Film School
409 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsA filmmaker and a writer tackle the AFI's Top 100 Films and beyond to educate themselves about movies and storytelling. Welcome to Film School!
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Episodes
How To Do Something New (Cutting Room Floor #113)
July 08, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB“Step outside your comfort zone.” “Do something new.” Okay…but how? HOW do you do something that you’ve never done before? Stepping outside the comfort zone is, by definition, uncomfortable. Luckily, there are some tried and true methods. We discuss! Also, Josh recommends The Wire, and Ira recommends Mare of Easttown.
On the Waterfront (AFI Top 100 Films #19)
July 05, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 56 MBI coulda been a contender! Marlon Brando stars in, perhaps, his most iconic role as the washed-out boxer-turned-mob-tool Terry Malloy. He unwittingly plays a part in a murder, an old crush comes back to town, and things unravel for him. Will he stand up for what he knows is right, or will he take the dive, like the night that ended his career as a boxer?
How To Use Backstory (Cutting Room Floor #112)
July 01, 2021 10:00 - 43 minutes - 30.4 MBIt can be so easy to get lost in creating backstory/worldbuilding/brainstorming/etc. for our plot and characters...but where does the rubber actually meet the road where that kind of work shows up in our finished product? Also, Josh recommends Richard Linklater's Before series, and Ira recommends For All Mankind on AppleTV+.
It's a Wonderful Life (AFI Top 100 Films #20)
June 28, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBEvery time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings! It's become a Christmas classic, but it didn't start out that way! This film is yet another example of a movie that found second life on television and became a cultural touchstone. Jimmy Stewart is wonder, as always, the story is cozy through and through, and it pioneered a whole new method of filming fake snow. Merry Christmas, everyone!
How to Stay Motivated (Cutting Room Floor #111)
June 24, 2021 10:00 - 40 minutes - 28.3 MBIt takes energy–a lot of it–to create. So, how in the heck do you maintain the kind of energy it takes to get stuff done? What keeps you motivated to put in the time and do the work? And once you’ve got some momentum going, how do you maintain it? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Army of the Dead on Netflix.
Chinatown (AFI Top 100 Films #21)
June 21, 2021 10:00 - 23 minutes - 22.2 MBTrigger warning: this podcast discusses sexual assault. In 1977, Polanski was arrested and charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. As a result of a plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful sex with a minor. In 1978, after learning that the judge planned to reject his plea deal and impose a prison term instead of probation, he fled to Paris. A number of other women have later accused Polanski of raping them when they were teenagers. An Interpol red noti...
The Trap of 'Just Write The Bad Version' (Cutting Room Floor #110)
June 17, 2021 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.6 MB“Just write the bad version! Get it out of your head, then it’s real and you can actually start to fix it. A ‘vomit draft.’ It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, just WRITE IT.” It’s good advice. …Usually. But not always. Sometimes, the advice to just write and turn off the “is this good or bad” filter can actually be a TRAP. Josh and Ira talk about their own personal experience with it! Also, Josh recommends Midsommar, and Ira recommends Tales From The Loop, which is on Prime.
Some Like It Hot (AFI Top 100 Films #22)
June 14, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBWell, nobody's perfect! Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon are a special kind of magic, and in '59 those two were firing on all cylinders. Lemmon and Tony Curtis are hard-luck musicians on the run from the mob, posing in drag as part of an all-female jazz band, and falling in love with Marilyn Monroe . . . what's not to love?!
Quarantine Postmortem (Cutting Room Floor #109)
June 10, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBCOVID is not over...but with vaccinations in our arms, this may be as close as we get to the chance to look back over the past year of quarantine. How have we changed? What have we learned? What lies ahead? We talk about it. Also, Josh recommends Kingdom which is on Netflix, and Ira recommends We Bare Bears, which is on HBO Max.
The Grapes of Wrath (AFI Top 100 Films #23)
June 07, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBWe'll go on forever, Pa, 'cuz we're the people! Steinbeck's novel, based on his very real experiences embedded as a reporter amongst the dust bowlers and other migrant workers in the California agricultural scene, was a sensation at the time. The poverty, exploitation, and desperation he observed shocked many people. It's still shocking today. He turned those observations into a novel, and this film takes the novel to the silver screen with Henry Fonda as the lead. Does it do a good job? W...
Advice for Starting Out (Cutting Room Floor #108)
June 03, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBWe all have to start somewhere. It's the time in our creative pursuits when we know the least and need the most guidance, and yet it seems to be the hardest advice to find, sometimes! We don't have all the answers on this podcast, but we do our best on this one. Also, Josh recommends Lars and the Real Girl, and Ira recommends For All Mankind on AppleTV+.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (AFI Top 100 Films #24)
May 31, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBE.T. PHONE HOME!
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (AFI Top 100 Films #24)
May 31, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBE.T. phone home! When Ira first watched this movie, he meant its distinction laid out in the back of the VHS cover as the "highest grossing" movie of all time meant that it was super disgusting and scary. There's probably not a single adult right now in their 30s or 40s that didn't have a major part of their childhood shaped by this Steven Spielberg tale of a boy and his super incredible out of the world dog. It's one of the great "kids" movies of all time. So, how does it hold up now as a...
The Day Job vs The Art (Cutting Room Floor #107)
May 27, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBMoney. We literally need it. And art doesn't pay at first. That means we can't just work on the art, we have to actually go out and make money in the meantime. Day Job. In fact, we're likely to spend the majority of our time doing work that isn't what we really want to be doing--our art. So, how do we balance that reality? How do we work the day job AND work the passion project? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends the animated series Justice League which is currently on Netflix and Max, and ...
How to Balance Creativity and Life (Cutting Room Floor #107)
May 27, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBThe day job. Life in general. How do we handle that stuff so we have the time and head-space to create?
To Kill a Mockingbird (AFI Top 100 Films #25)
May 24, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBHold your head high and keep those fists down. This movie might as well be called "Best Dad Ever." The book was Harper Lee's love note to her father, and the film is the same for Gregory Peck. He shines as Atticus Finch. So do the kids. There's an authenticity to the lives being portrayed here, a testament to the source material. So, how does this film about childhood, parenting, and racism hold up after 60 years? Turns out . . . pretty damn well.
To Kill a Mockingbird (AFI Top 100 Films #26)
May 24, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBRemember...it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.
What Are You Working On Right Now? (Cutting Room Floor #106)
May 20, 2021 10:00 - 54 minutes - 37.9 MBWhat's your current work in progress? REALLY simple question this week; a chance to just kind of offer an update, we suppose, but we'd love to hear what you're working on right now as well. Let's all share! :) Also, Josh recommends Peaky Blinders which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends Batman: The Animated Series, which is currently on HBO Max.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (AFI Top 100 Films #26)
May 17, 2021 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBNo, I will not yield! Jimmy Stew is at his wide-eyed, loquacious, man-of-the-people best here in this film that has a heart as big as the U.S. entire. It's so earnestly idealistic about the potential of politics, politicians and American democracy that it's hard to believe it was derrided at the time for being too negative. Only Smith could go to Washington, and only Stewart could be Mr. Smith. He is just the man to sell such an 'aw-shucks' story. It also put him on the map as an actor. Sh...
Where Does Your Confidence Come From? (Cutting Room Floor #105)
May 13, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBWhen do you feel most confident? Where does that confidence come from? Are there things you can think of that make you FEEL confident? What about when your confidence leaves you--what sent it away? So much of being an artist is finding confidence within ourselves, both to complete the act of creating, and to share that work with others. So...how do we find that kind of confidence? Josh and Ira discuss what works and doesn't work for them! Also, Josh recommends Lost in Translation, and Ira ...
High Noon (AFI Top 100 Films #27)
May 10, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 55.3 MBHi, Noon! Minutes after retirement into a happily married life, Sheriff Kane (Gary Cooper) has a crisis: his nemesis Frank Miller has been released from prison, and he's on his way back to town for the purpose of taking it back over, and exacting his revenge. Kane wants to stand his ground and once again send Miller packing . . . but will anyone in the town support him this time? John Wayne is on record as saying he hated this movie on the ground it was anti-American. Its defenders point o...
How to Outline (Cutting Room Floor #104)
May 06, 2021 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40.6 MBSo, you have an idea for a story. How do you take that idea and actually write a book from it, or make a movie? One tried and true way is to write an outline! But, how do you make one? Where do we start? Luckily, both Josh and Ira have a decent amount of experience doing just this. In this episode, we talk about how to create an outline. Also, Josh recommends Bronson and My Life Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn, and Ira recommends Into the Storm on HBO Max.
All About Eve (AFI Top 100 Films #28)
May 03, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBBuckle up, it's going to be a bumpy night! Bette Davis fights for her heart's and career's life against the up-and-coming Anne Baxter, who's insinuated herself into Bette's life perhaps . . . too much? This film is mostly known for Davis rocking her sh*t, and rock it she does. The reparte is fast and cutting, the wit is refined, and the characters are out for blood. Age comes to us all, but then again, youth is wasted on the young. Who will come out on top?
Finding the Emotional Sweet Spot (Cutting Room Floor #103)
April 29, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBWhat role does emotion play in your creative work? How does it help? How does it hurt? Often, the stories that we're telling have a strong emotional resonance with our personal lives that feels both absolutely necessary to find truth...and a little scary and overwhelming, something we can get lost in. How do we navigate those two poles, and the find the way through? Also, we recommend Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and The Last Blockbuster.
Double Indemnity (AFI Top 100 Films #29)
April 26, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBNot an accident. Not suicide. Murder. Billy Wilder is in peak form on this classic black & white noir starring Barbara Stanwyk as the femme fatale and the smooth-talking Fred MacMurray as her mark, a run-of-the-mill insurance salesman with dreams of love and money. The crime itself in this one stands out as an all-timer, plus the framing device and the dramatic ending are too fun to pass up. We had a lot of fun with this one. Enjoy!
Balancing Curiosity with Routine (Cutting Room Floor #102)
April 22, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBRoutine is a haven for productivity, but it can turn into a rut. Curiosity can drive experimentation and growth, but it can lead to shiny-object syndrome...where's the balance in between? How can they feed each other?
Apocalypse Now (AFI Top 100 Films #30)
April 19, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 80.9 MBWar is hell. Based on the novella "Heart of Darkness," Francis Ford Coppola is the real star of this ambitious, disturbing, madness-inducing look into the horrors of the Vietnam War. Starring Martin Sheen and a veritable cavalcade of other recognizable actors, this film might just be the best representation ever made of how war feels. Like Sheen's Willard, it nearly cost Coppola his own sanity to make . . . and that might just be perfect. Let's head down the river, kids. Everything will (not...
How to Manage Creative Energy (Cutting Room Floor #101)
April 15, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBCreative energy: a finite resource. Our ability to get good creative work done is undeniably limited to how much energy we have in any given day. How much energy we have varies from day to day. Project to project, even! So . . . with all the up and the downs, how do we maintain our drive to finish, or our ability to meet deadlines? How do we make sure we don’t burn out and stay as consistent as possible?
The Maltese Falcon (AFI Top 100 Films #31)
April 12, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 53.3 MBThe stuff dreams are made of! Our first dyed and true NOIR has finally arrived here on the AFI’s list, and boy howdy is it a cracking good time. Femme fatales, druggings in drinks, secret shooters, an ancient treasure, stabs in the back, and fast-talking jive, baby, see? Bogart is peak Bogart, the script is snappy, the characters are all angry cynics . . . and someone killed Spade’s partner. Better believe we gon’ get to the bottom of it!
What is Voice? (Cutting Room Floor #100)
April 08, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.6 MBA strong “voice.” We all want to be told that we have one in our writing. Every great writer has a “strong voice.” Okay . . . so, what even IS a “voice” in our writing? And, how do we develop one? It’s a very fuzzy, frustrating, and seemingly formless–and therefore helpless–aspect of storytelling. It feels like something you either have, or you don’t. But . . . is that true? Or, is it something we can work on? Is it something we even need to WORRY about?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (AFI Top 100 Films #33)
April 05, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 68 MBWhat do you think you are for christ's sake, crazy or something?! Jack Nicholson stars as the pedophile rapist McMurphy, and Louise Fletcher as his nemesis Nurse Ratched. He’s been sent to the loony bin for, by all accounts, pretending to be crazy. But, then he finds himself ever more involved in the question of if anyone should be there. It’s a touchstone of the counter-culture, an award darling of the time, and this week we examine how well it holds up.
How to Get to Done (Cutting Room Floor #099)
April 01, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBHow do you know when your story is DONE? When is it ready to share with the world? Or, even when it's ready to share with someone else for feedback? And HOW DO WE GET TO THAT POINT? If sharing our work is an act of letting go, how can we tell when we're holding onto it for too long, and when it genuinely still needs work and we have to sick it out until it's further along? It's one of the biggest struggles we face as writers. Objectivity. But fret not! There are some tried and true ways to a...
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (AFI Top 100 Films #34)
March 29, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBMagic mirror on the wall! The movie that launched a studio (and two theme parks), and almost 100 years ago! Snow White is a landmark film, and just one glance at the quality of the artwork and that date--1937--is enough to make your head spin. One of the very first ever full feature-length animated films ever made, it was a sensation at the time of its release. It instantly cemented Walt Disney as one of the most influential filmmakers in cinema history. But, how well does it hold up? How's ...
James Rollins' 7 Sympathy Builders for Characters (Cutting Room Floor #098)
March 25, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBThere are shortcuts to getting an audience to fall in love with a character, and best-selling author James Rollins has come up with a list of 7 of them. This week, we discuss them!
Annie Hall (AFI's Top 100 Films #35)
March 22, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 34.2 MBWoody Allen, by his own admission–and the definition of statutory rape–has sexually assaulted children. This very film contains a reference to such assault. His daughter has reported assault. In at least one other film, Allen plays a character having sex with a child. There’s not really much more to talk about with Woody Allen, frankly, and it’s what we discussed after watching this film for the very last time, ever. How do you separate the artist from their art? Should we even try? The podc...
Annie Hall (AFI Top 100 Films #35)
March 22, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 34.2 MBWoody Allen, by his own admission–and the definition of statutory rape–has sexually assaulted children. This very film contains a reference to such assault. His daughter has reported assault. In at least one other film, Allen plays a character having sex with a child. There’s not really much more to talk about with Woody Allen, frankly, and it’s what we discussed after watching this film for the very last time, ever. How do you separate the artist from their art? Should we even try? The podc...
How and When to Pivot (Cutting Room Floor #097)
March 18, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.8 MBSometimes, slogging through the mud is the wrong choice. Barreling ahead with complete tunnel vision and shutting out any and all other possibilities can be foolhardy and actually hinder progress. So, how do you know when to change course? And when a change is the right thing, how do you do it? Josh and Ira chat about when this has come up in their own lives, and what they've learned from it!
How to Write an Amazing Character (Cutting Room Floor #096)
March 11, 2021 11:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBWrite a character you fall in love with. We've all heard that advice, but HOW DO YOU DO THAT? How can we create a character who feels real, that people will connect with, be thrilled by, want to cosplay . . . you know, the BEST CHARACTERS. This week, we talk about our own tips and tricks as well as our observations of the best characters out there. Enjoy!
How to Pick the Right Story (Cutting Room Floor #095)
March 04, 2021 11:00 - 40 minutes - 28.4 MBHow do you know if you’re writing the right story? I mean, we all know how long it takes to write something, we all know how much effort it takes. It seems like a valid question . . . why this story right now? How important (or unimportant) is it to answer that question? We answer this question for ourselves in this week’s Cutting Room Floor!
How to Write a Perfect Crisis (Cutting Room Floor #094)
February 25, 2021 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBA rock and a hard place. The decisions that define the arc of a character, and indeed our own lives. This is the realm of the Crisis, one of the must-have components of a scene, act, story, or even series of stories. Have a great one, and your story will sizzle. Important stuff. So . . . how do we write a good one? Not all decisions are created equal, so how do we make sure we’re really turning the screws on a character? We discuss our own observation and tips!
The Hardest Part of Storytelling (Cutting Room Floor #093)
February 18, 2021 11:00 - 37 minutes - 26.4 MBWriting is hard. Often. Not all the time, certainly . . . writing is hard, it seems, until it’s not. For a while. And then it’s hard again. Writing is perhaps at it’s hardest when it doesn’t happen, when we don’t write. So, what drives you away from the writing? What stalls you out, makes you go in circles? What makes you feel like giving up? Josh and Ira share what it is for them . . . and what they do about it.
How to Write a Great Ending (Cutting Room Floor #092)
February 11, 2021 16:48 - 47 minutes - 33 MBGo out with a BANG! Of the three most basic parts of a story–beginning, middle, and end–the ending probably gets the most attention. A good one will get you the most forgiveness, and a bad one will certainly doom you. That’s a lot of pressure. So . . . what makes a great one? What are some pitfalls to avoid? And what are some heights to reach for? We share our tips, tricks, and observations!
Is it Okay for my Story to Change? (Cutting Room Floor #091)
February 04, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBA left turn. Off the rails. Sometimes, our story seems to have a mind of it’s own, and it changes as we’re writing it, perhaps even dramatically. Is . . . that okay? Or, is that some kind of red flag, a warning that we’re about to get lost in the weeds? That second question is probably just anxiety, and the answer to the first is probably yes. We talk about why this week!
How to Write a Great Middle (Cutting Room Floor #090)
January 28, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24.4 MBThe dreaded “muddy middle.” That’s a common term amongst script writers and storytellers in general. We all know that if a story is going to bog down anywhere, it will happen in that giant middle 50% chunk of the story. There’s a reason why most manuscripts get about halfway through before they’re tossed in a drawer and abandoned. So, how can we avoid that? How can we make the middle the BEST part of the story? We share tips and tricks on how to do just that!
Art vs. Content (Cutting Room Floor #089)
January 21, 2021 11:00 - 50 minutes - 35.3 MBIn the age of content . . . what makes something "art?" Anyone and everyone can make anything these days. That's objectively wonderful. Inherently, that means there area a multitude of reasons why things are created, what the goals are for those creations, and the function they serve to the audience they reach. Within all that, IS there a distinction to be made between "content" and "art?" If there is a difference, how important is it? And what does it mean for us as creatives/creators?
How to Write a Great Beginning (Cutting Room Floor #088)
January 14, 2021 11:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBStart with a BANG! Hook the viewer/reader! Your story should grab them by the throat! We've all heard the advice on what the start to our stories need to be . . . but just HOW do we accomplish that? What do the great openings that we can think of have in common? This week on the CRF, we do a deep dive on BEGINNINGS.
2021 Goals, Resolutions, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #087)
January 07, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBHappy New Year! What a *YEAR* 2020 was for all of us . . . but the page has now turned. We're no longer in the past. We're living in the future. 2021 is a new year. What do you want to accomplish? What did you do poorly last year and want to do better in the new year? And what did you do well that you want to continue? We're looking ahead, this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
Home Alone
December 21, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBKevin!!! If you're a certain age, this movie defined your childhood. Who DIDN'T want to kick the fam, watch violent movies, eat ice cream all day, and turn their house into a labyrinth of death and defeat the Wet Bandits?! Christopher Columbus and John Hughes are at their family-friendly peak, and made a true Christmas classic that STILL delivers the giggles. And, as we dig in . . . pretty gd airtight execution-wise. Happy Holidays!
2020 Year in Review (Cutting Room Floor #086)
December 17, 2020 11:00 - 53 minutes - 37.2 MB2020: you were a motherf*cker. For real, this year has been an all-timer of a year. It's challenged our perception of what a year even IS. And it's come from all sides: personal, professional, global. 2020 will always be the year of COVID-19 . . . but there's a lot that goes into that. It was also the year of working from home, the year the "industry" changed, the year of the presidential election, changing jobs, podcasting, quarantine . . . just, so so much. We talk about this year for us...
The Bridge on the River Kwai (AFI Top 100 Films #36)
December 14, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBWhat have I done?! Alec Guinness takes a starring turn as the unbreakable WWII Colonel Nicholson. He finds himself as a prisoner of war in a work camp tasked with building the Japanese a bridge over the river Kwai. It's a battle of wits and will for self-respect, cowardice and bravery, and ultimately survival. William Holden also pitches in as the POW-turned commando Shears who returns to the camp he escaped from to destroy what Nicholson is building. It also has one the more iconic marching...