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!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Imposter Syndrome: How Do You Deal With It? (Cutting Room Floor #026)
September 26, 2019 10:05 - 19 minutes - 18.7 MBImposter syndrome is the self-limiting belief, in whatever form it may take, that we are just not good enough. It's insidious how it can show up in our everyday and creative lives. This week, the boys dive into how Imposter Syndrome manifests in their personal lives, and what they do to combat it.
Unforgiven (AFI Top 100 Films #68)
September 23, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBIt's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Clint Eastwood stars as the aging, reformed, tea-totaling killer Bill Munny who's forced into doing one last job. Morgan Freeman rides along side him, with Gene Hackman in a fantastic turn as the savage town sheriff. It's a film that aspires to examine the soul of a killer. Does it succeed? And just how torched will the sheriff's town be when Eastwood gets his huevos back and goes back to his old ways? You'll just have to watch and listen to find out!
The Gap Between Taste And Skill According To Ira Glass (Cutting Room Floor #025)
September 19, 2019 10:05 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBIra Glass has a very famous sound snippet about a fundamental aspect of becoming really good at something that no one ever tells you when you're starting out: that your taste, for a long time, is going to far exceed your ability. That gap can be crushing, because we know that our work isn't good. This week, we talk about that gap, what it feels like, and how we can CLOSE it. Watch the original video sound byte here: https://youtu.be/91FQKciKfHI
Tootsie (AFI Top 100 Films #69)
September 16, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBIt's one nutty hospital! Dustin Hoffman tucks and dons the wig for an iconic performance as Dorothy Michaels/Michael Dorsey, a down on his luck, unemployable actor. The only problem: he falls in love with his co-star, who has no idea who he/she really is. What's funnier than a man in drag, right? This week, we examine the performances of a truly stellar cast (Jessica Lange! Bill Murray! Gina Davis!), question the reality of the situation, and dive in on how has this movie aged in the nearly ...
Don't Sleep On Outside Validation (Cutting Room Floor #024)
September 12, 2019 10:05 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBSelf esteem comes from within. We're always hardest on ourselves. We all know this...but outside validation is absolutely crucial to even the hardiest of souls. We all need loving, supportive, positive people in our lives. All of us. This week, Josh and Ira talk about how validation helps them, and who provides that support. Who validates you? Who doesn't? And what effect do those people have on you and your creativity?
A Clockwork Orange (AFI Top 100 Films #70)
September 09, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBClear as a unmuddied lake, Fred. This week, ya boys tackle the disturbing, dystopian classic from Stanley Kubrick. Center stage is Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, a teenager who's main pastime is rape and murder. Have no fear: society has a new fix for people like him. It's psychology to the rescue...or is it? Fair warning: this movie is a tough, graphic, intense watch. BUT...does it have something profound to say? And how well does it say it?
How Can Meditation Help My Writing? (Cutting Room Floor #023)
September 05, 2019 10:05 - 33 minutes - 31 MBIra's recently had a breakthrough with his writing process, and meditation is smack dab in the middle of it. Josh wants to know how. This week, we talk about when to meditate, how it's different than just zoning out or taking a nap, and how it can impact creativity in powerful, positive ways.
Saving Private Ryan (AFI Top 100 Films #71)
September 02, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 59.5 MB"Tell me I'm a good man." Spielberg's war epic stars Tom Hanks as the leader of a company of WWII soldiers tasked with tracking down a man they've never met so they can send him home. It features some truly spectacular battle footage that arguably hasn't been equaled to this day. It also features some performances that are impossible to forget. It's nearly 3 hours long, so buckle up, and let's try to answer the question of just what we're doing out there fighting, and what would make it wort...
Numbers, Updates, and Changes? (Cutting Room Floor #022)
August 29, 2019 10:05 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBIra digs into the numbers behind the ratings we've given the first quarter of AFI's Top 100 films and what they might mean about us, both the boys give updates on what they've been working on for the past month or so, and they consider the question of whether or not they're putting too much content behind the pay wall of Patreon for these early days of building the podcast. It's a packed full episode this week! Enjoy!
The Shawshank Redemption (AFI Top 100 Films #72)
August 26, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBMorgan Freeman and Tim Robbins star in arguably the most popular movie of all time. ALL TIME. It's been #1 on IMDb for the past twenty years! It has an all-star cast, an eminently quotable script, wonderful music, and perhaps above all...a happy ending. So, let's all get busy living or get busy dying, and see if we can figure out just why this movie is so stupendously popular!
Has the AFI's Top 100 Improved Your Storytelling? (Cutting Room Floor #021)
August 22, 2019 10:05 - 18 minutes - 42.8 MBJosh asks Ira if watching the AFI's Top 100 movies has improved his storytelling yet, and Ira asks him the same question right back. In a nutshell: yes. For both of them. But how?
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (AFI's Top 100 Films #73)
August 19, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBRobert Redford and Paul Newman star in the film that arguably made them icons as the shoot-from-the-hip, tight-lipped Sundance and the worrying, scheming, talkative Butch. The chemistry is undeniable. The script sizzles. The vistas are breathtaking. The capers are a hoot. And our two leads embody a bygone era where men were free to be free. And criminals. Definitely criminals. So, let's take the plunge and talk Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid.
How Do I Start A Writing Routine? (Cutting Room Floor #020)
August 15, 2019 10:05 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBIra recently realized he didn't have a writing routine, a habit of working on his WIPs every day. So, how can he start one? And how can he KEEP one? Both of the boys talk habit forming and share their daily routines in general and discuss how both of those things can be leveraged to create a writing routine. This week on the cutting room floor!
The Silence of the Lambs (AFI Top 100 Films #74)
August 12, 2019 10:05 - 56 minutes - 52.7 MBHello Clarice. Anthony Hopkins turns in the performance of a lifetime as the cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter, as does Jodi Foster as FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling in the film that has defined the Thiller genre for a generation, and perhaps more. So, what makes this MORE than just a crime story? And why does it still rise above other serial-killer thrillers that have come after it? We bite in, this week!
How Do We Balance Creativity and the Day Job? (Cutting Room Floor #019)
August 08, 2019 10:05 - 26 minutes - 25 MBWe all have bills to pay. But how do we work full time week in and week out and still get our creative work done as well? What KIND of job allows us to do both and not get burned out? Josh and Ira have been in this situation for most of their adult lives, and we dive into some of what we've learned over these past 15 years or so. This week, on the Cutting Room Floor.
In The Heat Of The Night (AFI Top 100 Films #75)
August 05, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBThey call me MISTER TIBBS. Sidney Poitier is an absolute badass and he pairs beautifully as the black master detective stuck with Rod Steiger as the racist local cop to solve a murder. This film takes twists and turns that neither of us were expecting. Plus, Josh shares his near-miss playing "County Ball" on a recent film shoot. High drama! This week, on Film School.
What Is An Elevator Pitch? (Cutting Room Floor #018)
August 01, 2019 10:05 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MB"You gotta have an elevator pitch!" How many times have we heard this as a storyteller? Omg. All the time. But what actually IS an elevator pitch? Both of us didn't even know ourselves until very recently...and it's actually an amazing technique by which to understand our own projects, let alone communicate them to someone else. We cover it all, and even pitch each other with our own projects. This week on the Cutting Room Floor!
What is a Love Story? (Cutting Room Floor #010)
July 29, 2019 10:06 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBBONUS! For our Patreon supporters each week, we also release an episode of the Cutting Room Floor which cover topics from personal updates to storytelling deep-dives to general Creative Life tips and how-tos. We thought we'd share one of those episodes this week with the main podcast. This week: the Love story genre. What is Love? Baby, don't hurt me...and we *won't* hurt you, I promise, as we take a deep dive this week into the Love Genre. What makes a Love story? Why do we tell them? What ...
The Apartment LIVE!
July 29, 2019 10:05 - 2 hours - 119 MBBONUS! Get a taste of the content we feature each week on our Patreon. This week: The Apartment, from 1960. There are so many great lines from this movie, and you can hear from the recording just how much we loved watching this movie. A must-listen on the "live" side of things! That's just the way it crumbles, cookie-wise. If you enjoy what you hear and you'd like to help support the show, head on over to patreon.com/filmschool
What Movies Give You The Warm Fuzzies? (Cutting Room Floor #017)
July 25, 2019 10:05 - 20 minutes - 19.3 MBWe all have those movies that just make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. They feel like home. This week, the boys talk about those movies for them, Josh's self-imposed project to watch more of them, and how these special stories can keep us all inspired. What are YOUR warm fuzzy movies???
Forrest Gump (AFI Top 100 Films #76)
July 22, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 81.3 MBLife is like a box of chocolates, folks; you never know what you're gonna get. Tom Hanks plays the titular character in a film that defies traditional story structures and genre conventions. At the beating heart of this examination (and critique, perhaps?) of the US in the 60s and 70s is Forrest's undying love to Jenny. But that's about where 'conventional' and Forrest diverge, never to return again. Amazing cast, wonderful sweeping score, glitzy photography and a soundtrack that DOESN'T QUI...
Sometimes it just takes a while to Click (Cutting Room Floor #016)
July 18, 2019 10:05 - 24 minutes - 23.1 MBWe try new things all the time. New ways of doing stuff. Be better organized. Be more efficient. Work smarter, not harder. Most of the time, though, it doesn't stick. Well, maybe that's okay. Maybe that's NORMAL... Maybe it just takes awhile for things to click sometimes, and it's the things we keep coming back to try that are worth waiting for. This week on the Cutting Room Floor!
All The President's Men (AFI Top 100 Films #77)
July 15, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBIt's the story of how Richard Nixon's presidency came to an infamous end: Watergate. Intrepid (god, I love the word 'intrepid!') reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Berstein doggedly pursued the truth at the risk of their own lives and careers, and they're our heroes on this thrilling historical drama that takes us break by break in the early days of this unprecedented scandal. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star. It's taught, fast-paced, and features scenes out of real life that are stranger...
How To Finish! (Cutting Room Floor #015)
July 11, 2019 10:05 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MBHow many times have you started something and not finished? How many times do we ALL just jump out the gate on something creative and we have all that wonderful energy and enthusiasm, and then in what feels like the blink of an eye...it's been weeks, months or years and we haven't touched it? You're not alone. We've all been there. But, we don't have to be. Josh and Ira ponder whether there's a better way; the difference between not finishing...and crossing that blessed finish line. Th...
Modern Times (AFI Top 100 Films #78)
July 08, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBCharlie Chaplin is on point this week with one of his most beloved appearances as the The Tramp. He can't hold down a job for his life, he's getting strapped into a homicidal auto-feeding machine, and he's doing blow in jail! What's not to love! There are truly some breathtaking sequences in this classic silent film, and Chaplin flexes his performance muscles that might just make you forget it's a silent film in the first place. Plus, it's the movie that brought us the timeless ballad "Smile...
The Wild Bunch (AFI Top 100 Films #79)
July 01, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBIf any of them move, kill 'em! Our first Western on the AFI list is a bloody, gritty, corker of a bandit heist flick. It stars William Holden, whose star power was waning at the time, along with Ernest Borgnine and his iconic gap-toothed smile, and some truly EPIC action sequences that forever changed movies. It's also one the very first R-rated films in history. There are no heroes in this one. Mount up.
How do we apply Genre to our Writing? (Cutting Room Floor #013)
June 27, 2019 10:05 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBOkay, so we've gone through each of the different Genres of story. Great. But how do we actually APPLY that to our own writing? We use Josh's current work in progress as a launching point, discuss his super power hearing for police sirens, and break down the creative and vs mindsets. All this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
The Apartment (AFI Top 100 Films #80)
June 24, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 62.5 MB"That's the way it crumbles, cookie-wise." Jack Lemmon and Shirley McClain star in this absolute gem from writer/director Billy Wilder. One of the movies that defined the Romantic Comedy genre, it features two leads at their absolute peak, and a script that doesn't quit. Shut up and deal, boys and girls; this week on film school.
All The Stories We Tell: The Content Genres (Cutting Room Floor #012)
June 20, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 69 MBWe conclude our dive into the fundamental story types we tell by by going over the remaining external Content Genres of Horror, Crime, Western, Performance, Thriller, Society, and War, and the remaining two internal Content Genres of Status and Morality. It's a lot of information, but don't worry: the rubber meets the road in applying these structures. So just sit back, listen, and use the resources for these over at storygrid.com
Spartacus (AFI Top 100 Films #81)
June 17, 2019 10:05 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBI'm Spartacus! No, I'm Spartacus! No...WE are SpartacALLofus! :) We hit our second sword-and-sandal epic of the late 50s / early 60s. This one is directed by a very young Stanley Kubrick and stars Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. Sweeping vistas. Epic battles. Scheming Romans. Over three hours? This one has it all. Let's see what all the fuss is about!
The Worldview Genre: A Hero's Journey (Cutting Room Floor #011)
June 13, 2019 10:05 - 46 minutes - 43.4 MBOur deep dive into the story content genres continues with what might be THE MOST important, ubiquitous internal genre in human history: the Worldview story. It's the foundation of the Hero's Journey from the *character's* point of view, and it's the foundation of many (if not most) character arcs in life and in fiction. After all...stories are about change, aren't they? Roll up your sleeves, and let's dig in!
Sunrise (AFI Top 100 Films #82)
June 10, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBConsidered by many the greatest film of the Silent Era, Sunrise is a German Expressionist poem of a marriage on the rocks. It brings the visuals, helter-skelter sets, melodramatic performances, a sweeping score, and symbolism galore. It's the first silent film on the AFI's top 100, and it's this week on Film School!
Titanic (AFI Top 100 Films #83)
June 03, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 77.1 MBI'm the King of the World! This week, we dive into James Cameron's epic-in-the-classic-movie-sense love story. It made both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet a star, and it features one of the most spectacular disaster sequences ever put to film. But does the spectacle hold up? Is the love story an eye-rolling tear-jerker for teenage girls? DID JOSH AND IRA CRY??? Find out, this week on Film School...
What is an Action Story? (Cutting Room Floor #009)
May 30, 2019 10:05 - 58 minutes - 54.4 MBJosh and Ira take a deep dive into the Action Story Genre. What makes an Action Story? And how similar is it to the Hero's Journey...or perhaps even the SAME THING? We go deep, this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
Easy Rider (AFI Top 100 Films #84)
May 27, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB1960s counterculture gets its definitive film in '69's "Easy Rider." It was a breakout film for Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, and written and directed by Dennis Hopper...at least that's what Hopper would have the world BELIEVE! It's all about dudes, bikes, and the open road. Groovy, man. Groovy.
What Is Genre? (Cutting Room Floor #008)
May 23, 2019 10:05 - 32 minutes - 30.4 MBGenre. It's the absolute #1 MOST IMPORTANT THING you can ever decide for your story. It informs eevveerrryyyything else. So...what IS genre, then? And WHY is it the most important thing for storytelling? Josh and Ira go over the 5-leaf clover of Genre today on the Cutting Room Floor.Here's a link to the Story Grid website article talking about Genre's Five Leaf Clover: https://storygrid.com/genrefiveleafclover/
A Night At The Opera (AFI Top 100 Films #85)
May 20, 2019 14:05 - 56 minutes - 52.4 MBYou can't'a fool me. There ain't no Sanity Clause! The Marx Brothers kick off their tenure of pictures at MGM with this zany musical comedy that features such classic scenes as the Stateroom Cabin, and the Contract Scene between Groucho and Chico. One of the funniest, silliest movies of the era. Enjoy!
Inspiration: Where does it come from, and how to keep it? (Cutting Room Floor #007)
May 16, 2019 10:05 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week, Josh and Ira discuss the tools and techniques they use to find new ideas, and how they keep their inspiration going during the day-to-day grind. Where do you get your best ideas?!
Platoon (AFI Top 100 Films #86)
May 13, 2019 14:05 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBTom Berenger IS reality, folks. At least he is in Oliver Stone's intense, over the top, disturbing take on Vietnam which was released in 1986. The 80s, man; where more was more and the cocaine and steroids were flowing. The cast in this one is rather astounding, including Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, Forrest Whitaker, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, and many, many more. War is hell. Especially in the Platoon.
Comparisonitis and Balancing Ambition vs Contentment (Cutting Room Floor #006)
May 09, 2019 10:05 - 29 minutes - 27.7 MBHow can that person have done that thing we can't do? And, at such an early age?! We've all been there. Comparing ourselves to others can be so toxic...but then again, how can we improve ourselves without learning from others' success and failures? It's the same with pushing ourselves to be better...but also being content with the life we have. How do we find the balance between those two truths? Josh and Ira discuss this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
12 Angry Men (AFI Top 100 Films #87)
May 06, 2019 14:05 - 1 hour - 69.4 MBJury duty: it's the nightmare for every working man and woman in America. But, what if it's also the pillar of our entire justice system? Henry Fonda offers a gripping story centered around the latter, and stars as the lone man who stands between a young man and the electric chair. CAN a movie set in one single room be excellent? Listen and find out!
The Genius of Audiobooks and Phillip K. Dick (Cutting Room Floor #005)
May 02, 2019 10:05 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBYa boys share their love of both reading books in audio form, and of the amazing writer Phillip K. Dick and his classic short novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Audio is a GREAT way to read, learn, be entertained, and we live in a time that's never been more possible!
Bringing Up Baby (AFI Top 100 Films #88)
April 29, 2019 14:05 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBLeopards, and loons, and lunatics, oh my! Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this truly, breathlessly fast "screwball" comedy. It's all pratfalls, bits, and vaudeville; an era and a style of comedy that we just don't have anymore, all in glorious black and white. Join us for the wild ride that is Bringing Up Baby!
Will Time Travel Ever Exist? (Cutting Room Floor #004)
April 22, 2019 11:05 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBIf time travel is to ever be invented, at least the time travel we imagine in our stories...would we know about it? Ira shares an epiphany he had on the subject, and Josh talks about how he's always had Deja Vu, ever since he was a kid. We're glitching in the Matrix over here on the Cutting Room Floor. Come join us.
The Sixth Sense (AFI Top 100 Films #89)
April 15, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 199 MBHe sees dead people. ALL THE TIME! This week, the AFI Top 100 list brings us our first entry that could be classified as an out-and-out horror. It's M. Knight Shyamalan's classic "The Sixth Sense" starring Bruce Will and a mind-bendingly-good 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment. It also has one of the most shocking endings in flm history. It's all about the twist! Or...is it? Does the movie work beyond it...? LET'S FIND OUT!
Swing Time (AFI Top 100 Films #90)
April 08, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 69 MBOld movies feel like Disneyland. This, and many, many epiphanies are brought to you by the black and white classic romance Swing Time with the lanky, debonaire Fred Astaire and the drop dead gorgeous smokeshow Ginger Rogers. It's all about The Way You Look Tonight, Cinema with a capital C, and never gonna dance, never gonna dance, only gonna love, never gonna dance.
How Blogging Every Day Changed My Life (Cutting Room Floor #003)
April 01, 2019 11:05 - 44 minutes - 102 MBJournaling, blogging, a diary; however you want to classify it, both Josh and Ira have found sitting down at the end of every day and taking a few minutes to write down their thoughts and feelings for the day. Is it for you? It might be! The boys break it down so you can give it a noodle.
Sophie's Choice (AFI Top 100 Films #91)
March 25, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBMeryl Streep is the eponymous Nazi death camp-survivor in Sophie's Choice. It's not a good choice; spoiler alert. It never is when Nazis are involved. If you want voice over, secrets, very young Kevin Kline's, and soaring muscial scores, this is the movie for you! Was it for US? Well...you'll have to listen to find out!
Goodfellas (AFI Top 100 Films #92)
March 18, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBWe're funny? FUNNY HOW?! Martin Scorsese is in the house, dropping what could arguably be considered the greatest mob/gangster movie ever made. Joe Pesci took home an Oscar for his role as Tommy, while Robert DeNiro, Lorraine Bracco and Ray Liotta round out an astonishingly good cast. Watch out for helicopters, and mind your step going into the Copacabana. It's time to watch Goodfellas!
The French Connection (AFI Top 100 Films #93)
March 11, 2019 11:05 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBNew York Detective "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner (Roy Scheider) chase a French heroin smuggler. And believe us, it's *a lot* of chasing! Can the Hack-man and the Roy-boy get the baddies? DOES this movie have a badass car chase scene? ...well, we're not giving you spoilers, so listen and find out!