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<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title>No Film School</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/</link><description>No Film School</description><atom:link href="https://nofilmschool.com/feeds/feed.rss" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:37:10 -0000</lastBuildDate><image><url>https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zNDM0MjQxMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc1Nzc2NzgwNH0.qhX7ZWubDjZEnjMXAc6bhocup5SCA9QnI3VdhfPoXe4/image.png?width=210</url><link>https://nofilmschool.com/</link><title>No Film School</title></image><item><title>Collaboration and Creative Risk-Taking: Lessons from Sundance Filmmakers</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/collaboration-and-creative-risk-taking-lessons-from-sundance-filmmakers</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60304265&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=100%2C0%2C100%2C0"/> The creative partnership between directors and editors can transform limited resources into powerful, thought-provoking storytelling. Jimpa and The Perfect Neighbor are two films where the <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/rian-johnson-and-editor-bob-ducsay-collaboration" target="_blank">collaborative and trusting working partnerships</a> enabled the filmmakers to tackle complex subjects in new ways, with sensitivity and impact.<h3></h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XM6psmoIwCw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><h2>Fluid Storytelling in Jimpa</h2>Jimpa, directed by Sophie Hyde and edited by Bryan Mason, is a multi-generational family drama that explores what happens when a trans, non-binary teenager decides to stay in Amsterdam with their gay grandfather, challenging family dynamics across generations. The director-editor team embraced a philosophy of fluid storytelling, allowing the narrative to evolve throughout the filmmaking process. As Hyde explains, “One of the things I think is exciting about filmmaking is that the questions of the story are live right until we finish.” This approach challenges the conventional notion that narrative decisions are locked in during scripting or production. By remaining open to change, Hyde and Mason created space for more nuanced character exploration and emotional depth. Mason’s editing choices played a critical role in maintaining this fluidity. Integrating flashbacks and shifting perspectives added complexity to the story without disrupting narrative coherence. “It was an interesting balance because it adds a really nice depth... you meet a character and then kind of cut into a moment from their past,” Mason reflected. “When it works, it tells you so much about that character in, like, two seconds. But when it doesn’t, it interrupts the thought.”<h2>Perspective and Bold Choices in The Perfect Neighbor </h2>In The Perfect Neighbor, director Geeta Gandbhir and editor Viridiana Lieberman take a new approach to a tragically familiar American story. Rather than focusing on the aftermath of gun violence, as many documentaries do, their film uses real-life footage to show viewers the dynamics that existed and evolved within a Florida community when Ajike Owens was fatally shot by her neighbor. The team used all real-life footage, including that from police body cameras, dashboard cameras, Ring doorbells, and more, to tell the story. Gandbhir’s guiding principle for the project was clear: “My North Star was keeping all of that footage in the POV of the neighborhood.” This commitment to perspective shapes the entire narrative, allowing viewers to experience the community through the eyes of its residents rather than as outside observers. Such an approach represents a significant creative risk, requiring both director and editor to resist conventional documentary techniques in favor of authentic community representation, all while remaining objective. For Lieberman, this editing project aligned with her creative desires. “My dream in life is to work on things that are specific, you know, and that are pushing forward, that are trying new things. And this was pure gut, you know, pure instinct,” she said. Her statement encapsulates the essence of creative risk-taking in independent film—following instinct over formula, pursuing specificity over broad appeal, and embracing experimentation.<h2>The Role of Technology in Modern Storytelling </h2>The evolution of filmmaking technology has significantly impacted the collaborative process between directors and editors. Bryan Mason notes that non-linear editing tools have made workflows quicker and more adaptable, allowing for increased experimentation. “The tools have progressed and made many actions easier,” Mason explains, highlighting how advancements like Speech to Text in Adobe Premiere Pro speed up workflows and empower filmmakers to test new ideas even when the timelines are short. For Jimpa, these technological capabilities made it easier to experiment with narrative structure, test different flashback sequences, and refine character development throughout post-production. Every edit became a risk assessment: would this cut deepen character understanding or disrupt narrative flow? The collaboration between Hyde and Mason created a safe space to experiment with these risks, testing boundaries while maintaining a cohesive narrative. Similarly, for The Perfect Neighbor, modern editing capabilities enabled Gandbhir and Lieberman to work with all real-life footage, material that might have been prohibitively difficult to shape into a compelling narrative with earlier, linear editing tools.<h2>Balancing Vision and Flexibility: The Art of Collaboration</h2>While tools can enhance the ability to experiment, the success of director-editor partnerships hinges on trust and effective communication that balances creative vision with collaborative input. Lieberman articulates this delicate dynamic: “I am passionate about having a seat at the table, so I will pitch ideas while honoring the vision of the director. And a big part of that is always really knowing what the idea is, what it's going to do, and why I believe in it. Then if it doesn’t work, it can still inspire another layer to our process.” Her approach reveals how productive collaboration requires both assertiveness and humility—the confidence to propose new ideas paired with the openness to see them evolve or transform. This philosophy creates space for creative risk-taking within a framework of mutual respect, allowing both director and editor to contribute to a unified vision without sacrificing their distinct perspectives. In the case of the Perfect Neighbor, the team’s vision and collaboration worked to enable the unconventional use of body camera footage. They relied on their teamwork, communication, and flexibility on narrative structure, pacing, and emotional impact — all while using material not intended for cinematic storytelling — to create a film filled with emotional authenticity and narrative clarity.You can hear more of this conversation on the <a href="https://youtu.be/XM6psmoIwCw?si=e-OeTATR4HmUAWEr" target="_blank">Adobe Video and Motion YouTube channel here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:50:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/collaboration-and-creative-risk-taking-lessons-from-sundance-filmmakers</guid><category>Sundance 2025</category><category>Jimpa</category><category>The perfect neighbor</category><category>Adobe sponsored</category><dc:creator>Sponsored Content</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60304265&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'Abraham's Boys' Production Designer Takes Us Through Building Period Horror</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/abrahams-boys-production-designer-steven-cirocco</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/abraham-s-boys-production-designer-takes-us-through-building-period-horror.jpg?id=61243510&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=160%2C0%2C160%2C0"/> Abraham's Boys arrives in theaters next weekend, inviting audiences to experience Van Helsing like they never have before. This revisionist period horror relies on the intricate production design of Steven Cirocco, who conducted heavy research, including reading the original novel by horror literature icon Joe Hill.I was excited to sit down with Steven to talk all things horror production design, and seeing your work up on the big screen.Let's dive into the interview. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ue02jqzWelE?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue02jqzWelE" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a><hr/>NFS: Hey Steven! Abraham's Boys tells the story of Van Helsing from a fresh perspective. What was your relationship like with the character and his history before signing on to this project? What kind of research went into your preparation for the film?Steven Cirocco: I’ve always loved Dracula, Van Helsing, and especially Mina. Funny enough, the first and last monologue I performed in high school was Van Helsing’s “rallying the troops” speech from the end of the Dracula stage play (I believe the William McNulty adaptation). I also have always loved the 2004 Van Helsing movie from an art department standpoint; the set decorator, Anna Pinnock, has a really cool body of work. I’ve also played the Fury of Dracula board game many times, where I always play as Mina. Steven Moffat’s Dracula is also worth mentioning, though more for character than for design. Outside of media, I just think Dracula is just a cool monster: he’s almost like a superhero in the sense that he looks humanoid, but has supernatural powers. Plus, in his human form, he’s portrayed as charming, alluring, and cultured. All of that makes creating a world and sets around the character particularly easy to lean into magical realism in a fun way because you have this character that has had hundreds of years to develop his style, with the wealth to do so, but has also been affected by an isolation from humans that could alter his sense of style one way or another. We often portray humans as losing touch with the “in” style as they get older, and it begs an interesting question: “If one were immortal, would they lose touch with the modern fashions, or continue to add to their personal sensibilities?” Most of the design of the film was from Mina’s perspective, however, and not Dracula’s, and a lot of my previous knowledge of what her surroundings might look like came from some of the media I mentioned before, as well as intellectual properties of a similar era, like Sherlock Holmes, and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Mina’s style was developed in the industrialization of England, where she was considered middle-class but had upper-class friends, and she brought that part of her to California when she decorated the interior of their home. Their home had electricity, which was still uncommon in that era in this part of the country, so they would be limited in what lighting fixtures they could find in California, and the same goes for artwork, so I imagined they shipped many of these things with them when they moved to their current home.NFS: The film is releasing in theaters nationwide. What does it mean to you for your production design to be seen on the big screen?SC: It’s still very surreal to see something I’ve spent so much time working on up on the big screen, especially as the Production Designer. It’s very cool to see a title card with just my name and title on it instead of being one of a hundred names in the crawl at the end. Often, when I’m designing a film, I only get a few chances to look at a monitor or watch a take while they’re shooting, so seeing a completed feature cut together after it’s been colored and sound designed, with an added musical score, is a huge emotional payoff. It’s always a funny situation working on a horror film and having to tell people in your support system, “it may not be something you want to see on a big screen…” knowing they don’t like horror films and you’re worried you may lightly traumatize them, but this is definitely one of those movies you want to see on the big screen if you can, especially if you’re trying to check out the work my team and I did. The amount of detail we put into these sets will be very apparent in every scene on the screen.NFS: Can you describe the collaborative process between yourself and the other department heads on Abraham's Boys? How did you all work together to achieve a period-accurate setting?SC: It was all very smooth for this film. I feel like whenever Natasha Kermani (writer/director) and Julia Swain (Director of Photography) ran something by me, or I ran something by them, we were all immediately on the same page, or at least that’s how I remember it. There have been times in my career when it has be challenging to work with a writer/director because they’re already so invested in an idea of the way the film should unfold, that when the inception of the creative elements begins to happen in pre-production for the other department heads, (which have their own creative sensibilities and set of past experience), pivoting to a new, or altered idea can involve a lot more emotional labor. Often, these pivots need to happen because of time, budget, or labor constraints, and I think that’s a concept that Natasha understands on a very professional level. The few times I pitched her an alternative that I thought stayed faithful to her original intentions, but could be accomplished by my department’s resources, she was very good at communicating, “this is the narrative beat I need for this moment,” and if our new plan executed that, she never had a problem making minor changes to the script, props or sets to accommodate our capabilities in respect to our limitations. Some of that comes from Natasha’s level of experience, and some of it is just her being a strong, versatile creative, but all of it made the process extremely painless and enjoyable. <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="08ef0856e66423deb1c9307be802aa50" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="a5cb2" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/abraham-s-boys.png?id=61243516&width=980"/> 'Abraham's Boys'Credit: Shudder NFS: Abraham's Boys is unique in that it merges the classic Dracula tale with a coastal California setting. How did you creatively navigate the competing dimensions of the film's setting and tone?SC: A lot of what made the exteriors period-accurate came from our location at Big Sky Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, CA, as the buildings we used were all already standing. We shot at Big Sky for 15 of our 18 production days, which made it really easy to work on different buildings of the Ranch as we needed them without having to do a company move or dividing the team too far apart. The interiors were where we were able to incorporate Mina’s gothic London aesthetic into the sets. Dark wallpaper and paint, vintage wood furniture, metal and glass lampshade, and cast iron appliances. All the interiors (with the exception of the upstairs hallway and bedrooms) were a blank slate when we came in, and they didn’t even have electricity, wallcoverings, or finished cabinetry. There are some before photos of the location <a href="http://www.stevencirocco.com" target="_blank">on my website</a> to give you an idea of the scope of work we accomplished. We were able to get in a week before production and give the interiors a full facelift, even adding a wall in the kitchen as well as all the light fixtures, down to the light switches. We did run into a problem where we were shooting exteriors in week one and didn’t have the budget to rent the interior furniture at the same time, and there were several shots close to the house looking through windows and glass door panes. In the end, we used a mixture of opaque green, as well as frosted vinyl, on the doors and thicker sheer curtains on the windows, and it all worked out. I was very intentional not to use any fabric lampshades anywhere in the house, since the room was already so dark from our wallpaper and ceiling paint, and fabric lampshades swallow so much light. We used entirely glass (with one or two metal) lampshades, and I feel like you can really feel the difference on camera. Being a 1915 period piece and having the self-imposed “no fabric lampshades” constraint, I feel like we found every glass lamp in the Los Angeles rental houses by the time we were done (big shout out to Practical Props and Universal Props for providing a large majority of our fixture rentals). A lot of the heavy lifting for the furniture and props staying in the period was accomplished through the research of my set decorator, Fiona Jett Robinson, and prop master, Starlette Cravings. Both of them did an amazing job of absorbing the era and putting their creative spin on it. There were several times when I would suggest a piece of furniture or a light fixture I thought looked cool, and Fiona would have to point out, “That’s from the ‘20s,” so a lot of the period accuracy is because of her hard work and ability to let me down easy.NFS: Your work on the indie drama Singing in My Sleep can also be found in theaters this weekend. How did your creative approach differ between the two projects?SC: Well, some processes are the same in every job: managing a team, breaking down scripts, digesting and executing massive workloads with mostly self-imposed deadlines, and a crazy amount of logistics and coordination of rentals, plus transportation of assets. Other than that, the rest was almost completely different between the two films. Singing in My Sleep is a modern, grounded slice of life film, and Abraham’s Boys is a stylized, magical realism period piece. With Singing in My Sleep, the big chunk of the sets were within the main character’s house, and after we found the location, we wanted to switch out a good amount of the furniture and artwork, so it became a game of filling the space with the stuff of a hip single mother and her musician daughter. A lot cozier and more colorful compared to the dark gothic interiors of Abraham’s Boys. It all comes down to character, though. You can tell a lot about someone by the stuff they surround themselves with in the spaces they’re comfortable in, especially in America, where industrialization and mass production of goods are very commonplace. There are always things that are necessary because they’re called out by the script or are needed to support the blocking of the characters during the scene, and the rest comes down to taste and trying to understand what an audience will think about a character when they see their material belongings, even if the audience is feeling a lot of those things subconsciously. That’s the biggest difference between the two films. In Singing in My Sleep, if my team and I are doing a good job, most people will never consciously notice our work, whereas in Abraham’s Boys, the Van Helsings’ surroundings are screaming to be noticed by the audience.NFS: You also have a really cool background designing sets for BuzzFeed and Smosh. What were your favorite projects from this juncture in your career?SC: BuzzFeed and Smosh were both huge learning curves in my career. I was doing so many sets a week at both of them, often by myself or with one or two other people, and very little time and money, that a big part of those jobs involved learning to put systems in place to make everything run smoothly and partially autonomously. Sometimes those systems sacrificed being able to take big creative swings, but it was the only way to stay afloat, as I was also managing the Wardrobe department. The experiences got me comfortable with all the details in the process of bringing sets to life, however, and a better understanding of how the right schedule or paperwork created can leave brainpower free to focus on creative decisions. At BuzzFeed, we had two houses on the street behind the studio that the company owned and connected to the back of the studio lot, and I remember a set very early on where I had to dress one of the living rooms of one of those houses, which was entirely empty to start, and it was just this huge shift in my understanding of how much stuff it takes to fill a room and make it look lived in. You spend so much time in your house, but you rarely think about how much stuff is actually in the room, and what it would be like to go out and find all those things at one time. Many people get an idea of the amount of stuff in their home whenever they are moving, and most people usually have some sort of thought of “where did all this come from?” or “why do I have so much stuff?” but most people will never have the job of starting with a bare room and taking it to a filled space in a matter of hours. There are sometimes hundreds of minor decisions that have to be made quickly to make something like that happen, and there is a ton of logistics, coordination, and adaptability that goes into it as well. It’s not a job that people who suffer from indecision could do well, I don’t think. You have to learn to trust your instincts, and have to be able to have a strong sense of both imagination and spatial reasoning. All that to say, BuzzFeed and Smosh weren’t places I was responsible for these huge, groundbreaking sets, but rather a place to hone my skills so I was ready when bigger sets came along. I did, however, do a very cool Hogwarts Dungeon Classroom while I was at BuzzFeed that I’m still really proud of. BuzzFeed had a standing Midwest dive bar set, and in the matter of 24 hours, I turned it into a Hogwarts Dungeon Classroom for the video “If Hogwarts Taught Sex Ed”, produced by Mike Rose, and with help from some great superiors in the art department, Michael Chavez, and Laina Kaffenberger. I’m still really proud of what we pulled off in such a short time. There are photos of the set still <a href="http://www.stevencirocco.com" target="_blank">on my website</a>, all these years later, after hundreds of other sets have come and gone, because it still stands out as a good representation of my work. Of course, the video was shot, and 24 hours after that, the set was back to a mid-west dive bar, but that’s the nature of the job: we create, cameras roll, everything gets packed up and carted out like it was never there. It’s why I’ve always loved Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace for the first World’s Fair, a structure, created for a specific event in Hyde Park, that had to be constructed in a way that had not been done yet, with new materials of the age (large glass panes), and then had to be deconstructed just as quick, all without modifying or damaging the surroundings.NFS: Abraham's Boys traces complex themes of hereditary sin. How did you aim to express these ideas through the production design on the film?SC: I thought a lot about isolation when designing this film, which is one of the integral elements of horror as a genre. The decision not to put a phone in the Van Helsing home was maybe the most tangible example of that intention within my department, and the location of the movie ranch did a lot of the subconscious heavy lifting for the audience. I think, when people are isolated from other humans or are isolated from new ideas and new ways of thinking, it tends to weaken our resolve against the difficulties we face in the world, as well as diminish our sense of community, making it harder to value what we have that’s worth being grateful for. There are plenty of studies that show how isolation can shorten a lifespan and diminish happiness, but even on a more zoomed-in thought-to-thought basis, I think isolation can make us lose touch with our sense of identity, sense of community, and, to some degree, our sense of our humanity. This idea shows up a lot during the film, especially through the character Abraham, but I think most of the idea is reflected through the script, directing, and the acting, more than the production design. My intent was to make sure that when those moments were expressed, the actors, and later the audience, felt like the environments they were expressed in supported the way the characters were thinking and feeling.NFS: Is there anything else you would like to share about Abraham's Boys or your career at large?SC: I have another film that I was the production designer of coming out, I believe, later this summer, titled Beneath the Light, written, edited, and directed by my good friend, John Baumgartner. A pretty cool horror film, a lot of which takes place in a lighthouse on Lake Erie. A really interesting and unique experience where we literally had to take boats out to the lighthouse to film and were regularly fighting weather that would create moments where we had a very limited window to get off the lighthouse or we'd get stuck on the island overnight, whether we were done filming or not. It was all shot in Lorain, Ohio, John's hometown, and is worth checking out once it finds its release date! Other than that, I do some pretty cool Creator to Creator shoots for Sony (produced by Illium Pictures, the production company that made Abraham’s Boys), a few times a year. Right now, they're focused on the filmed podcast version of the show, where the set is consistent every episode, but we have some cool past videos for Uncharted, Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and some other big properties that are worth taking a look at on YouTube. Other than that, I have an island western film on Tubi that I art directed in Hawaii a few years ago called Paradise (2024), written and directed by Max Issacson, starring Patricia Allison, and production designed by the amazing Chad Harris. Also, check out Abraham's Boys in theaters if you get a chance, and on Shudder after that! Same with Singing in My Sleep, which, in addition to having a limited theater run, is also available to rent on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:31:46 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/abrahams-boys-production-designer-steven-cirocco</guid><category>steven cirocco</category><category>Abraham's boys</category><category>Horror</category><category>Production design</category><category>Interviews</category><category>Production design</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/abraham-s-boys-production-designer-takes-us-through-building-period-horror.jpg?id=61243510&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Frances McDormand And Joel Coen Explain the Thought Process Behind Their Films</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/frances-mcdormand-and-joel-coen-explain-the-thought-process-behind-their-films</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/frances-mcdormand-and-joel-coen-explain-the-thought-process-behind-their-films.jpg?id=34084243&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=37%2C0%2C37%2C0"/> I love when stars and directors do question and answer sessions in small towns, and you get audience questions that actually help open them up to the talking process and ideation. In this video from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UpstateFilms72" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Upstate Films</a>, we see acclaimed actor Frances McDormand and celebrated <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/coen-directing-tips" target="_blank">director Joel Coen</a> offer a glimpse into their creative processes, sharing insights on everything from the cultural nuances of Fargo to the cathartic power of Women Talking.Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>Frances McDormand And Joel Coen Talking Movies </h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aeOCBXvPA_Y?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>This video just dives into the Q&A part of a screening where we immediately get them talking about the Coen Brothers' classic, Fargo. It's a movie packed with unique dialogue, punctuated by pregnant pauses and the now-iconic "yahs." Joel Coen revealed that these weren't improvisational quirks but were meticulously scripted, creating a "musical score" that defined the film's rhythm. He humorously recalled that many Minnesotans, while not recognizing the speech pattern in themselves, would often say, "I don't talk like that, but I know people who do".As someone who is married to a Minnesotan, I can confirm this is true. <h2>A Response to a Cultural Movement</h2>Frances McDormand then shared her personal connection to the film Women Talking, which she stars in. She explained that the novel was sent to her by a colleague. She started reading it in the wake of the Me Too movement, and found it to be a powerful tool for processing her own feelings about the cultural conversation. McDormand was particularly drawn to the way the story portrayed a community of women who, after experiencing trauma, engaged in a nuanced debate about how to move forward.<h2>The Three Acts of Filmmaking</h2>The Coens and Frances McDormand have been around for a long time, making some of the greatest movies we've ever seen. Joel Coen shed light on his and his brother's filmmaking journey for each of their movies, which he divides into three distinct acts. The first is the solitary act of writing, a process he likens to that of a novelist or painter. They sit there and just work out the story together. This is followed by the "extremely fraught and large social construct" of production, an intense and collaborative period on set. You shoot the movie and work with the actors, trying to make what you put on the page. Finally, there is the more relaxed and structured environment of the editing room, which he humorously compares to a "bank," with regular hours and less pressure than other filmmakers might experience. For Coen, it is the ever-changing nature of these phases that keeps him engaged and passionate about his craft. <h2>On-Set Laughter</h2>In the final portion of the video, McDormand adds a lighthearted anecdote about her and Coen's on-set dynamic, admitting they are "notorious" for laughing and ruining sound takes when a scene is going particularly well. Those takes are the joyous times ot be on set, and it sounds like they'd be fun to work with, regardless. <h2>Summing It All Up </h2>I love small videos like this. They range in topics, and you get a lot of cool anecdotes and can dig deeper into process and the origins of movies. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:15:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/frances-mcdormand-and-joel-coen-explain-the-thought-process-behind-their-films</guid><category>Frances mcdormand</category><category>Fargo</category><category>Women talking</category><category>Joel coen</category><category>Joel coen</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/frances-mcdormand-and-joel-coen-explain-the-thought-process-behind-their-films.jpg?id=34084243&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Get Discounts on Some of Sony's Most Popular Digital Cameras With These Deals</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/deals-of-the-week-sony-a-series-cameras</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/get-discounts-on-some-of-sony-s-most-popular-digital-cameras-with-these-deals.png?id=61244262&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=97%2C0%2C98%2C0"/> One of the most popular brands in the world, not just for cameras, but for almost literally everything else too, Sony has made a name for itself as a legacy tech brand known worldwide for its performance and quality. In the realm of digital cameras, Sony is one of the top-selling brands for a reason.And if you've never tried or owned a Sony camera before, or if you're looking to upgrade your current Sony camera and gear, then this might be a great time to pounce. For our latest "<a href="https://nofilmschool.com/tag/filmmaking-deals-of-the-week" target="_self">Deals of the Week</a>" roundup, we're looking at five popular Sony digital cameras that would all be great options for your filmmaking and hybrid photo and video needs.<div><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1762211-REG/amaran_ap30011a10_300c_rgb_led_monolight.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1231259/SID/pb" target="_blank"></a></div><ul><li>Sony ZV-1 Digital Camera: <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1565880-REG/sony_dczv1_b_zv_1_digital_camera.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1531677/SID/pb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$698</a></li><li>Sony a7 III Mirrorless Camera: <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1394217-REG/sony_ilce_7m3_alpha_a7_iii_mirrorless.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$1,498</a></li><li>Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera: <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1667800-REG/sony_ilce_7m4_b_alpha_a7_iv_mirrorless.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1796761/SID/pb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$2,398</a></li><li>Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera:<a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1577838-REG/sony_ilce7sm3_b_alpha_a7s_iii_mirrorless.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> $3,498</a></li><li>Sony a7R V Mirrorless Camera: <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1731389-REG/sony_alpha_camera.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1458833/SID/pb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$3,798</a></li></ul><div><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1731389-REG/sony_alpha_camera.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1458833/SID/pb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></div><div><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1731389-REG/sony_alpha_camera.html/BI/5955/KBID/6829/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x1458833/SID/pb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>You can find more <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/tag/filmmaking-deals-of-the-week" target="_blank">filmmaking deals</a> here.</div><div><del></del></div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:54:05 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/deals-of-the-week-sony-a-series-cameras</guid><category>Filmmaker deals</category><category>Filmmaking deals of the week</category><category>Deals</category><category>Sony cameras</category><category>Sony zv-1</category><category>Sony a7 iii</category><category>Sony a7 iv</category><category>Sony a7s iii</category><category>Sony a7r v</category><category>Filmmaking deals of the week</category><dc:creator>NFS Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/get-discounts-on-some-of-sony-s-most-popular-digital-cameras-with-these-deals.png?id=61244262&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Kenneth Lonergan Breaks Down His Highly Underrated Debut Feature</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/kenneth-lonergan-directing-reflection</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/kenneth-lonergan-on-his-highly-underrated-movie.jpg?id=61244074&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=97%2C0%2C98%2C0"/> I remember seeing You Can Count On Me not when it came out, but a few years later, when I was in college. It was the last movie of the first semester of my freshman year, shown to me in, like, Film 101. I don't remember the lessons, I just remember a movie kicking my ass.This was a deep exploration of siblings, life, and tragedy, and it was almost impossible to believe that it was the director's first feature.Well, it's been a while since Kenneth Lonergan made that movie, and since he's graced us with a few other <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/2016/11/manchester-by-the-sea-kenneth-lonergan" target="_blank">movies that contemplate guilt, mourning, and life in general</a>, like Manchester by the Sea and Margaret.But You Can Count on Me is getting a 4K release, and Lonergan actually sat down with <a href="https://letterboxd.com/journal/kenneth-lonergan-you-can-count-on-me-interview-criterion/" target="_blank">Letterboxd</a> to talk about that and much more.I wanted to pull out some of his best quotes.Let's dive in. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55MVAFsS7iM?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55MVAFsS7iM" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a><hr/><h2>Kenneth Lonergan Talks about His Films </h2>I'm a massive Kenneth Lonergan fan. I just think he writes some of the most lively characters. They feel like people he knows and talks to. And there's a deep beauty in that.When asked about You Can Count on Me and how it exemplifies tragedy within life and his other movies, Lonergan said, "I think you tend to write about things that are troublesome to you, or I think things you worry about are things that you end up working on. So I’d say that’s part of it. Then one of the obvious differences between a religious viewpoint and a secular one is that the religious viewpoint provides some kind of a purported answer to what our lives are all about and what happens after we die, and why bad things happen. Even if the answer is “nobody knows, but there’s a reason.” To me, it’s a totally unsatisfactory answer. But if that means something to you, it seems to feel better than “there seems to be no purpose to anything and you have to figure one out for yourself,” which isn’t always easy to do."This is such a good extrapolation of the emotions within the film, and it digs into how you get those ideas out of your head and onto the page. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XP71dJlnLJQ?rel=0&start=13" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube<h2>Opening Scenes</h2>Another quote that really floored me was when Lonergan talked about the initial meeting of brother and sister in the movie, when Mark Ruffalo's character comes home to buy money.He gave a very long and detailed answer about the scene and what the stakes are within it, and then how he directed the actors.Lonergan extrapolated, "You put your finger on it that she thinks he’s coming home for a visit. He knows he’s there to borrow money, and he knows perfectly well how happy she is that he’s coming home for a visit. So that already puts them at internal loggerheads as they go into the restaurant. On the other hand, he really loves her and he’s really glad to see her. I love that this is all in the performances. I mean, it was in the script, too, but the shot where he’s waiting outside the restaurant anxiously smoking a cigarette—plus he’s gotten stoned, which doesn’t help at all—and then she’s behind him and then he turns around. My father, when he saw that movie, he said, “Boy, that’s when you really fall in love with her because she does this.” She waves at him, with this just [flailing arms around] this excited wave. She’s so happy to see him that he just forgets everything, and he’s just happy to see her, too. It’s this really nice moment, but it doesn’t hold because he’s in trouble and needs money, and it makes it even harder for him to be back in town."So, how did he get those performances out of them in that moment?Lonergan said, "Another thing that was really important that I wanted to talk through with the actors, just as a fundamental aspect of the scene, is that they don’t have the kind of relationship where he can’t tell her he was in jail. That would be a very easy thing to avoid telling her, so he knows how, and you’re perfectly right, and I was completely wrong, he feels very guilty about letting her down. He says it as much, 'I feel like I’ve let you down all the time.' I think it’s a terrible feeling, and he doesn’t want to be doing that. I said to them, 'It’s not like you can just not tell her. It’s too big a thing not to tell her because you’re very close. You’re always in touch, you know you haven’t written.' But she also doesn’t want to be jumping down his throat. She doesn’t say right away, 'Where have you been?' But he can’t have disappeared for six months without saying why he didn’t write, and he didn’t just forget. He’s been in prison, which he’s never done before, and it is just in the air. So as soon as they get done saying hello, it’s going to come up. Especially since he’s even more uncomfortable, clearly, and more awkward, clearly, than even that would account for. Because then it’s also the money. So it just gets worse and worse. He’s got to tell her he was in jail, and then he’s got to tell her that he’s really here to borrow money because he’s got his girlfriend pregnant. He knows it’s going to be a disappointment to her because she thought he was just coming for a visit, and then also yet another disappointment to her in the way that his life is going."To keep the actors on pace, he gives them a lot of information, and then also lets them find these characters themselves.He explained, "That’s all behind the scenes, and then you tell that to the actors and they know what to do. You can point out little moments, and then they also provide moments in spades that you never thought of. I remember they have this blow up and then it dies down. He just yelled at her, basically, like, 'I’m sorry, I’m sorry, get off my back!' Then there’s a pause, and she says, 'Can I ask you something?' and he says, 'Sure.' They both have great instincts, but I remember I gave Mark a note: 'Just find out what she wants to know. Tell her it’s okay. You’re not mad.' Then he does this beautiful rendering. He says, 'Sure, you can. Of course, you can.' He reassures her right away. They’re always coming back to a place of liking each other. Never mind that they love each other, but they just have this connection. That’s what the problem is, because they’re connected enough that they really get on each other’s nerves, and also they’re just not going to find a middle distance, which a lot of siblings find. Their relationship is very intense because they never had anybody else except each other until she had Rudy." <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ad4VvlLYJ9o?rel=0&start=38&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqrIlWnHBv8Te_KFYlPLG18a" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> <h2>How to Handle Success </h2>In the You Can Count on Me commentary, Kenneth Lonergan says, “My whole life, I’ve been worried if I would be any good if I ever became successful. If that would ruin me artistically.”But does he still feel this way?Lonergan has won an Academy Award and has been lauded by actors, other directors, and producers as one of the best filmmakers working.When asked if he still carries this weight, Lonergan said, "I think it’s possible that I don’t think I’ve demonstrated to myself sufficiently in the last few years that it has not ruined me creatively. I suspect that I had a big fallow period after <a href="https://boxd.it/b2L0" target="_blank">Manchester</a>, which I don’t know whether I was just out of gas or whether I spent a year promoting the movie, and it did so well that I then became very self-conscious about what I was going to do next. I think it’s the latter. So I think it had an effect on my confidence and my feeling of privacy and autonomy of working on things and putting things out there. I think it put a certain amount of pressure on me that I didn’t feel before."That's a good way to look at it, especially with how success can change you.Lonergan openly acknowledges that.He says, "I’ve also seen so many people, especially in this culture, which makes such a stink over success—where everybody who does well at all is suddenly in every magazine getting attention—it’s great for your ego, and it’s great for your confidence in a way, but it also is weird. It does suddenly give you another identity that you didn’t have before. In the same way that sitting at home worrying that you are terrible and no one’s going to like what you’re doing isn’t healthy, thinking you’re a genius because everybody’s telling you that, I don’t think, is that healthy for the creative process. It stops being a conversation between you and your work, and it becomes a conversation between you and your imaginary friends and enemies, and that’s very different. You’re not thinking about, 'Do I need this scene where she helps them get a job or not?' You’re thinking about, 'Is this one of the great scenes that I’m famous for being so good at, or is this one of those dumb, bad scenes that everyone’s going to hate?' Those are not helpful lines along which to be thinking."<h2>Summing It All Up </h2>I thought this was an inspiring look at Kenneth Lonergan's most underrated work and a journey into how he works on scenes. I'm excited for the 4K release of the film and for everyone who hasn't seen it to check it out.Let me know what you think in the comments.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:15:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/kenneth-lonergan-directing-reflection</guid><category>You can count on me</category><category>Directing</category><category>Directing tips</category><category>Kenneth lonergan</category><category>Kenneth lonergan</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/kenneth-lonergan-on-his-highly-underrated-movie.jpg?id=61244074&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>This Thermal Cage Kit Lets Your Smartphone Shoot Longer Without Breaking a Sweat</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/smallrig-thermal-live-streaming-and-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/smallrig-all-in-one-thermal-live-streaming-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit.jpg?id=61243343&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=110%2C0%2C110%2C0"/> While its name might be a mouthful, the new SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit packs a lot into its simple concept and design. This new smartphone cage kit could be an ideal option for creators looking to really push the limits of how long they can record and stream footage when on the go.The SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit is set to include an active cooling smartphone cage, a power bank holder, and a 4-in-1 USB-C audio and power hub. Let’s look at everything you’ll get with this helpful new smartphone filmmaking solution from SmallRig.<hr/><h3>The SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e39816b5bd1c3eba327b5bcb16ad9658" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="63e1c" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243346&width=980"/>As mentioned above, the SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit is tailored for smartphone filmmakers and live streamers looking to get the most out of their iPhone or Android device setups.
Perhaps most notably here, this cage features a powerful 15W cooling system with three selectable levels to prevent devices from overheating, preventing issues like screen blackouts and power shutdowns during extended shoots. The quick-release side handles provide stability and fluid movements, plus the ability to start and stop filming with an ergonomically placed wireless remote trigger.
The versatile 4-in-1 USB-C hub allows simultaneous charging and audio input when connected to a user-supplied power bank. The power bank clamp securely holds a compatible power bank in the rig.<h3>Price and Availability</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b43c3928bf0f9eeccfcad4db939265f5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0d780" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243347&width=980"/>The SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit is out and available for preorder now. Here are the full specs and purchase options:
<ul><li>For Extended Recording & Live Streaming</li><li>Holds Smartphones 2.5 to 3.1" Wide</li><li>Cooling Cage with 3 Power Levels</li><li>Rotating Handles with Wireless Control</li><li>Power Bank Holder & USB-C Power Hub</li></ul><h3>SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a40e71022026a2c746ac1c078b832370" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="62a9b" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243336&width=980"/>The All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit from SmallRig is designed for mobile content creators who need extended recording and live streaming capabilities.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:50:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/smallrig-thermal-live-streaming-and-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit</guid><category>Smallrig</category><category>Smallrig cage kit</category><category>Smartphone filmmaking</category><category>Smallrig all-in-one thermal live streaming & filming handheld phone cage kit</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/smallrig-all-in-one-thermal-live-streaming-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit.jpg?id=61243343&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>What Movies Inspire Ari Aster?</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/what-movies-inspire-ari-aster</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/what-movies-inspire-ari-aster.jpg?id=61243990&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=233%2C0%2C233%2C0"/> Man, it's so refreshing to have a director like <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/aster-directing-lessons" target="_blank">Ari Aster</a> working consistently in Hollywood. I'm very interested in the kinds of movies he makes and the way he sees the world. That's why I was pumped to see him sitting across from Sean Evans, the best interviewer of our time, talking about the movies that influenced his new movie, Eddington, and what other movies inspire him. Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>Ari Aster's Deep Dive on Himself </h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OJZtL4_R20c?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Ari Aster is the director behind movies like Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau is Afraid. His new movie, Eddington, opens this week and is already getting the kind of reviews that make me so excited to see it. Eddington is set in the not-so-distant past of COVID 2020. It's a time when we all lost our minds. At its heart, Aster says Eddington is an empathetic look at individuals living in their own isolated worlds, a theme I think resonates with his previous works. Aster also revealed that the film acknowledges and plays with the tropes of the <a data-linked-post="2661190381" href="https://nofilmschool.com/western-genre" target="_blank">Western genre</a>, with its main character being heavily influenced by some of the <a data-linked-post="2667645923" href="https://nofilmschool.com/best-western-movies" target="_blank">best Western movies.</a><a href="https://nofilmschool.com/best-western-movies">.</a>As someone who loves <a data-linked-post="2661193081" href="https://nofilmschool.com/pastiche-definition" target="_blank">pastiche</a> and playing with <a data-linked-post="2661195278" href="https://nofilmschool.com/movie-trope-definition" target="_blank">tropes</a>, it really made me pumped to dive into this world with him. But what are the movies that influenced him? <h3>The Films That Made the Filmmaker</h3>The real treat of the video is seeing Aster geek out over cinematic history. He delves into a treasure trove of archival materials, sharing his thoughts on films that have inspired him.<ul><li>Fat City (1972): Looking at storyboards from John Huston's boxing drama, Aster praises its realistic and grounded portrayal of a small town, drawing a parallel to his own ambitions for Eddington.</li><li>Nashville (1975): Aster's admiration for Robert Altman's masterpiece is palpable. He calls it one of the greatest films ever made about America, a sprawling "circus" of eccentric characters. In a sweet anecdote, he shares that Nashville's writer, Joan Tewkesbury, was the first person to read one of his screenplays when he was just 13 years old. </li><li>JFK (1991): Oliver Stone's controversial and technically brilliant film is another touchstone for Aster. He marvels at its incredible editing and design, noting how it taps into the "fever of conspiracy thinking" that is so deeply woven into the fabric of American culture.</li><li>Unforgiven (1992): Aster calls this a very full film, and talks about how the movie takes apart the tropes of the western, and how that allowed him to inspire the main character in Eddington. </li><li>Joe (1970): While not a personal favorite, Aster appreciates the script for this film and its exploration of American rage and the division between the working class and the rest of society.</li><li>The Ballad of Narayama (1958/1983): Aster's love for Japanese cinema shines through as he discusses this powerful film about a village's tradition of leaving its elderly to die on a mountain. He draws a clear connection to the unsettling themes in his own film, Midsommar.</li></ul><h3>A Place in History</h3>The video ends with Aster discovering that he already has his own file in the Academy Archives, which may be one of the coolest things for any movie nerd out there. To know his art is already being appreciated is very cool. I'm pumped to see Eddington and to see whatever Aster makes next. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:29:26 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/what-movies-inspire-ari-aster</guid><category>Sean evans</category><category>Eddington</category><category>Ari aster</category><category>Favorite films</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/what-movies-inspire-ari-aster.jpg?id=61243990&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Picking Apart the Art of Moving the Camera</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/the-art-of-camera-movement</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/picking-apart-the-art-of-moving-the-camera.webp?id=61243883&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> I feel like the rise in being able to shoot digitally and not on film has really affected cinematography. Frequently, I'm seeing boring shots and a lot of static cameras. I don't need them to move the camera all the time; I need them to care about why they're choosing these shots. I'm not sure if it's to save money or because everything is shot on volume stages and they need the right angles for CGI, but it feelsl ike we've lost the art of camera movement in this industry. That's why I think every cinematographer out there should watch this new video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheHouseofTabula" target="_blank">The House of Tabula</a>, which is a deep dive into the stylistic choices and impact of camera movement in filmmaking.Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>The Art Of Moving The Camera </h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ptQwvGcLZIw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Like I said in the opener, I feel like we've lost our way when it comes to moving the camera. It should be giving the viewer a point of view or plunge us directly into the action. Camera movement evokes excitement, energy, and dynamism. It has to connect us to the events on screen. Think of the raw, immersive feel of a handheld camera in a film like City of God, which makes the chaos feel palpable and real. Or consider the meticulously planned tracking shots in a Scorsese film, which build a sense of urgencyA moving camera is a character in itself.But it doesn't have to always move... <h3>The Strength in Stillness</h3>There's a lot of power in a static shot. A still camera, the video explains, can offer a sense of peace, stability, and objectivity. It allows the viewer to observe the world within the frame without intrusion, taking in the entire composition.It can slow things down, calming the audience or lulling them into a certain emotion or mindset. Filmmakers like Japan's Yasujirō Ozu perfected this with his famous "tatami shot," where the camera is placed at a low, still height to quietly observe the subtle dynamics of family life.We have a whole post on that <a data-linked-post="2661194538" href="https://nofilmschool.com/ozu-vase" target="_blank">vase shot</a>! The static camera in a film like First Reformed creates a cold, clinical, and indifferent world, trapping its characters within the unblinking frame. Stillness isn't a lack of action; it's a deliberate choice that forces us to look closer.But it needs to be planned out. There needs to be a reason why we're still. <h3>Expressionism vs. Formalism</h3>Diving deeper, the video connects these two approaches to fundamental filmmaking philosophies. The moving camera often leans into <a data-linked-post="2661203264" href="https://nofilmschool.com/2016/08/german-expressionism" target="_blank">expressionism</a>, embracing chaos, emotion, and even abstraction to convey a feeling. The static camera, however, is a tool of <a data-linked-post="2664251643" href="https://nofilmschool.com/what-is-formalism-in-film" target="_blank">formalism</a>, allowing for meticulous composition, balance, and a clear display of the fundamentals of filmic grammar.<h3>Play With Your Toolbox</h3>Ultimately, the video concludes that the best filmmakers don't choose a side; they use the entire toolbox. You can do anything, just make sure you have a reason and that you're doing it thinking of how to appeal to the audience and the story, not just setting up to shoot. Blend your approaches and see what you can get. The core message is that camera movement—or the lack thereof—is never arbitrary. It's a choice that adds layers of substance and meaning to a film. I want that meaning back on the big screen. Let us know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:15:39 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/the-art-of-camera-movement</guid><category>Camera angles</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>Camera movement</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/picking-apart-the-art-of-moving-the-camera.webp?id=61243883&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>The First Hands-On Reviews of the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Are In</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-ursa-cine-immersive-reviews</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/blackmagic-ursa-cine-immersive-reviews.jpg?id=61243295&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> While we’ve gotten the chance to <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-ursa-cine-immersive-first-look#" target="_self">check out the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera in person</a> a few times now, we’ve been patiently waiting for someone—really anyone—to be able to take this powerful new 16K stereoscopic 3D 180-degree camera out into the wild and really take it through the paces.In what will likely lead to a cascade of reviews and tutorials, we do have the lead on one of the first hands-on reviews of the URSA Cine Immersive, which showcases quite a lot about how the camera works, what it’s capable of, and even gives some insights into the best settings to use for it.So, without further ado, let’s check out this hands-on review by YouTube creator <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hughhou" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugh Hou</a> and see what insights we can share from this video.<hr/><h3></h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DuBnNhu4nLs?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><h3>Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Hands-On Review</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ad9abc38d60e90c601b943ad50bdcc0a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="698c2" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55352170&width=980"/>Featuring Apple Immersive Video support with dual 8160 x 7200 58.7MP sensors capable of capturing immersive 8K images at up to 90 fps and with an impressive 16 stops of dynamic range, the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive is certainly one of the most ambitious cameras we’ve seen, perhaps ever.
Yet, even when we got to check it out in person at SXSW and <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-shows-off-complete-immersive-video-experience-for-first-time-at-nab-2025#" target="_self">NAB this year</a>, there have been questions about what the workflow would actually look (and feel) like for creators looking to make this style of immersive video content.
As you can see in the video above, so many of these questions are starting to get answered. This video goes through quite a bit too, including the following beats:
<ul><li>What comes in the production box of the URSA Cine Immersive</li><li>The best camera settings for Apple Vision Pro–quality results</li><li>Live comparisons with Canon EOS VR, RED V-Raptor [X], and Insta360 X5</li><li>How to manage RAW fisheye image quality</li><li>Proper shutter angle, ND use, ISO, and ambisonic audio tips</li><li>The truth about B-mount vs. V-mount batteries (and how to save money)</li><li>How Apple’s metadata-driven workflow transforms footage in post</li><li>Sample shots and Apple Vision Pro playback tips</li></ul><h3>The Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive</h3> Whether you’re interested in possibly buying (or more likely, renting) the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive yourself one day, it’s nice to be able to get as much info as possible about how the camera looks and works with this high-end Apple Immersive Video footage.
As far as functionality goes, the URSA Cine Immersive is equipped with a wide range of connectivity options, including 12G-SDI, 10G Ethernet, USB-C, and XLR for high-end professional audio capture. It records Blackmagic RAW files and has a convenient fold-out 5" touchscreen monitor with HDR support.
It also sports a set of antennas for high-speed Wi-Fi capability, along with a digital download code for DaVinci Resolve Studio editing software. If you’re curious to check out the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive yourself, you can review the full specs and purchase options below.
<ul><li>Apple Immersive Video Support</li><li>Dual 8160 x 7200 58.7MP Sensors</li><li>180° Media Format</li><li>8K Captured at up to 90 fps Supported</li><li>16 Stops of Dynamic Range</li><li>Fold-Out 5" HDR Touchscreen Monitor</li><li>12G-SDI/Ethernet/USB-C/XLR Connectivity</li><li>Antennas for High-Speed Wi-Fi</li><li>DaVinci Resolve Studio Software Included</li><li>Magnesium Alloy & Carbon Fiber Build</li></ul><h3>Blackmagic Design URSA Cine Immersive Camera</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="36bafe139852a0755e6ddb315358ac4d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f69b7" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243299&width=980"/>Enter the realm of 180° media with the URSA Cine Immersive Camera from Blackmagic Design.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 16:56:47 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-ursa-cine-immersive-reviews</guid><category>Blackmagic design</category><category>Blackmagic ursa cine immersive</category><category>Camera review</category><category>Blackmagic ursa cine immersive reviews</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/blackmagic-ursa-cine-immersive-reviews.jpg?id=61243295&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Get These Major Support Enhancements for Your Canon EOS Cameras and Lenses</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/canon-firmware-updates-new</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/canon-firmware-updates.jpg?id=61243259&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C252%2C0%2C0"/> Canon is rolling out a series of firmware updates for its most popular EOS cameras and lenses. These firmware updates are going to enhance performance and authenticity, and add support for new VR capabilities and features.Let’s look at the full range of Canon EOS cameras and lenses set to get these firmware updates and go over how you can keep your cameras and gear up-to-date and ready to use.<hr/><h3>Canon EOS Firmware Updates</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/00QWiwSGBA0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>These Canon firmware updates are set to come to several of Canon’s most popular EOS cameras, including the following:
<ul><li>Canon EOS R1</li><li>Canon EOS R5 Mark II</li><li>Canon EOS R3</li><li>Canon EOS R5</li><li>Canon EOS R6 Mark II</li><li>Canon EOS R7</li><li>Canon EOS R8</li><li>Canon EOS R10</li><li>Canon EOS R50</li><li>Canon EOS R50 V</li><li>Canon EOS C400</li><li>Canon EOS C80</li><li>Canon EOS C70</li><li>Canon EOS R5 C</li><li>Canon XF605</li><li>Canon PowerShot V1 </li><li>Canon PowerShot V1 V10</li></ul>
However, the bulk of the updates with the most substance will be aimed at improving some of Canon’s most popular options like the EOS R1, R3, R5, and R5 Mark II. <h3>Added Supports and Capabilities</h3> It might be too much to list out every firmware update and what’s included in each, but we can highlight some of the most notable new capabilities set to come to these select Canon EOS cameras and lenses.<ul><li>8TB CFexpress Card Support (EOS R1, R5 Mark II, R3, R5)</li><li>Panning Assist (EOS R1)</li><li>Servo AF (EOS R1, R5 Mark II)</li><li>Pre-Continuous Shooting Adjustment (EOS R1, R5 Mark II)</li><li>Exposure Simulation with Flash (EOS R1, R5 Mark II, R3, R6 Mark II, R8)</li><li>Network Security Enhancement Pin Code (EOS R1, R5 Mark II, R3, R5, R6 Mark II, R7, R8, R10, R50, R50 V, C400, C80, C70, R5 C, XF605, PowerShot V1 and V10) </li><li>VR Lens Support for EOS R50:<ul><li>RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM DUAL FISHEYE Lens: Enables VR content creation</li><li>RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL Lens: Expands VR capabilities with enhanced lens support</li></ul></li></ul>To find out more info on all of these firmware updates, including going over how to download and install, check out <a href="https://www.usa.canon.com/support/service-and-repair/pro-firmware?srsltid=AfmBOoqv3tO_i8UpNy5-tZpEDfWJc-HP-GN_IT27FQUKtz_IQvjoXI7C" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Canon’s website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 16:53:46 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/canon-firmware-updates-new</guid><category>Canon</category><category>Firmware updates</category><category>Canon eos r1</category><category>canon firmware updates</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/canon-firmware-updates.jpg?id=61243259&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>SmallRig All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/smallrig-all-in-one-thermal-live-streaming-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243336&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C109%2C0%2C110"/> The All-in-One Thermal Live Streaming & Filming Handheld Phone Cage Kit from SmallRig is designed for mobile content creators who need extended recording and live streaming capabilities.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:59:16 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/smallrig-all-in-one-thermal-live-streaming-filming-handheld-phone-cage-kit</guid><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243336&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Blackmagic Design URSA Cine Immersive Camera</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-design-ursa-cine-immersive-camera</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243299&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C109%2C0%2C110"/> Enter the realm of 180° media with the URSA Cine Immersive Camera from Blackmagic Design.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:47:58 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/blackmagic-design-ursa-cine-immersive-camera</guid><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243299&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>How Gender-Swapping a Character Helped David Cronenberg Crack His Story</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/david-cronenberg-gender-swap-existenz</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/how-gender-swapping-a-character-helped-david-cronenberg-crack-his-story.jpg?id=61230344&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> David Cronenberg is such an interesting director. I loved seeing him at the Academy Museum, talking about his film eXistenZ, which was crazily inspired by a clandestine meeting with the celebrated author Salman Rushdie in London, which directly influenced the creation of his sci-fi thriller.Let's go over the details and how a character's gender swap made everything click into place.<hr/><h3>David Cronenberg on ‘eXistenZ’</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3wB40xkQIV0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Have you ever wondered where a director's inspiration comes from? Sometimes, the most unexpected real-life events can spark the most creative ideas. For Cronenberg, it was meeting Salman Rushdie in London, while Rushdie was living under a fatwa, a death sentence, issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.Basically, people wanted to kill Rushdie for his work. Security was paramount, and their meeting was shrouded in secrecy. Cronenberg recounts his surprise when a London police officer, tasked with his security, hailed a regular taxi to take him to Rushdie's hidden location.And that sparked Cronenberg's storyteller genes. He knew this could lead him somewhere. Cronenberg thought: what if a video game artist, a creator of virtual worlds, was the subject of a fatwa? This became the central premise of eXistenZ, which follows Allegra Geller, a game designer who is hunted by assassins while her latest virtual reality game, "eXistenZ," is being tested.When Cronenberg started working out the initial script, he wanted a male protagonist. But the deeper he got, Cronenberg felt the story wasn't quite working. It was only when he made the pivotal decision to change the lead character to a female designer that the narrative "clicked into place". The casting of Jennifer Jason Leigh as Allegra Geller further solidified this vision, bringing the character and the story to life and allowing him to find depth. <h2>Summing It All Up </h2>I felt like this story was a powerful reminder that inspiration can be found in the most unlikely of places. A secret meeting, a taxi ride, a change in gender of a character – do whatever it takes to freshen the idea and completely shake it up. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 02:00:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/david-cronenberg-gender-swap-existenz</guid><category>Character</category><category>Character development</category><category>David cronenberg</category><category>Existenz</category><category>David cronenberg</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/how-gender-swapping-a-character-helped-david-cronenberg-crack-his-story.jpg?id=61230344&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Author Tucker Max Unlocks The Secret to a Best-Seller</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/tucker-max-writing-advice</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/tucker-max-unlocks-the-secret-to-a-best-seller.jpg?id=61240654&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> I remember when Tucker Max came to my Penn State campus and MC'd a sold-out screening of I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, the movie adaptation of his memoir, which sold over five million copies. Since then, he's gone on to be one of the most respected writers and ghostwriters, with multiple New York Times best sellers. Today, I wanted to unpack his point of view on writing. As it turns out, all of his expertise can be boiled down to three words: tell the truth. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>Tucker Max's Best Selling Secret </h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2i51W8mNLVs?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>The above video gets right into Tucker Max and his point of view on writing. His number one rule for writing is simple: tell the truth.Authenticity is what brings readers in. People want to read books (and screenplays) that they feel are authentic and that they can connect with on a personal and emotional level that feels real. <h3>Memoirs Are Therapeutic Journeys </h3>Writing a memoir can be a powerful form of therapy. You're digging into your own emotions and trying to understand your life story. Tucker identifies two main reasons people write memoirs: to tell their story for therapeutic reasons or to leave a legacy. I think screenwriting has a lot in common with that. We should be sharing part of ourselves, and we should be trying to connect with an audience. <h3>Writing from a Place of Healing</h3>A key piece of advice from Tucker is to write from your scars, not your wounds. This means processing your trauma before you write about it. Once you understand it, you can authentically talk about it and also show a full character arc and journey through the turmoil. His POV is that you should journal every day to keep track of these emotions, or at least write down the feeling you had and why you felt that way. Hindsight helps to pull all of that together. <h3>Structuring Your Memoir</h3>Finding the way to structure your book is really important. You want to figure out what part of your life to focus on, and in fiction, you want to figure out what parts of those fictitious events need to be highlighted. Now, you can’t tell your entire life story in one book, but many people have multiple memoirs within them, so narrowing the focus can significantly improve the writing. Once you know what you want to write about, the structure often becomes clear. But try different things and don't be afraid to experiment. <h3>Tucker's Storytelling Algorithm</h3>If you're having trouble putting together your story, you may want to use Tucker's way of breaking it open. He says you ask, "What happened? How did you feel? What happened next?" This helps you see the connections between events and emotions, creating a more engaging narrative for the reader. <h3>Finding Your Unique Voice</h3>Wrapped up in all of this is something we talk about all the time on here: the idea that your unique <a data-linked-post="2661191622" href="https://nofilmschool.com/voice-in-writing" target="_blank">voice</a> needs to break through. Don't worry about trying to sound fancy or adhering to strict writing conventions. If you tell your truth, it’s impossible to write an unoriginal memoir. Your life is singular to you, and if you tell the truth, it can connect with someone else. <h3>Overcoming Writer's Block</h3>Even seasoned writers like Tucker get stuck. He shared a personal story about how committing to writing with a group helped him <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/How-to-cure-writers-block" target="_blank">overcome writer's block</a> and gave him deadlines he needed to hit. The big piece of advice is that it's okay to take breaks and that rough drafts are often messy and imperfect.All writing is rewriting. <h2>Summing It All Up </h2>Writing a memoir is a journey of self-discovery. It’s about more than just putting words on a page; it’s about understanding your own story and sharing it with the world. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 21:00:05 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/tucker-max-writing-advice</guid><category>Author</category><category>Memoir</category><category>Tucker max</category><category>Writing advice</category><category>Writing tips</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/tucker-max-unlocks-the-secret-to-a-best-seller.jpg?id=61240654&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Stage 32 Announces a Replacement to Coverfly</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/stage-32-announces-replacement-coverfly</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/stage-32-announces-its-global-screenwriting-contest-hub.png?id=61240685&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=194%2C0%2C195%2C0"/> <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/coverfly-is-shutting-down" target="_blank">As Coverfly and its subsidiaries shuttered</a>, many screenwriters worried that there would no longer be a forum for them to post their work and gain traction with agents and managers. Well, there is a new hub online that aims to take over that space. Let's dive in. <hr/><h2>The Global Screenwriting Contest Hub</h2><a href="https://www.stage32.com/home/" target="_blank">Stage 32</a> has announced the launch of its Global Screenwriting Contest Hub. It features a number of distinguished contests, including some that are Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying. Among the initial partners are the HollyShorts Film Festival Screenplay Contest, the Manchester Film Festival Screenplay Contest, the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, and the Vail Film Festival Screenplay Awards. The platform is designed to provide screenwriters with a streamlined process for discovering and submitting their work to a wide array of respected competitions.It functions like Coverfly, as a place you can submit to, and then a place where you can post what you're scored, where you're ranked, or what you've won. You can track all that via your profile. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KgJtf7LLj5k?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KgJtf7LLj5k" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a> Richard "RB" Botto, CEO of Stage 32, stated, "The Global Screenwriting Contest Hub cuts out the noise and allows writers to not only find the most highly regarded contests, but also those that fit the genre(s) they write in." To spearhead the new hub, Stage 32 has brought on three former executives from Coverfly and Industry Arts. The new hires include Geoffrey Faugérolas, who previously served as Senior Manager of Development at Coverfly; Mitch Lusas, former Chief Operating Officer of Coverfly, as Chief Technology Officer; and Nate Witty as an Engineer.<h2>Unpacking it All </h2>It's still early to really tell how effective this will be. It's a place writers can go and post things to a profile, and we'll have to learn as we go about whether or not agents and managers use this as a place to discover people.The other big thing to examine will be the hope machine, and how many contests you need to enter and how much you're actually paying to get noticed, but that's something I like to keep an eye on across all these kinds of websites. Just know that platforms like this get kickbacks for getting people to pay to apply. That's why they exist. They are marketing tools to sell things. As long as we all know that, we can acknowledge that they may also be necessary to be discovered if you're not willing to move to Hollywood or network. I am genuinely happy that the people who lost Coverfly have a new place to build out a profile and to register with some popular contests. We'll keep an eye on this as it goes. Let me know what you all think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:36:34 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/stage-32-announces-replacement-coverfly</guid><category>Coverfly</category><category>Coverage</category><category>Contests</category><category>Stage 32</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/stage-32-announces-its-global-screenwriting-contest-hub.png?id=61240685&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'The Empire Strikes Back' Almost Had An Entirely Different Ending</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/empire-strikes-back-different-ending</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/the-empire-strikes-back-almost-had-an-entirely-different-ending.jpg?id=34066560&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> The Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back line, "No, I am your father," has been quoted, parodied, and referenced countless times over the past four decades. It's <a data-linked-post="2672018939" href="https://nofilmschool.com/misquoted-movie-lines" target="_blank">one of the most misquoted lines in history</a> as well. But it's also a <a data-linked-post="2661198706" href="https://nofilmschool.com/Plot-twist-examples" target="_blank">plot twist</a> that shook Hollywood, and it made these movies stand out in popular culture, not just as blockbusters but as great stories. Can you imagine if that line never happened? Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>Mark Hamill Explains the Alternate Ending of 'Empire Strikes Back'</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C9MrW9MppwY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>According to the video with Mark Hamill, the original script had a very different reveal at the end of the movie. In this version, Darth Vader would have told Luke, "You don't know the truth. Obi-Wan killed your father." This would have painted the wise and noble Obi-Wan Kenobi as the villain of the story, a truly shocking twist that would have subverted audience expectations.The kind mentor that we loved would have been cast in doubt, and it would have caused an internal battle inside Luke that we had to wait a few years for the sequel to see. Mark Hamill admitted that he thought this was a "spectacular" idea.So why didn't it happen? Director Irvin Kershner and producer George Lucas had a bigger secret in store, which wound up being that Vader was Luke's father. And to prevent the real twist from leaking, they kept it a closely guarded secret, with only a handful of people aware of the true storyline.That's why the line in the script was originally written that way. Mark Hamill was only told about the "I am your father" line moments before filming the scene. Kershner pulled him aside and had him read the line from a piece of paper, making him promise not to tell anyone.That crazy last-minute switch preserved the twist of the movie, and it allowed Hamill to actually act against having the revelation in real time. <h2>Summing It All Up </h2>So the idea of a villainous Obi-Wan is fascinating to consider, but it's hard to imagine the Star Wars saga without the emotional weight and complexity of the father-son dynamic between Luke and Vader.I actually think they preserved the villainous Obi idea in The Last Jedi, where we learn Luke almost killed Kylo Ren while he was sleeping -- that is sort of the same initial payoff spun on its head. This is a cool story, and it shows the thought and complexity that went into preserving a secret from the audience, and an alternate reality where they had a plan for Luke, no matter what. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:57:31 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/empire-strikes-back-different-ending</guid><category>Star wars</category><category>The empire strikes back</category><category>Plot twist</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/the-empire-strikes-back-almost-had-an-entirely-different-ending.jpg?id=34066560&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Reshape Your Aerial 3D Modeling with DJI Terra's New 3D Gaussian Splatting Technology</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/dji-terra-3d-gaussian-splatting</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/dji-terra-3d-gaussian-splatting.jpg?id=61238857&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C130%2C0%2C131"/> Big news for enterprise DJI drone users as Terra, the company’s 3D modeling software, is set to get some new next-generation reconstruction technologies, including a powerful and impressive new 3D Gaussian Splatting feature.These new tools and updates will support accurate and efficient 2D and 3D reconstruction from visible light imagery and will be able to process all of the data collected by DJI LiDAR technology. When integrated with DJI drones, Terra is able to deliver a unified hardware and software solution for data acquisition, processing, and application, which should help streamline all of your aerial survey workflows for greater efficiency and accuracy.<hr/><h3>DJI Terra 3D Gaussian Splatting</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3fd294846755be7460c030eb7e40582e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="d5193" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61238860&width=980"/>This new 3D Gaussian Splatting feature will be able to quickly generate detailed and realistic 3D models from photos, accurately restoring diverse scenes such as cultural relics, architectural projects, urban blocks, and scenic gardens.
When compared to visible-light oblique photogrammetry technology, 3D Gaussian Splatting significantly enhances the representation of complex elements like fine structures, transparent and reflective objects, and vegetation. 
Plus, in addition to producing more natural rendering effects, this technology can also generate distortion-free orthomosaics, further improving the quality of the results.<h3>2D-3D Data Fusion-Based Modeling</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9628ae7070fa4f9edb43107b6ca0ccc8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="3385b" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61238864&width=980"/>What’s most interesting about this new technology is how Terra is able to enable deep integration of LiDAR and visible light data. With a single Zenmuse LiDAR acquisition, users can simultaneously generate high-precision point clouds, 2D maps, and 3D mesh models.
This data fusion approach significantly enhances model completeness and detail, especially in environments with complex structures such as bridges and substations. It meets the needs of industries including power, energy, transportation, and infrastructure.
Terra is also deeply compatible with DJI Enterprise drones and supporting equipment. When used with Matrice 4E, Matrice 400, Zenmuse P1, Zenmuse L2, and D-RTK 3, Terra should be able to deliver cost-effective visible light and professional-grade LiDAR mapping solutions, ideal for a wide range of aerial survey applications.<h3>Price and Availability</h3> DJI Terra license plans differ by feature versions, designed for various use cases. To find out more about DJI Terra, you can sign up for a free trial version on <a href="https://enterprise.dji.com/dji-terra" target="_blank">DJI’s website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:51:58 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/dji-terra-3d-gaussian-splatting</guid><category>Dji</category><category>3d gaussian splatting</category><category>3d modeling</category><category>Dji lidar</category><category>Dji terra</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/dji-terra-3d-gaussian-splatting.jpg?id=61238857&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Nikon Z8 Latest Firmware Update Fixes Issues With Some Third-Party Lenses</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/nikon-z8-firmware-update-301</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/nikon-z8-firmware-update.png?id=61238890&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=126%2C0%2C127%2C0"/> While certainly not the biggest update of all time, a new firmware update (version 3.01) for the <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/nikon-z8-firmware-update-2672516498" target="_blank">Nikon Z8</a> camera is recommended for all Nikon shooters, especially those who might be experiencing some issues that were preventing their cameras from operating properly with some (likely third-party) lenses.While the latest firmware update 3.0 for the Nikon Z8 fixed some other minor issues and bugs, it appears that it might have also caused some small issues with these lenses, so this new update—again, while minor—should address these issues quickly and easily.Here’s how to download and install the update today.<hr/><h3>Nikon Z8 Firmware Update Version 3.01</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YVKcSJqvn0w?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>According to Nikon’s Download Center page, where this latest update is housed, it really only fixes one single issue:
<ul><li>Fixed an issue that prevented the camera from operating properly with some lenses.</li></ul>
Pretty minor stuff, for sure. Yet, if you’re a Nikon Z8 owner or shooter, you’re going to want to get this update asap unless you want to risk having any of these issues muck up your shoots or projects.<h3>How to Update and Install</h3> Updating your Nikon Z8 camera is quite simple; all you need to do is follow the steps below.
<ol><li>Download the following firmware file to your computer. Please make sure you have the downloaded firmware file on your computer. • Z_8_0301.bin (the camera firmware)</li><li>Using a card reader, copy “Z_8_0301.bin” to a memory card that has been formatted in the camera. Note: Be sure to copy the firmware to the root (top-most) directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.</li><li>Insert the memory card into Slot 1 on the camera and turn the camera on.</li><li>Select [Firmware version] in the [SETUP MENU] and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the firmware update.</li><li>Once the update is complete, turn the camera off and remove the memory card.</li><li>Confirm that the firmware has been updated to the new version.</li></ol>
For more info, check out <a href="https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/570.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nikon’s website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:11:15 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/nikon-z8-firmware-update-301</guid><category>Nikon</category><category>Nikon z8</category><category>Firmware update</category><category>nikon z8 firmware update</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/nikon-z8-firmware-update.png?id=61238890&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ 70MM Tickets Are Officially on Sale a Year In Advance</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-tickets</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/christopher-nolans-the-odyssey-tickets-are-officially-on-sale-a-year-in-advance.jpg?id=60249258&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C78%2C0%2C79"/> I logged onto my AMC app last night to buy tickets for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and found all the 70MM showings in Los Angeles already sold out. That's right, the movie that releases in July of 2026 already has so much fervor that tickets have both gone on sale and are selling out all over. Christopher Nolan is the biggest director in the world, and this is the biggest film slated to come out next year. People have flocked to theaters just to watch the teaser and to talk about the movie, which was <a data-linked-post="2672024789" href="https://nofilmschool.com/the-odyssey-imax-cameras" target="_blank">shot entirely on an IMAX camera</a>. <blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1945695210123460613">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/IMAX/status/1945695210123460613"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Now, there are only a handful of theaters in the United States that can accommodate the 70MM screenings that went on sale via IMAX, but it's unprecedented that a year out, people want to see this movie in the biggest format. The film stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Mia Goth. We don't know much about the plot except that it follows Homer's classic Greek myth and that Nolan got a budget of like $250 million to make this epic, which shot on location all over Greece. The film brings Homer's saga to film screens and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.If you want to look for any tickets left, <a href="https://www.imax.com/movie/the-odyssey?activation=the_odyssey&utm_source=x&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tos" target="_blank">check out IMAX's site</a>. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:50:18 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-tickets</guid><category>The odyssey</category><category>Imax</category><category>Christopher nolan</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/christopher-nolans-the-odyssey-tickets-are-officially-on-sale-a-year-in-advance.jpg?id=60249258&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Adobe Adds Generative Sound Effects Plus Other New Video Capabilities to Firefly AI Models</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/adobe-generate-sound-effects</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/adobe-generate-sound-effects.webp?id=61238796&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C442%2C0"/> Adobe has made some major announcements today for its Firefly Video Model. One of the biggest announcements here is the introduction of a new Generate Sound Effects feature, which should make audio and video editing easier and more efficient.Adobe Firefly is also set to gain new video capabilities, including improved motion fidelity and advanced video controls, all aimed at accelerating workflows and providing greater precision and style within Adobe’s apps.Also, if you’re someone interested in keeping up with the latest AI video models from the likes of Runway and Google Veo, then you’ll be interested to learn more about how Adobe is planning to expand its services to offer these different models within the Firefly app.Here’s everything you need to know about these updates.<hr/><h3>Improved Adobe Firefly Model</h3> <video class="rm-shortcode" controls="" data-rm-shortcode-id="a942ff619e8faa97040c12c4ddf16c77" expand="1" feedbacks="true" id="eb37d" mime_type="video/mp4" shortcode_id="1752761476439" site_id="26256498" url="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2FFirefly-cinematic-drone-shot-going-between-the-trees-of-a-snowy-forest-at-sunset-golden-hour.-the-li.mp4" videocontrols="true" width="100%"> <source src="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2FFirefly-cinematic-drone-shot-going-between-the-trees-of-a-snowy-forest-at-sunset-golden-hour.-the-li.mp4" type="video/mp4"/> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video>While Adobe’s Firefly Video Model has always been good at generating things like dynamic landscapes and urban environments, it’s been wanting for some improvements with motion and behavior. This new update to the Firefly Video Model promises to improve motion fidelity with your video generations, which will now move more naturally with smoother transitions and lifelike accuracy.
Adobe Firefly creators will also now get expanded access to other AI video models within the Firefly app, including recently updated models like Runway’s Gen-4 Video and Google’s Veo3. Adobe shares that more partner models are coming soon to the Firefly app, too, including:
<ul><li>Topaz’s Image and Video Upscalers and Moonvalley’s Marey will be launching soon in Firefly Boards.</li><li>Luma AI’s Ray 2 and Pika 2.2, which are already available in Boards, will soon be added to Generate Video.</li></ul>
These models will assist with everything from storyboarding to fully animated video outputs, all of which you can access in the Firefly web and mobile apps, where users will be able to choose the AI model that best fits each part of their workflows.
From storyboarding to fully animated video outputs, Firefly web and mobile apps let you choose the AI model that best fits each part of your workflow, while keeping your style consistent and creative control intact.<h3>Advanced AI Video Controls</h3> <img alt="Composition Reference for Video" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c28927aaa153f2bb613ca535e7443228" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9bf56" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/composition-reference-for-video.webp?id=61238800&width=980"/>Similar to what we’ve seen with other AI video models' director controls, Adobe is adding some new, powerful, and more advanced video controls to help elevate creators’ outputs. Here are some notable new advanced video control features:
<ul><li>Composition Reference for Video: Bring structure and consistency to your video creations. Upload a reference video, describe your vision, and Firefly will generate a new video that transfers the original composition to your generation—perfect for maintaining visual flow across scenes or repurposing existing content with a fresh look.</li><li>Style Presets: Apply a distinct visual style to your video with a single click. Choose from presets like claymation, anime, line art, or 2D to instantly set the tone. Whether you’re pitching a concept, building a creative brief, or finalizing your output, Style Presets help you stay consistent and speed up your workflow.</li><li>Keyframe Cropping: Stay in your creative flow with intuitive cropping tools. Upload your first and last frames, select how your image will be cropped, describe your scene, and Firefly will generate a video that fits your format—no need to jump between tools. It’s fast, flexible, and designed to match your vision from start to finish, while keeping your creative process effortless.</li></ul>
All of these features are designed to give creators more control, more speed, and more creative freedom.<h3>Generate Sound Effects</h3> <video class="rm-shortcode" controls="" data-rm-shortcode-id="b3babf3a960ec80842da4138beead300" expand="1" feedbacks="true" id="1523d" mime_type="video/mp4" shortcode_id="1752761491227" site_id="26256498" url="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2FKaren-X-Cheng.mp4" videocontrols="true" width="100%"> <source src="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2FKaren-X-Cheng.mp4" type="video/mp4"/> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video>The biggest news here, though, for certain video editors who have been tasked with finding, or even creating, sound effects for their various video projects over the years, is the introduction of a new Generate Sound Effects feature, which is currently being released as a beta update.
Just like Adobe’s other Firefly generative AI models, Generate Sound Effects (beta) promises to be commercially safe so that creators can easily create custom sounds like a lion’s roar or ambient nature sounds.
The Generate Sound Effects (beta) feature can be accessed with simple text prompts, which can generate the sound effects you might need. Users can use their voice to guide the timing and intensity of the sound, and once SFXs are added to their projects, users can export directly to Adobe Express.
If you’re curious to learn more about these new updates to Adobe Firefly, check out <a href="https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2025/07/17/firefly-adds-new-video-capabilities-industry-leading-ai-models-generate-sound-effects-feature" target="_blank">Adobe's website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:13:10 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/adobe-generate-sound-effects</guid><category>Firefly</category><category>Generate sound effects beta</category><category>Adobe</category><category>Adobe firefly ai</category><category>Firefly video model</category><category>Ai sound effects</category><category>Adobe firefly</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/adobe-generate-sound-effects.webp?id=61238796&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Inside the Making of 'Remaining Native' with Filmmakers Paige Bethmann and Steph Khoury</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/inside-the-making-of-remaining-native-with-filmmakers-paige-bethmann-and-steph-khoury</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.webp?id=60307474&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> This post was written by Michelle Gallina and originally appeared on the <a href="https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2025/05/12/sxsw-2025-inside-making-remaining-native-with-filmmakers-paige-bethmann-steph-khoury" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adobe blog</a> on May 12, 2025.Despite having no coach at his high school, Ku is determined to be seen by his dream school, the University of Oregon.Directed by Paige Bethmann and edited by Steph Khoury, the film follows Ku’s journey to run a collegiate qualifying time, all while reconciling with the memory of his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn, who, at eight years old, ran 50 miles across the desert to escape an Indian boarding school. The documentary thoughtfully explores the interwoven nature of Ku and Frank’s experiences through years of footage and archival material.Bethmann and Khoury used <a href="https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adobe Creative Cloud</a> to tell this story, including <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/premiere.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Premiere Pro</a>, <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Photoshop</a>, <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">After Effects</a>, <a href="http://frame.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frame.io</a>, and more. <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/production-panel.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Productions</a> in Premiere Pro specifically helped them collaborate seamlessly during the largely remote post-production process: “For features or any projects with a large amount of media, Productions allows you the space to break it down into smaller chunks,” said Khoury. “Jess Epstein, our producer, and Beth Kearsley, our Associate editor, could be working on archival, Paige could be reviewing a scene assembly, and I could be navigating the different folders and accessing my selects while assembling an act.”Read on for more Premiere Pro tips from Bethmann and Khoury and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Remaining Native.Paige, how and where did you get into directing? Paige Bethmann: I’ve always loved film, and in high school, I would often try to get out of writing essays by proposing video projects instead. After I graduated, I went to Ithaca College (where I met Steph!), but I studied Film and Television. I thought I wanted to be a live studio director. I did a lot of work on the broadcast side, and then when I moved to NYC, I was producing a lot of short-form non-fiction content for Vox Media. I fell in love with documentary and non-fiction based work and was really inspired to connect with a real story to take on myself.Steph, how and where did you first learn to edit?Steph Khoury: In high school, my advanced art class was canceled, and I was placed in video production to fill my schedule. At the time, I was a student athlete, so I started to film competitions and edit highlight reels. I enjoyed the editing process and pursued Documentary Studies and Production at Ithaca College (where I met Paige!). We were consistently making films throughout college, and each time I was drawn back to editing. I loved spending time in the editing suites reviewing material, finding patterns, and seeing the story take shape.Where were you when you found out you got into SXSW? How did you feel?Khoury: I was working on another edit when Paige told me the news. I was really excited, and it felt surreal after working on the project for nearly two years to get the news that we made it and were screening at SXSW. I had been to SXSW in 2018 for the premiere of Death Metal Grandma, and knew this festival was the perfect fit. Bethmann: Our producer, Jess Epstein, picked me up to drive to our sound mix in Brooklyn, and as we were driving, I saw the email and immediately screamed. I felt a huge sense of relief knowing that I’d be able to have a great launching pad to share Ku and his family’s story. Also, knowing that Austin has such a large running community was exciting to think about ways we can plan activations around the film. We ended up hosting a 5K run in partnership with Nike to bring local runners and Indigenous community members together to celebrate our World Premiere and connect with the story on a physical level!How do you begin a project/set up your workspace?Khoury: Before each project, whether it’s a feature or a short, I usually describe my workflow as “helping my future self.” First step is conversations with the team to get some understanding of the main characters, scenes, spaces, environment, archival, or events, so we can effectively begin sorting material out in appropriate ways. This becomes a foundation to develop a shorthand with the material, scenes, and themes within the project. During this time, it’s really important to know just enough information to help organize, but not major details, so the story can unfold through the screening process without any added perspectives. The technical organizational work up front allows creativity to thrive within the edit, because you’re not spending 10 minutes trying to find that one moment you need.Tell us about a favorite scene or moment from this project and why it stands out to you.<h3></h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c822fd0f750880434512b07112508285" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c1763" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.webp?id=60307467&width=980"/>Bethmann: My favorite moments have been the time we got to spend together in person. Steph and our producer Jess came to Reno to edit and also participated in the Remembrance Run in 2023. To be able to share that experience with them and infuse it into our process of editing felt so good. They were able to meet all of Ku’s family and run on the land in which the story is told.Khoury: Working on Arcadia was probably one of my favorite scenes to edit, because of the energy of the event, but also because of the evolution of the scene. We had several iterations of it, and for a long time, Ku’s voice was interwoven through the race. It was the biggest race and an important scene, but it wasn’t hitting the way we’d hoped it would. During an in-person edit, we started to question if including the interview was the right decision. We decided to edit without the interview, and the final version became a beautiful culmination of the poetic style we had built across the film over numerous cuts. It was such an exciting breakthrough to solve as a team.What were some specific post-production challenges you faced that were unique to your project? How did you go about solving them?Bethmann and Khoury: The legacy of Indian Boarding schools and Ku’s great-grandfather's story is quite heavy and painful. We were able to get access to hundreds of photos from The Stewart Indian School’s archive. We spent a lot of time going through the photographs, which showed the process of assimilation with children who were taken away from their families, was extremely heartbreaking. We knew we wanted to be able to share the history without having to walk the audience through a historical timeline, but we weren’t quite sure on how to achieve this. During an in-person edit, we discovered a portion of the interview where Ku said, “Imagine you’re 8.” We thought it was a powerful motif to ask viewers to imagine themselves as these children while navigating their experiences with care and sensitivity. It was important to share the truth about the abuse while also giving space to connect with the children and their humanity. Gaze became an important factor in our conversations, where we focused on the expressions, but also tried to use the imagery so it could be seen from the perspective of a child.What Adobe tools did you use on this project, and why did you originally choose them?Bethmann: We used Premiere Productions, After Effects, <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html" target="_blank">InDesign</a>, Photoshop, and Frame.io. We knew we wanted to use Adobe Creative Cloud because all of our collaborators were so familiar with the software. Most of our edit was done remotely, and it was really easy to share things with one another and work together, staying within the Adobe universe. Frame.io was a big part of our finishing process workflow for color and mix. Communicating with my colorist and sound designer was seamless, to immediately identify where attention needed to be drawn to.Khoury: When I came onto the project, they had started to prep dailies onto string outs in Premiere Productions. If we weren’t in Productions, I would have suggested it because of the versatility of the program. For features or any projects with a large amount of media, Productions allows you the space to break it down into smaller chunks. So Jess, our producer, and Beth, our Associate Editor, could be working on archival, Paige could be reviewing a scene assembly, and I could be navigating the different folders and accessing my selects while assembling an act. Productions was also incredible in terms of archiving different versions of cuts, acts, and scenes that we could easily refer back to.If you could share one tip about Premiere Pro, what would it be?Bethmann: I learned all my Premiere Pro tips from Steph. She really helped me understand organization and searchability. My tip would be to set up your project and create a marker system so that everything you need can be searchable.Khoury: Adding onto Paige’s tip, learning keyboard shortcuts exponentially sped up the rate at which I was editing when I was starting out. There are so many resources out there to learn them, but you can also use the keyboard shortcuts window to search for a command and create a unique keyboard setting, like syncing audio. Over time, I’ve developed my own set of shortcuts for different stages of the editing process, such as one for logging material during the screening process. Premiere Pro allows you to export your keyboard settings and import them if you are working on a different computer. Same goes for workspace layouts! If I’m working from a different edit bay, I always bring those settings with me.Who is your creative inspiration and why?Khoury: I grew up documenting life through my drawings, but became fascinated with people and culture through my multicultural family. As a daughter of immigrants with family members from all over the world, I loved learning from my aunts' and uncles' recipes, stories, and cultural nuances at holidays or family events. My art practice allowed me to see that there’s more than one way to engage with the world. I’m especially influenced by impressionist art, because it reminds me that visuals are like brush strokes, where with each cut, there’s a pacing or rhythm decision that shapes the story being told.Bethmann: My grandmother was a traditional Mohawk storyteller, and as a little girl, I would listen to her share stories about Sky Woman and how maple syrup was made. I was always in awe of her ability to recall every detail from memory. She would often tell me that our stories didn’t come from books but were passed down from the land and our ancestors. I’ve always been inspired by her and have approached my work with the same energy she carried when it comes to storytelling by getting to know all the details and connecting to place.What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career, and how did you overcome it? What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers or content creators?Bethmann: “Remaining Native” was my first independent feature film, and while I was grateful to have so much support from folks who believed in Ku’s story, sometimes it got really hard to quiet the noise. People come to your work with their own relationships to the story, expectations, ideas, and experiences, and as much as you want to accept the help from others, you have to remember the original reasons why you wanted to create your work in the first place. Staying true to your heart and vision is probably the hardest thing to do when navigating an industry that puts a lot of pressure on young artists, but if you return to what grounds you in the work, you’ll be able to say and feel that you did everything you could to fight for the vision you had.Khoury: Be open to opportunities where you can lean into creativity and cut as much as possible. The consistency in which I was editing early on was really formative in developing my workflow as well as honing my storytelling abilities. I’m fortunate to have worked with Julie Winokur and Reiley Wooten, who encouraged experimentation and having fun. The editing process can be demanding at times, comes with a lot of ups and downs, but be kind to yourself in the process. It’s so beautiful when you get to step back and see what you’ve created. It doesn’t need to be an award-winning film – as long as you're creating, it’s art.What’s your favorite thing about your workspace and why?<h3></h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="88062987c26cccf48dc29c2c2a8e1cee" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="38d88" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.webp?id=60307468&width=980"/>Bethmann: This is a photo from when Steph came out to edit at my apartment in Reno, Nevada. I love my workspace because often my cat, Disco, will come in to supervise.<h3></h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="53a30c6dcc9491b87fed3831a9157efa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="63f67" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.webp?id=60307470&width=980"/>Khoury: I primarily work remotely, so two monitors and the large desk provide me plenty of space for me to take notes on my notepad, laptop, or iPad. Sometimes, I’ll also use my iPad as a third monitor with Slack to communicate with team members. I love having a window to the side so I can get some sun in the morning before having to close the blinds in the afternoon. My favorite part is how colorful the space is. When I’m not editing, I pull out my sketchpad and keep up with my art practice. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 21:00:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/inside-the-making-of-remaining-native-with-filmmakers-paige-bethmann-and-steph-khoury</guid><category>Adobe</category><category>Remaining native</category><category>Sxsw 2025</category><category>Premiere pro</category><category>Adobe sponsored</category><dc:creator>Sponsored Content</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.webp?id=60307474&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Why James Gunn Changed THAT Piece of Superman Lore</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/james-gunn-changed-superman-lore</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/why-james-gunn-changed-that-piece-of-superman-lore.jpg?id=55383112&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C1%2C0%2C2"/> <a data-linked-post="2661193922" href="https://nofilmschool.com/superman-character" target="_blank">Superman</a> is one of the greatest characters in all of fiction. He's an immigrant to Earth who comes here and becomes the most powerful being on its surface.His enduring mythos has lasted almost 100 years, and we've seen <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/best-superman-movie" target="_blank">countless adaptations from movies to TV</a>. All have given the hero their own personal spin to talk about the times he exists in and his place in this world.What I loved so much about James Gunn's version is that he truly felt like a hero for today, and that took some small tweaks and a few big ones.Today, I want to unpack one of those big changes.Spoilers for Superman to follow.Let's dive in. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OfpXgjP4AOs?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfpXgjP4AOs" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a><hr/>For decades, we've known the story: the dying planet Krypton, the noble Jor-El and Lara, and their infant son sent to Earth as a beacon of hope.But in Gunn's Superman, that narrative is being turned on its head.The film reveals that Superman's parents sent him to our planet not just for survival, but with a mission: to conquer it and establish a new Krypton.Gunn spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/IGN/status/1944889335616074103" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IGN</a> about why he made that change, saying:<blockquote>“I’m a huge Superman fan, so first of all I had to trust myself that I was going to honor the pieces of Superman that we needed to keep the same, and also allow myself to make changes where changes might work and wouldn’t go against the integrity of who the character is. And so I think that was simply dealing with allowing ourselves to change part of the story in a way that was interesting for the DCU, but that wasn’t something that went against who Superman was. And is has been something that’s been played with in the comics before.”</blockquote>This particular twist, while controversial, is not without precedent, having been explored in some comic book storylines before.It recasts Jor-El and Lara as figures with far more complex and potentially sinister motivations. For Superman himself, this discovery triggers a profound identity crisis, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew about his heritage and his purpose.Is he here to be good?Is the nurture he got from his earth parents stronger than the nature he got from Krypton?The fan community, as expected, is abuzz with discussion and debate. Some have criticized the change, with suggestions that it would have been a more classic villain move if Lex Luthor had fabricated the Kryptonian message. Others have embraced the twist, seeing it as a powerful way to explore the theme of identity at the center of the movie.I liked the choice; it gives Superman a real internal crisis that makes sense to me and makes him more identifiable. He's constantly searching for what it means to do the right thing.This new origin story has the potential to add layers of complexity and emotional depth to the Man of Steel, making his journey of self-discovery and his ultimate choice to protect humanity all the more meaningful.And it can open up new parts of the DC Universe for when they expand the world into more movies.Let me know what you think in the comments.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:30:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/james-gunn-changed-superman-lore</guid><category>James gunn</category><category>Superman</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/why-james-gunn-changed-that-piece-of-superman-lore.jpg?id=55383112&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>These Are Stephen King’s Favorite Stories He’s Ever Written</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-kings-top-5-stories</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/what-are-stephen-king-s-top-5-stephen-king-stories.jpg?id=61236181&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C62%2C0%2C63"/> As a writer, I have my favorite of my own stories that I like to talk about. I've written dozens of specs, and there are just some that really stick out in my mind and that I care about more. That's the nature of being a writer: you have to get your ideas onto paper and get them out into the world, no matter what. But if people ask, I'm always going to talk about my favorites. Recently, <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-king-anger" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> was on Stephen Colbert, and he was asked about his five favorite pieces of his own writing. Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>Stephen King's Top 5 Stephen King Stories</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MoejU-tf4xI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Before we get into King's picks of his own work, I really liked the story he told about writing his epic post-apocalyptic novel, "The Stand." He described hitting a point where the story became unwieldy, with a sprawling cast of characters and a plot that felt too "heavy". He found himself stuck, unsure of how to move forward.We've all been there. And like many of us, he turned to a friend and mentor to seek wisdom about escaping the situation. He took a piece of advice from Raymond Chandler: "When you're in doubt, bring on the man with the gun." This inspired King to make a bold move and eliminate some of the characters, a decision that helped to streamline the narrative and get the story back on track. It's a testament to the fact that even the most accomplished writers face moments of uncertainty and that sometimes the best solution is to simplify.<h3>King's Personal Picks</h3>Colbert also asked King a question that many of his fans have long wondered about: What are his own favorite works? King listed a diverse selection of his novels and short stories:<ol><li>Survivor Type: A gruesome short story about a shipwrecked surgeon who resorts to self-cannibalism to survive.</li><li>Misery: King mentioned that he particularly enjoyed the process of writing this classic novel.</li><li>Lisey's Story: A deeply personal novel that he held onto for a long time, now a series on Apple TV+.</li><li>The Stand: The very same novel that gave him so much trouble.</li><li>The Body: The novella that was adapted into the beloved film Stand By Me.</li><li>Billy Summers: His most recent novel at the time of the interview.</li></ol><div>It'll be interesting to go back and look at all of these and see what they have in common. King loving them is interesting to me, and I want to reread, knowing how personal these tales are to him. </div>Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:10:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-kings-top-5-stories</guid><category>Novel</category><category>Author</category><category>Stephen king</category><category>Stephen king</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/what-are-stephen-king-s-top-5-stephen-king-stories.jpg?id=61236181&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>21 Terrifying Stephen King Screenplays You Need to Read</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-king-screenplays</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/21-terrifying-stephen-king-screenplays-you-need-to-read.jpg?id=60061989&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C131%2C0%2C132"/> <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-king-anger" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> is the undisputed master of literary horror, but his reign extends far beyond books: screenplays.While we know the finished products well—the jump scares, the chilling scores, and the haunting performances—there's a unique terror to be found in the film's screenplays. And <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/writing-and-screenwriting-tips-stephen-king" target="_blank">a lot of lessons for budding writers</a>.As always, these are for educational and research purposes only.Let's dive in. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQF37Z4CEWg?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQF37Z4CEWg" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a><hr/><h2>Stephen King Screenplays</h2><h3>CARRIE (1976)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/carrie-1976.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>CREEPSHOW (1982)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ukk0lY-clMg5RGhoDxd2U5VZF3ruEAO9/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>THE DEAD ZONE (1983)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/the-dead-zone-1983.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>CUJO (1983)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJCgjJUh0eq-4aA7t-d7TvTMeCW4qvMP/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>CAT’S EYE (1984)</h3>Screenplay Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/192jL3dKcFLGIY41BdT50SwdYyFE-3Y9n/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>SILVER BULLET (1985)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://imsdb.com/scripts/Silver-Bullet.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>STAND BY ME (1986)</h3>Written by Stephen King, Raynold Gideon, and Bruce A. Evans – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/stand-by-me-1986.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/10SzwY-OL35HOfKgP-Jfe10ks4wKQpTqX/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>PET SEMATARY (1989)</h3>Written by Stephen King and Jeff Buhler – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/pet-sematary-2019.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>MISERY (1990)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/misery-1990.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>GOLDEN YEARS (1991)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11tNZT48D95bL8Q3gW0xq8v_6chrrLjAs/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>SLEEPWALKERS (1992)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gxO4o_qCJt1x_WgLFzEw8PtKc75hcT1f/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>THE STAND (1994)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zAXe5kLRsCmChiCNbeMQKP6y3A3L-ogs/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>THE SHINING (1997)</h3>Written by Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson and Stephen King – <a href="https://imsdb.com/scripts/Shining,-The.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>THE X-FILES: “CHINGA” (1998)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16-T5a0zgOZbuIe2pZv-JxtJmPYcfukyk/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>STORM OF THE CENTURY (1999)</h3>Written by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-AWArarIQ2MqbSPhrbbpXfsZK9RrWtpx/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>KINGDOM HOSPITAL (2004)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14_yj1cBLZZn8Z0HFXd7SbOTpYZx5jDvB/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>SECRET WINDOW (2004)</h3>Screenplay by David Koepp – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/secret-window-2004.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>DESPERATION (2006)</h3>Screenplay by Stephen King – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q4d-XwP8HO-A2EIZgZcJ7kqlrCYkuaUj/view" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>IT (2017)</h3>Screenplay by Chase Palmer, CJ Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman, and Stephen King – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/it-2017.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><h3>THE OUTSIDER: “FISH IN A BARREL” (2020)</h3>Screenplay by Richard Price and Stephen King – <a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/the-outsider-101-fish-in-a-barrel-2020.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the script!</a><div class="horizontal-rule"></div><a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/the-outsider-101-fish-in-a-barrel-2020.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/scripts/the-outsider-101-fish-in-a-barrel-2020.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Let me know what you think in the comments.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 19:55:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/stephen-king-screenplays</guid><category>Script download</category><category>Screenplay download</category><category>Stephen king</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/21-terrifying-stephen-king-screenplays-you-need-to-read.jpg?id=60061989&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>10 Facts About 'Die Hard' You May Not Know</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/10-facts-about-die-hard</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/10-facts-about-die-hard-you-may-not-know.jpg?id=34052506&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> On July 16th, 1988, the <a data-linked-post="2666328604" href="https://nofilmschool.com/best-christmas-movies" target="_blank">greatest Christmas movie of all time</a> was released. Yes, I'm talking about Die Hard. And as it celebrates its anniversary today, I wanted to dive into some stuff about the movie I just learned. Today, we'll go over ten facts you should know about Die Hard and talk about some of the nuances that have made this iconic <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/best-action-movies" target="_self">action movie</a> have staying power after all these years. Let's dive in. <hr/><h3>1. It's Based on a Novel.</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a4c6d1bdbaf863c3131b494d5ac9428" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ae21b" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61235217&width=980"/>The film is an adaptation of Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever." The book is a sequel to his 1966 novel "The Detective," which was adapted into a 1968 film starring Frank Sinatra. Due to contractual obligations, the role of John McClane was technically first offered to a then 73-year-old Sinatra, who declined. But it would have been fun to see Old Blue Eyes out there kicking terrorist butt. <h3>2. Bruce Willis Was Far from the First Choice.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7EXFZXKgiLY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Before Bruce Willis was cast as the iconic John McClane, the role was offered to a long list of established action stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, and Richard Gere, all of whom turned it down.They really wanted an established action star, and at the time, Willis, known for his comedic role in the TV series Moonlighting.<h3>3. It Was Alan Rickman's Feature Film Debut.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I6G7D1pMVfY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>The role of the calculating and charismatic villain Hans Gruber was the first feature film role for the late Alan Rickman. A seasoned stage actor, Rickman's portrayal of Gruber is widely regarded as one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time. He booked the role at 41 years old! <h3>4. The Terrifying Fall Was Real.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dyJM4tDHx-8?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>In the scene where Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza, the look of genuine terror on Alan Rickman's face was achieved by dropping him from a 21-foot-high model on a count of two when he was expecting to be dropped on three.Rickman was not happy about it, but they got an amazing take. <h3>5. Nakatomi Plaza is a Real Building.</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="493edda8e175a97e75552e12bf785ff8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="14eab" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61235219&width=980"/>The setting for the film's mayhem, the fictional Nakatomi Plaza, is actually the Fox Plaza in Century City, Los Angeles. The building was still under construction during filming, adding a layer of authenticity to the chaotic scenes.<h3>6. An On-Set Injury Led to Hearing Loss for Willis.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i7slAvhZhRw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>During the filming of the scene where McClane shoots a terrorist through a table, the extra-loud blanks used for the effect caused permanent hearing loss in Bruce Willis's left ear. <h3>7. The Famous "Yippee-Ki-Yay" Line Was an Ad-Lib.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BSRrzrQtmto?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><a href="https://nofilmschool.com/yippee-ki-yay-die-hard" target="_blank">One of the most iconic lines in action movie history, "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker,"</a> was an ad-lib by Bruce Willis. He reportedly said it to make his fellow crew members laugh and never expected it to make it into the final cut.<h3>8. The German Terrorists Weren't All German.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ww7o9fN2v3s?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> While the villains in the film are German, many of the actors who played them were not. Rickman was British, a few henchmen were Russian, and the rest covered the gamut of ethnicities. In fact, in the German-dubbed version of the film, the terrorists speak in grammatically incorrect German, which has become a point of amusement for German-speaking audiences.<h3>9. The Director Had a Shakespearean Vision.</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xCI6o-kbqrs?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Director John McTiernan viewed the story as a modern-day version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," where a "prince" (McClane) navigates a chaotic and magical night. In the film's DVD commentary, McTiernan said, “Eventually, we found a way to think of it as something other than a terrorist incident,” he said. “I had this notion – although I didn't really tell the studio this – that you could turn it into a sort of Shakespearean comedy, that it would become a panorama of the people involved in the incident. I basically structured it as a comedy. It was actually A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That is, something happens on a festival night that turns the world upside-down, and all the princes become asses and all the asses become princes. In the morning, the true lovers are reunited and everyone goes on, but the world is better than it was the night before.”“So I started making changes in the script along those lines,” McTiernan continued. “I just tried to find ways to expand the comedy and involve other characters. I guess the major change we made was turning it into a robbery, and that was when I said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it.’ As I said, I’ve never found terrorism entertaining, but a good robbery is fun. Whether it be about the bad guys or the good guys, people love to watch a good caper. I thought, ‘If I could put that in the center of it, then it would take away the meanness.’ So many action movies are mean at their heart. I personally find them uninteresting and unentertaining. They’re just no fun.”<h3>10. It's Officially a Christmas Movie (According to the Director).</h3> <img alt="Die Hard 50 Categorical Examples That Ultimately Prove 'Die Hard' is a Christmas Movie - [Infographic] Movie" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="245fc1ac573aa25ba905ee1450836fe3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="84a4e" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/die-hard-50-categorical-examples-that-ultimately-prove-die-hard-is-a-christmas-movie-infographic-movie.jpg?id=34070518&width=980"/>The long-standing debate about whether <a data-linked-post="2661198520" href="https://nofilmschool.com/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie" target="_blank">Die Hard is a Christmas movie</a> was settled by director John McTiernan, who has stated that he intended for it to be a Christmas film. So that's that, losers. <h3>Summing It All Up </h3> Die Hard is one of my favorite movies of all time. I watch it every Christmas Eve, and I love how, after all these years, people still flock to the movie. Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 19:33:13 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/10-facts-about-die-hard</guid><category>John mctiernan</category><category>Bruce willis</category><category>Action genre</category><category>Die hard</category><category>Trivia</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/10-facts-about-die-hard-you-may-not-know.jpg?id=34052506&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Runway Launches Next-Gen Motion Capture AI Model With Aim to Revolutionize MoCap Industry</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/runway-act-two</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/runway-act-two.jpg?id=61234583&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> While AI continues to be the dominant new force in the film and video industry, it’s been a while since we had the fast-and-furious amount of news and updates to sift through. Still, there’s plenty of news in AI that's emerging quite frequently.We’ve seen some positive news, such as <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/marey-ai-video-model-released" target="_self">Moonvalley’s Marey</a>—the world’s first ethically sourced and commercially safe AI model—as well as further advancements in workflow enhancer AI tools like <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/eddie-ai-scripted-mode" target="_self">Eddie AI</a> and built-in AI features in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.Not to be outdone, Runway—one of the more “legacy” brands in this AI space—is rolling out its next-gen motion capture model, which promises to significantly improve generation quality with its AI mocap technology. Let’s take a look and explore if this might be something you’d be interested in learning more about, or at least knowing what’s going on.<hr/><h3>Runway Act-Two Motion Capture Model</h3> <blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1945189222542880909">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/runwayml/status/1945189222542880909"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Similar to motion capture technology we’ve seen from other AI companies, like the aforementioned Moonvalley, Runway’s Act-Two is another next-gen motion capture model that is marked by its improvements to previous versions in generation quality and support for head, face, body, and hand tracking.
Act-Two, Runway shares, is capable of animating any character with a single driving performance, and can translate that performance to a wide variety of characters in a diverse set of environments, styles, and art directions without compromising performance fidelity. 
The model’s quality should further allow it to augment or supplant existing motion capture technology, a massive expense for films, advertisements, and video games, yet—as many might point out—a huge industry itself that could rapidly change with these advancements.<h3>Price and Availability</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JW8PHlFD7HM?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Runway Act-Two is out now and available to all Enterprise customers and Creative Partners. To find out more info about plans and pricing, check out <a href="https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/42311337895827-Creating-with-Act-Two" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Runway’s website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:27:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/runway-act-two</guid><category>Runway</category><category>Motion capture</category><category>Mocap</category><category>Ai motion capture</category><category>Act two</category><category>Ai mocap</category><category>Runway act-two</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/runway-act-two.jpg?id=61234583&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>First Samyang Prima Series AF Lenses Are Here With 16mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8 Options</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/samyang-prima-series-lenses</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/samyang-prima-series-lenses.png?id=61234726&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=85%2C0%2C130%2C0"/> Showcased as silhouettes in a <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/samyang-prima-series-teaser" target="_self">teaser earlier this month</a>, LK Samyang has lifted the veil on its new Prima Series with the introduction of its first two lenses in this new line. The Prima Series will now feature a 16mm f/2.8 AF wide-angle lens designed for Sony FE mount, as well as an 85mm f/1.8 AF lens also for Sony FE mount.Let’s look at these two new AF lenses and explore what they might have to offer for your video production and filmmaking needs.<hr/><h3>Samyang 16mm F2.8 AF Wide Angle Lens (Prima FE Series)</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T2fsVYuDZC4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Introduced as part of a new Prima Series with this expansion of an AF 16mm F2.8 P FE, this new ultra-wide lens is built for bold perspectives and everyday portability. Inspired by the Latin word Prima, meaning “First” and “Important,” this third-generation lens series continues to define excellence in modern lens design.
The AF 16mm F2.8 P FE should further deliver expansive views and immersive depth, making it a nice choice for travel, street, vlogging, and on-the-go content creation. Whether you're capturing sweeping landscapes, dramatic architecture, or spontaneous daily moments, this lens aims to bring clarity and character to every frame.
Plus, despite its ultra-wide field of view, the AF 16mm will maintain a compact, lightweight build, measuring just 2.78 inches (70.5mm) in length and weighing only 7.3 oz (207g). Its minimum focusing distance of 12cm offers creative flexibility for semi-macro-style shots, allowing you to highlight small subjects with exceptional detail and dynamic depth.<h3>Samyang 85mm F1.8 AF Lens (Prima FE Series)</h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zXw0lhs4qqg?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Also a part of the Prima Series, this Samyang 85mm F1.8 AF Lens is a dedicated portrait lens that combines creamy bokeh with crystal-clear rendering. It’s been crafted for the ideal portrait distance, which should help it capture striking depth and dimension with rich tonal expression.
The Samyang 85mm F1.8 AF Lens will further render subtle textures, smooth transitions, and true-to-life detail—perfect for capturing your subject’s most defining features with clarity and character.
Also, along with its power, the lens should remain remarkably portable. Measuring just 2.81 inches (71.5mm) in length and weighing 9.6 oz (272g), it's built for creators who want studio-quality results on the go. Whether you’re shooting lifestyle portraits, events, or creative editorials, this lens delivers a professional edge without the bulk.
Additionally, with its bright F1.8 aperture, precise autofocus, and signature Prima Series will emphasize Portability, Practicality, and Convenience, making the AF 85mm F1.8 P FE an ideal companion for portrait-driven storytellers who demand both artistry and mobility.<h3>Price and Availability</h3> Both of these new Prima Series lenses are available for preorder now on Samyang’s website. You can find links and prices below.
<ul><li>Samyang 16mm F2.8 AF Wide Angle Lens (Prima FE Series): <a href="https://samyangus.com/collections/new-releases/products/af-16mm-f2-8-p-fe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$399</a></li><li><a href="https://samyangus.com/collections/new-releases/products/af-16mm-f2-8-p-fe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Samyang 85mm F1.8 AF Lens (Prima FE Series): <a href="https://samyangus.com/collections/new-releases/products/af-85mm-f1-8-p-fe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$399</a></li></ul>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:02:23 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/samyang-prima-series-lenses</guid><category>Lk samyang</category><category>Af lenses</category><category>Samyang 16mm f2.8 af wide angle lens</category><category>Samyang 85mm f1.8 af lens</category><category>samyang prima series</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/samyang-prima-series-lenses.png?id=61234726&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Watch Martin Scorsese React to His First Acting Emmy Nomination for ‘The Studio’</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/martin-scorsese-the-studio-emmy</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/watch-martin-scorsese-react-to-his-first-acting-emmy-nomination-for-the-studio.jpg?id=34051421&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> We talk about The Studio a lot on this website, because it's one of the best and most fun shows on TV right now. The look inside Hollywood is both hilarious and truthful, and that's why we were so happy to see it nominated for so many Emmys. Among those nominations was Martin Scorsese. Yes, at 82, he received his first Emmy nomination for his role in The Studio, recognized as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. His daughter shared the emotional news on Instagram. She tagged it with “Our little actor”. <blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1945181293664461281">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/FilmUpdates/status/1945181293664461281"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> In The Studio, Scorsese plays an exaggerated, comedic version of himself. The pilot's plot kicks off when producer Matt Remick learns Scorsese has written a serious script about the Jonestown massacre, but intends to frame it as a "Kool-Aid film" because his studio wants to do a blockbuster movie. Things get out of hand, and eventually, Matt has to stop the project, so he pretends to buy the script simply to then bury it, a deception he ultimately confesses to Scorsese at a party hosted by Charlize Theron.It's an amazing pilot that drops us into a huge world, and one of the best seasons of TV. Although this is the first time he has received a nomination for acting, Scorsese has been nominated for and won his first Emmy in 2011 for directing an episode of Boardwalk Empire. And in 2012, he won two more Emmys for directing and producing the documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World.Let me know what you think in the comments. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:56:40 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/martin-scorsese-the-studio-emmy</guid><category>The studio</category><category>Emmy</category><category>Martin scorsese</category><category>Acting</category><category>Martin scorsese</category><dc:creator>Jason Hellerman</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/watch-martin-scorsese-react-to-his-first-acting-emmy-nomination-for-the-studio.jpg?id=34051421&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Fujifilm X RAW Studio Firmware Update Adds Support for New X-E5 Camera</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/fujifilm-x-raw-studio-firmware-update</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/fujifilm-x-raw-studio-firmware-update.png?id=61234769&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C43%2C0%2C44"/> If you aren’t familiar with Fujifilm X RAW Studio, it’s a new RAW conversion software that operates quite differently from your usual RAW conversion software options. Once connected to a digital camera and a computer, Fujifilm X RAW Studio allows users to convert RAW files in a short time, almost the same duration as a camera takes a photo.This conversion process also doesn’t rely on your computer’s performance capability, as the Fujifilm X RAW Studio system utilizes the image processor in your camera instead of the CPU in your computer.Yet, despite its helpful features and technical sophistication, Fujifilm X RAW Studio had been in need of an update, most specifically to help it sync with the company’s popular new Fujifilm X-E5 camera. Let’s look at the Fujifilm X RAW Studio update version 1.27.0 and explore what it has to offer.<hr/><h3>Fujifilm X RAW Studio Update</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0d739a68e0377dd3a6654440ee07ac0d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="984ea" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61234768&width=980"/>The end result of working with Fujifilm X RAW Studio is getting an image with all of the retained exception image quality (aspects like tonality, color reproduction, noise reduction, and so on) from your camera to your computer, where you can begin to tinker with it and/or share it as you desire.It’s a powerful tool that can be helpful for specific workflows. Yet, as mentioned above, Fujifilm X RAW Studio had been due for an update, namely to allow it to be compatible with the new Fujifilm X-E5 camera.This new Fujifilm X RAW Studio update version 1.27.0 also fixes a few software bugs that have to do with the histogram and white balance. Here’s a quick list of everything this new Fujifilm X RAW Studio update version 1.27.0 offers:<ol><li>“FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO” becomes compatible with the new X-E5 camera</li><li>A software bug is fixed that the “Histogram” of the HEIF image is displayed abnormally</li><li>A software bug is fixed that the changes to the “WHITE BALANCE” setting are not always saved</li></ol>If you’re interested in getting this update today, you can access it on <a href="https://www.fujifilm-x.com/global/support/download/software/x-raw-studio/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fujifilm’s website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:51:26 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/fujifilm-x-raw-studio-firmware-update</guid><category>Fujifilm</category><category>Fujifilm x raw studio</category><category>Fujifilm x-e5</category><category>Fujifilm x raw studio firmware update</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/fujifilm-x-raw-studio-firmware-update.png?id=61234769&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>The Portkeys LS7P is Another Highly-Capable On-Camera Monitor With Wireless Camera Control Capabilities</title><link>https://nofilmschool.com/portkeys-ls7p-monitor</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/portkeys-ls7p-monitor.png?id=61234839&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=15%2C0%2C16%2C0"/> Following up on the news yesterday of <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/accsoon-cineview-m7-and-cineview-m7-pro-monitors" target="_self">Accsoon launching its new CineView M7 and M7 Pro monitors</a>, we have another solid on-camera monitor with powerful wireless camera control capabilities to let you know about. The new Portkeys LS7P is a 7-inch on-camera monitor that features HDMI and SDI video input and output ports, great wireless camera control capabilities, and even a built-in dummy battery plate for easy powering.Let’s look at this new Portkeys LS7P monitor and explore what this option might have that others don’t, or at least, what makes it another solid choice for those looking for many options to consider for their video projects and workflows.<hr/><h3>Introducing the Portkeys LS7P On-Camera Monitor</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="91064bb6fb153c3501f94a12f22b6389" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="696e9" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61234841&width=980"/>So, as mentioned above, this Portkeys LS7P is a lightweight and rugged 7-inch on-camera monitor with powerful wireless camera control capabilities. The monitor is made entirely of aluminum and designed to support filmmakers during their creative journeys, even in the most challenging shooting environments.
The Portkeys LS7P features a 7-inch touchscreen panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 along with a maximum brightness of 1,000nits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. As a daylight-viewable monitor, it should be quite usable in all shooting conditions, whether outdoors under bright sunlight or indoors in a murky studio. 
Plus, if you’re wanting to truly trust your on-camera monitor’s colors and image for making essential creative decisions on set, the LS7P features a 10-bit (8+2 FRC) panel, and every monitor is factory color-calibrated.<h3>HDMI and SDI Video Input and Output Ports</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="84697a434d50832b464d4568a525d8ff" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="63935" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61234845&width=980"/>The LS7P features one 4K DCI 30P/1080P60 HDMI input port and one 1080P60 HDMI output port, conveniently located on the bottom left side of the monitor. On the right-hand side of the monitor, you will find 3G-SDI 1080P60 video input and output ports. Additionally, cross-conversion from SDI input to HDMI output is possible, and the monitor supports 3D LUTs for both HDMI and SDI outputs.
Also, at the top of the monitor, users will find four user-assignable buttons that allow shooters to activate or deactivate their favorite monitor tools quickly. Additionally, there is an on/off switch, a touchscreen lock switch, and a 1/4″-20 mounting point with locating pins. 
The LS7P also includes two more 1/4″-20 mounting points located on the bottom and right sides, providing filmmakers with multiple options for mounting the monitor. For future firmware updates and loading custom LUTs, a USB-A port is located at the bottom, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack.<h3>Power Options</h3> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="523ca9248c22b4d8d256598cff7346f1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="6ca2e" loading="lazy" src="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/image.png?id=61234843&width=980"/>Also worth mentioning, the Portkeys LS7P monitor will be able to be powered using a single Sony NP-F battery. With a low power draw of just 13W, a single Sony NP-F970 battery can power the monitor for up to 3.5 hours.
Additionally, the monitor features a DC 7-24V power input with a locking DC 5.5×2.1mm barrel connector. This allows you to extend the monitor’s usage time by powering it via a V-Mount or Gold Mount battery using the included D-TAP to screw-in DC power cable.
On top of that, the LS7P will also feature a patented design that includes a built-in Sony NP-F power output dummy battery plate. This rotatable battery plate can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically. It also offers power pass-through capabilities (8V/10W), enabling you to connect and power a wireless video receiver directly at the back of the LS7P—all of which helps deliver a sleek and minimalist setup.<h3>Specs, Pricing, and Availability</h3> Powered by MOVNORM OS, the Portkeys LS7P is set to include a full suite of professional monitoring tools, which are highly customizable and easy to use, including:
<ul><li>3D LUT monitoring with 3D LUT output capabilities. Up to 20 custom LUTs can be loaded via the USB-A port at the bottom of the monitor.</li><li>Anamorphic image de-squeeze with 10 standard image ratios, including the popular 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.8x, and 2.0x, as well as the option to enter a custom aspect ratio from 0.25x to 4.0x.</li><li>Freeze frame functionality, which allows you to capture a frame on a USB stick and compare it with the live image signal. This freeze frame function can be particularly helpful for stop-motion shoots, for example.</li><li>Stretch leg tool: When shooting vertically, you can stretch the bottom part of the image. The stretch leg tool feature can be sent to the HDMI output.</li><li>Focus tools, including peaking, custom peaking frame, and zoom functions, ensure all your shots are as crisp as possible.</li><li>Image analysis and exposure tools, including RGB and Luma Waveform, Vectorscope, Luma Histogram, Zebra, and customizable False Color with 13 different colors, including ARRI False Color.</li><li>Framing tools: crosshair, check field, guides, grids, rectangle crop.</li><li>Audio meters.</li><li>Monitor adjustments: black level, backlight, contrast, color temperature, sharpness, chroma, brightness, tint, HDR/HLG, and image flip (H/V).</li></ul>
The Portkeys LS7P is available for preorder now and will retail for $449. You can find more info on <a href="https://www.portkeys.com/portkeys-ls7p" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Portkeys’ website here</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:33:35 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://nofilmschool.com/portkeys-ls7p-monitor</guid><category>Portkeys</category><category>On-camera monitor</category><category>Wireless camera monitor</category><category>Wireless video</category><category>portkeys ls7p</category><dc:creator>Jourdan Aldredge</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/portkeys-ls7p-monitor.png?id=61234839&width=980"></media:content></item></channel></rss>

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