How graduating from film school during the pandemic pushed the team toward making an independent feature

Raising the initial micro-budget through unconventional investors, personal connections, and community support

How Florida State University’s alumni equipment package made a $30,000 feature possible

Why paying crew something—even on an extremely limited budget—was important to the producers

Discovering in the edit that the first version of It Ends wasn’t working

Why indie filmmakers should stop thinking of reshoots as a sign of failure

Using test screenings to identify pacing problems, missing emotional beats, and scenes that needed additional coverage

Designing a contained film that could be affordably reconstructed for multiple rounds of pickups

Balancing the film’s horror and hangout-movie elements through pacing and visual language

Cutting a Jeep Cherokee in half to get it onto an LED volume stage

Rebuilding the Jeep interior and using the removable vehicle to create otherwise impossible camera angles

Why the filmmakers pulled out of Fantasia to continue improving the movie

Maintaining continuity when returning to the same actors and characters two years after principal photography

The editing workflow Alex developed to compare multiple performances of the same line

Using low-pass filtering, bass, sound design, and close-ups to create production value on an indie budget

What Alex learned from an extremely disorganized Premiere timeline

Premiering at SXSW during an especially difficult independent film distribution market

Why strong festival reviews and sold-out screenings didn’t automatically lead to a distribution deal

The changing economics of minimum guarantees for independent films

How online horror creators helped generate new momentum for It Ends

The film’s path from Letterboxd’s video store program to a theatrical release with Neon

Why filmmakers should focus on making the strongest movie possible rather than designing a project specifically for a major festival

How the lessons from It Ends changed the team’s approach to their next features

Previsualizing an entire movie before production to eliminate setups and solve story problems

Using executive producer credits strategically when raising additional financing

Practical advice for protecting hard drives, feeding a small crew, and building a trusted filmmaking community

“I'm a huge advocate for reshoots.”

“And on that Saturday we got it onto the stage and it, and it fit through that hallway with a literal quarter of an inch clearance on either side, and that's like, that's not an exaggeration.”

“I hope that this film can live kinda like when I first saw Slacker for the first time, and it was just like, oh, all you really need is a camera and two faces talking to each other.”

“At the end of the day, surround yourself, your entire crew with people you trust creatively.”

Alex Ullom

Carrie Carusone

Evan Barber

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How the image of a glowing pool at night became the foundation for Pools

Writing characters with specific actors like Michael Vlamis, Odessa A'zion, and Tyler Alvarez in mind

Building chemistry within an ensemble cast on a limited indie prep schedule

The complications of filming overnight pool scenes and shooting underwater

How a breath coach helped Odessa A'zion increase her underwater breath hold from roughly 15 seconds to a minute and a half

Why Sam turned down disappointing traditional distribution offers and pursued a more hands-on service deal

Creating pool-party premieres that made screenings feel like events rather than another movie release

How Sam became a top 0.01% Partiful user while organizing approximately 25 promotional events

Why filmmakers need to actively build relationships with festival programmers, distributors, critics, and other members of the indie film community

The mistake of delaying Pools' TVOD release in hopes of benefiting from the attention around Odessa A'zion's other projects

Why maintaining momentum and giving audiences an immediate way to watch a film matters after theatrical release

How the crowded TVOD marketplace makes discoverability especially difficult for independent movies

The wine-fueled cold email Sam wrote to Letterboxd after feeling like the film was running out of distribution options

Why Letterboxd's curated Video Store offered Pools a way to stand apart from algorithm-driven platforms

How the film's Letterboxd rating improved as more viewers discovered it

Michael's experience moving between Pools, his indie feature Crossword, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey

Why a giant production can still feel surprisingly scrappy and responsive on set

The difference between a film's production budget and the marketing budget needed to actually break through

Why indie filmmakers cannot build their entire distribution strategy around getting acquired by a major streamer

How real-world relationships can turn previous distribution passes into new opportunities

Why Sam recommends budgeting for marketing before production begins

The danger of submitting a rough cut to major film festivals before the movie is truly ready

Michael's approach to finding grounded comedy without forcing jokes or overthinking a performance

“You need something fun, especially for an indie movie, to, like, build community around the film and with each other and make it about more than just the movie itself.”

“As soon as the people start watching the movie, you want people to be able to see the movie.”

“You can't rely on it. You have to find ways to, like, find your own audience with an indie film.”

“Build in a marketing budget before you shoot. Like, have that be a part of the money that you raise.”

Sam Hayes

Michael Vlamis

Pools on Letterboxd

Rent Pools on the Letterboxd Video Store

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How Tribeca’s founding mission of community, connection, and celebrating movies has endured across 25 years

Cara’s path from attending the first Tribeca Festival as a film student to becoming Festival Director and SVP of Programming

Why networking is really about building relationships with your contemporaries and growing together throughout your careers

How programmers view filmmakers and why they are actively looking for work to champion rather than trying to keep filmmakers out

What makes a project feel distinctly right for Tribeca, from independent storytelling to memorable audience experiences

How Tribeca manages and evaluates nearly 14,000 film and project submissions

Why passionate advocacy inside the programming room can matter even when programmers disagree about a film

Why festival feedback is complicated and how programming decisions can depend on the composition of the entire lineup, not simply the quality of an individual film

How Tribeca expanded beyond features and shorts into television, podcasts, games, VR, immersive work, and creator-driven storytelling

The value of human curation as an alternative to algorithmic discovery

Why Tribeca is interested in projects that blur the boundaries between film, games, immersive media, podcasts, and other formats

How the role of film festivals is changing as selling an independent film directly out of a festival becomes more difficult

Why festivals increasingly function as places for talent discovery, career building, networking, and demonstrating audience demand

How the in-person festival experience can create moments that cannot be replicated through individual at-home viewing

How emerging filmmakers can participate in Tribeca through programs like the Storytelling Summit even if their work is not selected

Why Cara hopes Tribeca remains flexible enough to respond to new forms of storytelling that do not yet have an established industry category

Her advice to stop waiting for the perfect moment, keep collaborating, and make work because of the story rather than its potential festival or distribution outcome

“It's building a relationship with your contemporaries, and then you all grow. Like anyone who I know who has a position of power is only 'cause we were in the trenches as assistants 20 years ago.”

“Programmers want to discover films. They live in fear of missing something amazing. They want to build those relationships.”

“The industry player's coming less to buy completed projects than they are to scout future talent.”

“There's never a perfect moment and, and it- the more that you can be creating and collaborating, and don't think about, like, what festival is this going to get into or what's the distribution going to be?”

Cara Cusumano on IMDb

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How fiscal sponsorship allows filmmakers to fundraise through a nonprofit while maintaining the ability to operate commercially once the film is completed

Why tax-deductible donations can give filmmakers a different fundraising pitch than traditional equity investment

How in-kind donations can help cover production needs such as equipment, food, catering, and crafty

How fiscal sponsorship can add legitimacy when approaching companies and potential partners

New Hollywood's requirements for sponsored productions, including reasonable workdays, adequate turnaround times, and real meal breaks

Why sustainable set culture and crew wellbeing can improve both the production experience and the finished film

How table reads, storyboards, and strong pre-production planning can help filmmakers avoid long shoot days and burnout

Why directors should communicate with department heads early and build schedules that make their jobs easier

The importance of considering the emotional demands placed on actors when scheduling difficult scenes

Why cast and crew members should understand their rights, establish boundaries, and read their contracts even on non-union productions

How a more competitive grant landscape and changing corporate priorities are affecting independent film financing

Why filmmakers raising larger budgets should research production tax credits and rebates as part of their financing strategy

How to approach potential donors by focusing on genuine relationships rather than treating every conversation as a one-time ask

Why filmmakers should present their projects as already having momentum rather than appearing dependent on a single donor

How getting the first company, donor, or organization to say yes can make additional partnerships easier to secure

“So you get to fundraise as a nonprofit when you're starting, and then still operate as a for-profit entity once you have a film that you're ready to take to market.”

“Just for our listeners, like if somebody is pushing you in a way that is not okay, you can say no, even if it's non-union.”

“But like nobody is going to advocate for you on those sets except yourself, so it is good to know your rights.”

“The first yes is the hardest one to get. Once you get that yes, the other yeses just start coming.”

Lindsay St. Laurent

Ian Mark

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How Fine’s longtime creative partnership with director Alex Vlack led to The Revisionist

Discovering unexpected humor and tragedy in the actors’ interpretations of the script

Finding a consistent tone across four distinct central performances

The creative advantages of having an editor and director work together in the same room

Using Philip Klein’s score to evoke the interior world of Alison Brie’s writer character

Interrupting music with hard cuts to create surprise, humor, and playfulness

Organizing scenes, takes, transcripts, and searchable dialogue in Adobe Premiere Pro

Building a fast first assembly that closely followed the original screenplay

Restructuring the film to make the writer’s influence over the unfolding story more apparent

Using producer, audience, and actor feedback throughout the iterative editing process

Balancing the ensemble while keeping Alison Brie’s character as the story’s emotional anchor

Finding usable moments within Dustin Hoffman’s improvisations

Why limited locations, a small cast, and dialogue-heavy scenes can benefit independent filmmakers

Auditioning editorial ideas quickly instead of becoming overly attached to one version

Creating an editing environment with natural light, plants, instruments, and opportunities to step outside

What traditional editors can learn from filmmakers cutting polished videos on their phones

Why the most effective way to learn editing is to make films with friends

“I still think the best way to make a film is to be in the room with someone.”

“We wanted it to feel like you were inside of the head of a writer. You’re in her mind.”

“I’m really in favor of just auditioning ideas and trying things.”

“I think the best way to learn is in practice.”

Jon Fine

The Revisionist on IMDb

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

Why filmmakers should consider their target audience, key art, trailer, genre, and distribution strategy while developing the screenplay

How Greenlight Coverage uses data science and AI-assisted analysis to evaluate screenplays

How Jack developed the platform using data from thousands of films and hundreds of millions of audience data points

Why AI script coverage should function as an initial evaluation tool rather than a replacement for human readers

How the Greenlight List combines an algorithmic first pass with evaluation by experienced industry professionals

What separates a well-written screenplay from a commercially viable independent film

Why contained concepts can be more practical for independent filmmakers and investors

How originality, plot construction, character development, theme, and audience positioning affect a project’s score

Why low-budget horror still requires a specific audience and marketing strategy

The built-in audiences for horror, thrillers, romance, and Hallmark- or Lifetime-style films

How theatrical, TVOD, SVOD, and AVOD distribution windows affect independent film development

Why filmmakers may need to hook viewers within the first five minutes on ad-supported streaming platforms

How cast members, executive producers, and creators with established audiences can strengthen a film’s marketability

How the Greenlight List offers its grand prize winner $100,000 in equity financing and guaranteed distribution through Level 33 Entertainment

Why writers should use submission deadlines as concrete milestones for completing their screenplays

“I think it’s so important that filmmakers look at what the end product will be and how they’re going to connect that film, that story, with a target audience.”

“It has to have a specific audience itch that you’re trying to scratch, or it’s just going to be one of the thousands of films produced out there sitting on the shelf, unfortunately.”

“The film itself should hook the audience in whatever genre in the first five minutes.”

“Don’t miss a deadline. Hit the submit button. Don’t miss the deadline.”

Jack Zhang — Founder of Greenlight Coverage

Andreas Olavarria — Vice President at Level 33 Entertainment

The Greenlight List

Greenlight Coverage

Level 33 Entertainment

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How Sheridan and Todorovic met while working on Last Days in the Desert and bonded over their interest in making independent science-fiction films

Why the expense of CG and visual effects inspired them to pursue a lower-budget, “Blumhouse model” for sci-fi and animation

Wonder Dynamics’ pivot from interactive narratives to AI tools focused on film production

Why AI filmmaking technology should be developed by people who understand professional production and post-production workflows

The differences between tools made for social media content and tools made for long-form narrative filmmaking

Why editability, control, and compatibility with established VFX pipelines became central to Autodesk Flow Studio

How Autodesk Flow Studio captures a performance from single-camera footage and transfers it to a CG character without a traditional motion-capture stage

Why Sheridan and Todorovic do not believe an actor’s performance should be generated entirely through prompts

Hollywood’s pushback against AI during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and the industry’s gradual shift toward discussing responsible use

How filmmakers can evaluate AI tools according to their ethics, usefulness, and respect for artistic control

The potential for AI to lower production costs and help independent filmmakers create ambitious sci-fi and VFX-heavy projects

Why cheaper production does not eliminate the challenges of marketing, distribution, and audience discovery

How short films, YouTube projects, commercials, and music videos can serve as testing grounds for new filmmaking technology

The opportunity to create visually ambitious genre films that remain grounded in original ideas and character-driven storytelling

What Autodesk’s acquisition of Wonder Dynamics provides in terms of 3D expertise, scale, resources, and integration

How small production teams have used Autodesk Flow Studio to revive scripts they previously could not afford to produce

Why future filmmakers may see AI as an ordinary part of every creative tool rather than a separate category

Sheridan’s advice to practice whenever an opportunity appears and learn from every film set

Todorovic’s advice to persistently seek mentors and approach experienced professionals with genuine curiosity

“For us, that became our core theme, is just building something for artists that leaves them in control.”

“AI is like the Internet. You can’t just say AI is bad or AI is good. It means so many different things. It really depends on how you’re using it and whether or not you’re maintaining the integrity of the artist process.”

“We’re kind of allowing distribution to everybody, we’re going to allow the production to everybody, but now it’s a matter of being discovered.”

“Be stubborn, be persistent, and try to find the best mentor you can possibly think of, someone you admire, and then just bother them with emails for six months. You’d be surprised.”

Tye Sheridan

Nikola Todorovic

Autodesk Flow Studio

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How Whit’s previous collaborations with director Marty Schousboe led to Never Change!

Why the film’s budget and delivery schedule required editing to begin during production

Completing an initial assembly within a week of production wrapping

Applying lessons from the fast-paced editorial workflows of Saturday Night Live and Joe Pera Talks With You

Organizing footage into scene sequences and line-by-line collections of every performance

How front-loading editorial organization saves time when producers request alternate takes

Treating the first cut as a strong starting point rather than a version that must be protected

Adjusting individual jokes by only a few frames and testing different reaction shots

Preserving previous versions of scenes without formally tracking every editorial change

Recognizing when a joke needs more work versus when the filmmakers have simply watched it too many times

Using Premiere Pro’s searchable speech-to-text transcripts to find improvised lines and specific takes

Collaborating with directors who edit and directors who communicate their ideas conceptually

Why strong directors know what they want while remaining open to better ideas from collaborators

Managing creative disagreements, competing producer notes, and compressed deadlines

How walks and time away from the edit room can help collaborators reset

Why budget limitations ultimately determine when the filmmakers must put their pencils down

Building a comedy-editing career by making long-form work, studying classic comedies, and creating projects with friends

Treating unpaid personal projects as “extra credit” that can lead to new professional opportunities

“It is just my job to put the first version of the moment together as fast as I can and also be tickled by it.”

“I think great directors do a couple of things. One, I think they know what they want. They know what the moment should be. Two, they are open and willing to see other versions of that moment.”

“I think you don’t have to have all the answers all the time.”

“People understand you and know you through the work that you have done, that they have seen you do.”

Whit Conway

Watch Never Change! on Hulu

Whit Conway’s Website

Adobe Premiere Speech to Text

How These SNL Editors Cut an Emmy-Nominated Sketch With 60+ VFX Shots in 2 Days

Cutting Comedy: Inside the Edit of Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary

Field Producing on Last Week Tonight & Tackling Vimeo’s EU/UK Problem

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

The challenge of balancing production schedules with family life

How growing up around theater and the arts shaped Joy’s career

Developing Next to Normal over the course of a decade

Learning the creative and logistical sides of producing at Anonymous Content

Launching Joy Coalition just before the industry strikes

The financial risks independent producers take while developing and staffing projects

Why Joy staffed Little House on the Prairie before the series was greenlit

How the industry’s broken career pipeline limits mentorship and upward mobility

The goals of Producers United and the need to compensate career producers fairly

How instability affects studio executives as well as independent producers

Choosing projects that can bridge cultural and generational divides

The research, psychiatric support, and sensitivity practices behind 13 Reasons Why

Creating stories that give young audiences “something to reach up to”

Why emerging filmmakers should build their own audiences and distribution channels

Finding long-term collaborators, remaining loyal, and celebrating friends’ successes

“All you could do is bank on the things that you believe in and love.”

“Some of the best of us producers no longer have the infrastructure to bring up the next generation.”

“Everything that I make pretty much comes down to taking young people more seriously than I feel we have historically.”

“Hollywood’s a very, very, very long high school and college, and you find your people and you succeed together.”

Joy Gorman Wettels

Joy Coalition

Joy Gorman Wettels on Instagram

Producers United

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]

How competitive diving prepared Paguia to perform under pressure

Crashing the callback that led to his first stunt job on I Am Legend

Why effective stunt work must serve the story rather than spectacle

Finding the line between exciting action and physically unbelievable action

Developing a shared movement language for zombies and other creatures

Why fast zombies are more intimidating—and more enjoyable to perform

Building action around the established strengths of a character

Giving the agents on FBI distinct fighting styles based on personality and physicality

Keeping fights, chases, and takedowns fresh across multiple seasons

The differences between preparing action for a feature film and a network television series

Choreographing and teaching fights to actors while filming on a tight schedule

Why filmmakers should slow down instead of rushing on set

How stunt doubles help actors learn choreography and improve their performances

Using an iPhone to previs camera angles, movement, costumes, and choreography

How smaller camera systems have expanded the possibilities for action photography

Monitoring multi-camera stunt sequences when playback is unavailable

Why micro-budget filmmakers should design action within their actual resources

The driving, fighting, falling, and wire-work skills aspiring stunt performers should develop

How collaboration between departments creates memorable action

“Telling the story of the movie is more important than performing the action.”

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast—and wear sunscreen.”

“Stunt doubles aren't just there to perform the action instead of the actor. They're also there to help choreograph and teach and show.”

“It's enticing to try to go for bigger than you can actually handle, but it may end up just looking bad or sort of amateur.”

Victor Paguia

Watch Victor Paguia’s Zombieland stunt

Extraction 2 Director Sam Hargrave’s Advice on Oners, Stunts, and Emails

On the Web: No Film School

Facebook: No Film School on Facebook

Twitter: No Film School on Twitter

YouTube: No Film School on YouTube

Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]