The No Film School Podcast

65:42

How a $30K Animated Indie Scored a Theatrical Run —...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/04/03

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with animator and director Julian Glander about making his microbudget animated feature Boys Go to Jupiter for just $30,000, premiering it at Tribeca, building momentum through a 50-festival run, and eventually landing theatrical distribution and a streaming home on HBO Max. Glander breaks down the realities of producing an animated feature outside the studio system, from teaching himself new tools in Blender to embracing the scrappy story behind the film,

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60:55

The AI Doc Breakdown — Filmmaking in the Age of...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/27

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with director Charlie Tyrell and editors Davis Coombe and Daysha Broadway about The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. The conversation explores how the team shaped an essay-driven documentary around AI, parenting, authorship, and uncertainty, while also breaking down the collaborative editorial process, the ethics of making a film in real time about a rapidly changing subject, and the analog craft choices that gave the project its

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34:41

Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #1: 'OBEX'

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/26

GG Hawkins speaks with filmmaker Pete Ohs for the first installment in a quarterly 2026 series tracking how he releases four films over the course of the year. Using OBEX as the case study, Ohs breaks down the film’s microbudget production, Sundance 2025 premiere, U.S. acquisition by Oscilloscope, and the realities of theatrical rollout for independent films. Their conversation explores how booking works, what filmmaker participation in Q&As can actually do for a release, and where creative energy,

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56:29

SXSW 2026 Was Where Film and AI Met as Frenemies

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/19

Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge report from Austin during the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival, reflecting on how the event felt different after the convention center overhaul and how the festival’s film and tech worlds collided more directly than ever. They discuss the growing tension between filmmakers and artificial intelligence, the value of human intuition in directing and storytelling, standout panels and screenings, and what Ryan learned while serving on the narrative shorts jury. The episode also

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39:27

The Horror in What You Don’t See—How Sound and Rhythm...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/14

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with editor Sonny Atkins about shaping fear through sound, rhythm, and restraint in the horror feature Undertone. Atkins breaks down how the film’s audio-first concept influenced everything from the script to the cut, why long pauses and musical timing can heighten dread, and how a deeply personal story about grief and caregiving evolved through the editorial process. He also shares practical insights into working scrappy on a low-budget

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45:45

Director Amy Wang Reveals the Job That Keeps...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/12

Writer-director Amy Wang joins the No Film School podcast to discuss her debut feature, Slanted, and the long road from film school to theatrical release. In conversation with GG Hawkins, Wang reflects on leaving Australia for AFI, building a creative community in Los Angeles, learning to write as a practical path to survival in the industry, and what happened after Slanted premiered at SXSW 2025, won the Grand Jury Prize, and eventually landed distribution ahead of its 2026 theatrical release.In

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38:10

The Best Distillation of Filmmaking: An A24 Edit Case...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/03/06

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with editor Harrison Atkins about shaping A24’s How to Make a Killing with director John Patton Ford. Atkins breaks down his path into editing, his holistic “total filmmaker” approach to storytelling, and the editorial challenges of balancing dark comedy, violence, voiceover, and audience empathy around a morally compromised protagonist. The conversation also explores the realities of studio post-production, from long edit timelines and test screenings to cutting

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57:19

What These DPs Used Instead of Stills to Land Their...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/26

Recorded live at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, this annual Director of Photography Roundtable features No Film School’s GG Hawkins in conversation with cinematographers Lidia Nikonova, Sam Levy, and Maria Herrera. The group discusses their unconventional paths into cinematography—from orchestras and photojournalism to weddings and radio DJing—how they landed their Sundance projects, and why connection, rhythm, and trust matter more than flashy lookbooks. They also break down the

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40:31

‘Send Help’ Producer Zainab Azizi’s Studio Filmmaking...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/20

Producer Zainab Azizi joins GG Hawkins to break down her journey from agency mailroom to President of Raimi Productions and producing studio features like Send Help. Azizi shares how she develops original ideas, packages talent, protects projects through shifting studio mandates, and leads with a collaborative producing style. She also discusses mentoring female producers, balancing creative and financial realities in modern filmmaking, and why theatrical success for original films still

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58:41

The Quiet Throughline in This Year’s Sundance Shorts

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/19

Recorded live from the Sundance Film Festival, GG Hawkins hosts a roundtable conversation with four short film directors premiering work at the festival: Kelly McCormack (How Brief), Anna Baumgarten (Balloon Animals), Ana Alpízar (Norheimsund), and Anooya Swamy (Pankaja). The filmmakers discuss the origins of their films, navigating production across Cuba, India, Canada, and the U.S., working within (and outside of) film school structures, and the deeply personal themes of grief, mother-daughter

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50:18

How to Write Romance Scripts That Sell: Insider Tips...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/13

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with Madison Jones and Lindsay Grossman, co-founders of The Love List, along with filmmaker Shelby Blake Bartelstein, about what makes a romance script stand out in today’s marketplace. They discuss the origins of The Love List, the evolving appetite for romance across film and television, how to craft undeniable chemistry on the page, and why specificity, vulnerability, and the grand gesture are essential tools for writers hoping to sell in the genre.In this

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50:52

The Indie Exhibition Problem (And the People Fixing It)

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/06

Recorded live at Sundance, this episode features a wide-ranging roundtable on the current state of independent film exhibition. Host GG Hawkins speaks with festival programmers, exhibitors, and platform founders about what’s broken in the exhibition ecosystem, what’s actually working better than people realize, and how community-driven models—from art houses to new distribution tools—are reshaping how films are discovered, shown, and sustained beyond the festival circuit.In this episode, No Film

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82:06

How to Get Into — or at Least Go to — SXSW

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/02/05

In this episode, we dive into the logistics, strategy, and evolving experience of getting into and attending SXSW. GG Hawkins is joined by No Film School Founder Ryan Koo and a panel of SXSW insiders: Claudette Godfrey, Peter Hall, and Francis Román, who share their personal journeys into programming and illuminate the processes behind one of the most significant festivals in the world. Whether you’re hoping to submit, attend, or just understand the inner workings, this conversation offers clarity

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63:12

How to Self-Produce an Indie TV Pilot in Your...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/31

In this episode recorded live at the Sundance Film Festival, No Film School founder Ryan Koo sits down with Julien and Justen Turner—real-life brothers and co-creators of FreeLance, an indie TV pilot that debuted in the festival’s Episodic Pilot Showcase. The Turner Brothers walk through their journey of building a creative career outside of New York or LA, self-funding their show in Columbus, Ohio, and pulling off a high-production-value pilot in just four days. They talk about their process,

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88:09

How to Find Collaborators at Film Festivals, from...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/30

This episode of the No Film School Podcast is recorded live from the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, 2026. GG Hawkins and Ryan Koo are joined by No Film School writer Jo Light and special guest Teddy Kim to share insights and lessons from Sundance. Together, they reflect on what it takes to find true creative collaborators at festivals, how the indie landscape continues to shift, and why human connection still matters more than ever in a rapidly changing industry. The episode includes a

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45:26

One Last Run in Park City: How to Ski the Treacherous...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/26

In this episode recorded live from the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, GG Hawkins is joined by No Film School’s Ryan Koo and Jo Light to commemorate the end of an era. The trio dives into personal memories, the legacy of Robert Redford, and what the future may hold for the festival as it prepares to relocate to Boulder, Colorado. They reflect on how Sundance has supported filmmakers through its labs, how festival culture shapes careers, and the emotional highs and lows of navigating

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52:40

The Industry Awakens: What It Means for Your Short‑...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/22

January is often perceived as a slow month in Hollywood, but in reality it’s one of the most strategic windows of the year for filmmakers. On this episode, GG Hawkins and guests Ana Liza Muravina and John Lamm unpack how the industry “wakes up” in early 2026, what that means for creative careers, and how artists can structure their time, their projects, and their expectations to thrive amid shifting economic and ecosystem forces. From understanding industry seasonality, permission structures, and

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37:03

Breaking Down a Doc Fest Run: Process, People, and...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/15

In this episode, Charles Haine sits down with documentary co-directors Geneva Peschka and Anna Andersen to discuss their latest project The Solace of Sisterhood, which recently premiered at Tribeca. The conversation dives deep into the ethics of documentary filmmaking, how they found and built trust with their subjects—the Caramel Curves, a New Orleans-based all-female motorcycle club—and how they navigated a successful festival run. From storytelling intention to set culture, the team shares their

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46:39

Why Film Culture Still Needs Physical Spaces: A Case...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/09

This episode of the No Film School Podcast dives deep into the power and necessity of physical spaces in modern film culture. Host GG Hawkins sits down with Maggie Mackay, Executive Director and board member of Vidiots—a beloved LA video store-turned-nonprofit cultural institution. They explore the origins and revival of Vidiots, what it takes to build a sustainable, audience-centered film space in a digital world, and why community, curation, and accessibility matter more than ever. It’s a moving,

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75:26

How a Film Score Actually Gets Made (Step by Step) &...

The No Film School Podcast ·

2026/01/01

This episode of the No Film School Podcast features two deep and distinct conversations. First, host GG Hawkins reunites with filmmaker Pete Ohs, who returns to share the unique distribution experiment he’s launching with four films releasing throughout 2026. He reflects on his “table of bubbles” filmmaking philosophy and his desire to find joy instead of stress in the release process. Later, GG is joined by composer Hollie Buhagiar, whose original score for GG’s debut feature I Really Love My

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