
The benefits of a meditative practice
Memorable Quotes
“I know what the audience wants to know right now. I know what they need to know, but don’t even know they want to know.” [11:28]
“If your page one sucks, you’ve already lost them.” [12:26]
“If you’re trying to make Hollywood hits with multi-million dollar budgets, page one has to be great!” [15:50]
“You can still be creating, even when you’re in a depressed dark hole.” [28:45]
Mentioned:
Why Did the First Page of the 'Challengers' Screenplay Go Viral?
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How ‘Challengers’ Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes Aces Character, Tension and Stakes
Justin Kuritzkes is the screenwriter for the film, Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. The story revolves around tennis pros who are caught in a love triangle. It’s not just about the game of tennis, but about the game of love and power. Let’s dive into Justin’s process of writing such a damn good movie!
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer Justin Kuritzkes to discuss:
How screenplays differ from other written mediums
Building up a story that would realistically exist in the real world
The inspiration behind the story
How writing the movie made tennis less enjoyable for him to watch
Deciding on the setting of the story
Surprising moments during the writing process
Writing in cars, hotel rooms, and airplanes when you are pressed for time
The questions he asked himself before writing the story
Collaborating with actors and getting their feedback
Feeling like you are watching the movie as you write the script
Memorable Quotes
“The thing about screenwriting is that it’s such a rigidly formalistic, medium.” [3:52]
“I started thinking about the movie and I started watching a lot of tennis. Quickly, I became an obsessive tennis fan. I almost didn’t want to write the movie.” [11:40]
“It’s like the big bang. Once the character is there, it’s sort of like “Now, there is light!’” [14:23]
“If you feel like you are watching the movie when you’re writing it, hopefully, other people will feel that way, too.” [24:37]
Mentioned:
CHALLENGERS
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Packaging and the Death of Naked Specs
The days of selling naked specs are over. It’s now the filmmaker's job to understand how to package their projects. While many were opposed to packaging in the past, there are effective ways to approach the process that will leave you feeling empowered.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine, GG Hawkins, and Jason Hellerman discuss:
The benefits and drawbacks of packaging
Why Hollywood is risk averse right now
Packaging through the eyes of a writer or director
Naked specs - what are they?
What the packaging process looks like
Writing specs that can realistically be created
Why AI will not eliminate the need for skilled creatives
Collaborating with others so they feel comfortable and seen
The problems of measuring stardom
Memorable Quotes
“Your script has to be perfect by the time you turn it in. Nobody wants to develop anything anymore.” [7:48]
“It’s the job of a filmmaker to bend reality as far as you possibly can.” [15:16]
“AI often gives people the heebie jeebies.” [24:15]
“Every measurement tool we have is gibberish.” [27:20]
Mentioned:
Movies & TV How To Survive Until 2025 For Filmmakers
Scriptnotes Podcast - Ep 639 Intrinsic Motivation
Find No Film School everywhere:
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YouTube
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Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com!
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Live from NAB 2024: Blackmagic's CEO on the URSA Cine 12K & Future of AI
We had the chance to speak to Grant Petty of Blackmagic Design at this year’s NAB conference. It was as much of a conversation about technology and innovation as it was a conversation about human nature.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Jourdan Aldredge speaks with Blackmagic CEO Grant Petty to discuss:
Developing the URSA Cine with a post-production mindset
Zero-cost options from Blackmagic for beginners
Why Grant doesn’t like to compete with others
PYXIS camera and its features
Creating products that lend to an efficient post-production workflow
Exciting new changes and updates to DaVinci Resolve 19
Grant’s opinion on AI and the future of editing
The moment he fell in love with color correction
Feeling lonely and misunderstood
Why you have to be a ruthless, yet empathetic product engineer
Memorable Quotes
“Business people are some of the stupidest people in the world.” [22:25]
“A lot of this technology is just shit. It’s not very reliable.” [29:11]
“If it gets too smart, it’s just another species to kill. Humans are fantastic at killing everything. We just gotta go hunting computers.” [30:45]
“With creativity comes great loneliness.” [47:58]
“You got to be simultaneously ruthless and simultaneously full of empathy.” [50:00]
Mentioned:
A First-Hand Look at the New Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K at NAB 2024
Check out Jourdan's article
Blackmagic URSA Cine
Blackmagic PYXIS
DaVinci Resolve 19
Find No Film School everywhere:
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Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com!
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Editing Tyler Perry's Life Story with Filmmaker Erick Sasso
Erick Sasso is a multi-hyphenate creative and the editor of the film, Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, which documents the life of Tyler Perry. Erick compares the making of documentaries to the making of a meal. You need to use the right ingredients…not too much, not too little. And everyone at the table has to enjoy it.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Erick Sasso to discuss:
Making music videos with his friends in high school
Realizing you can reverse engineer in the edit
The importance of charging adequately for your services
How he landed the editing job on Maxine’s Baby
What it looks like to fall in love with the subject
Navigating topics such as abuse and childhood trauma
What it was like seeing emotional reactions from the audience
Important lessons he has learned about being a filmmaker
Setting up projects in Adobe Premiere
Overcoming tech fears and looking forward to new updates
Why editors make the best directors
Focusing on development and learning from others
Memorable Quotes
“Usually you are not charging enough. Usually, you are charging way less than industry standard.” [12:38]
“When you edit a lot, it’s really creepy when you meet people.” [32:59]
“You may think you are a hard worker until you meet someone who is doing 10x your output.” [35:09]
“You need to become a pro at uncertainty.” [60:24]
Mentioned:
Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
Erick's website
Connect with Erick on IG
Find No Film School everywhere:
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Facebook
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Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com!
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