The No Film School Podcast

This episode of the No Film School Podcast dives deep into the power and necessity of physical spaces in modern film culture. Host GG Hawkins sits down with Maggie Mackay, Executive Director and board member of Vidiots—a beloved LA video store-turned-nonprofit cultural institution. They explore the origins and revival of Vidiots, what it takes to build a sustainable, audience-centered film space in a digital world, and why community, curation, and accessibility matter more than ever. It’s a moving, behind-the-scenes look at how passion, resilience, and radical thinking can reshape the future of cinema spaces. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Maggie Mackay discuss... The emotional and communal value of physical film spaces How Maggie revived Vidiots through radical reimagining and persistence The challenges of creating a nonprofit, sustainable film hub Why the video store experience is still relevant to new generations How partnerships and collaboration helped save and relaunch Vidiots Building an audience-first, equitable business model Creating spaces where younger and older generations can discover film together Memorable Quotes: "Holy shit, what are we letting disappear on us?" "You can deep dive in ways in a video store that you can't in any other way." "Seeing kids grow up in the video store… it's the highlight of my career." "Think about doing the risky, crazy thing… and call us if you want to figure out how to make it happen." Guests: Maggie Mackay (IMDb) Resources: Indie Empire Use code GG25 for 25% off the Micro Budget Mindset course with GG Hawkins Find No Film School everywhere: 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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the No Film School Podcast features two conversations. First, host GG Hawkins reunites with filmmaker Pete Ohs, who returns to share the unique distribution experiment he’s launching with four films releasing throughout 2026. He reflects on his “table of bubbles” filmmaking philosophy and his desire to find joy instead of stress in the release process. Later, GG is joined by composer Hollie Buhagiar, whose original score for GG’s debut feature I Really Love My Husband is now out. They break down their collaborative process in detail, from early cue drafts to the film’s final emotional moments, revealing how bird calls, pitch-shifted vocals, and “surf rock” found their way into the film’s DNA. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss... Pete Ohs’ philosophy of “table of bubbles” and how it’s guiding his 2026 film distribution approach Why Pete is using a different distribution strategy for each of his four new films What feels broken about indie film distribution today — and how to approach it differently Hollie Buhagiar’s journey into composing and her intuitive, emotion-driven scoring method The evolution of the score for I Really Love My Husband, including early drafts and final cues How creative freedom, happy accidents, and imperfect instruments brought the film to life The importance of developing a shared language between director and composer Memorable Quotes: "The films are a table made of bubbles. They cannot support anything." "The biggest result is just — is this fun?" "What's a convincing note?” "With great power comes great responsibility — even for the piano." Guests: Pete Ohs Hollie Buhagiar Resources: Pete's original pod interview Score for I Really Love My Husband on Spotify Find No Film School everywhere: 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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the tables are turned as No Film School host GG Hawkins becomes the interviewee, speaking with No Film School founder Ryan Koo about the journey of releasing her micro-budget feature I Really Love My Husband. The episode dives into the emotional, logistical, and marketing challenges of putting an independent film into the world after festival premieres and securing distribution. GG shares the lessons she’s learned, the unexpected hurdles she’s faced, and the importance of personal PR, audience-building, and staying true to your creative voice—especially when your movie doesn’t follow traditional paths or genres. In this episode, No Film School’s Ryan Koo and GG Hawkins discuss... The overwhelming and technical process of delivering a film to distributors and platforms How to strategically approach festival and release PR, including budgeting and outreach The importance of having a “community producer” to build your audience from day one Lessons learned from critical feedback, press rejections, and audience reactions How to navigate marketing when your film doesn’t fit neatly into genre boxes The value of making work that represents your voice—even if it’s not a commercial hit What filmmakers should always be working on while waiting for the "yes" from the industry Memorable Quotes: "I would rather make something that makes people feel things one way or the other versus sort of like a lukewarm back." "The only way to know how to make a movie is to make a movie... and then make another." "Greenlight yourself. That is the most important thing any of us can be doing." "It is not the time to pinch pennies... this is the time to spend it.” Resources: How to Write a Movie that Shoots in Three Months You’re Picture Locked. Now What? (Plus Dir. Ruben Fleischer!) Filmmaker’s Guide to SXSW: Tips, Takeaways, Tough Lessons Watch I Really Love My Husband: Apple Amazon Google Play and more Find No Film School everywhere: 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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host GG Hawkins sits down with filmmaker Charlie Polinger to unpack the making of his debut feature, The Plague. Polinger discusses his transition from theater to film, the personal childhood memories that shaped the story, and how embracing chaos—rather than controlling it—became central to his directing process. From casting an electrifying ensemble of young actors to shaping dread through sound design and editing, the conversation explores how specificity, vulnerability, and trust can turn a coming-of-age story into psychological horror. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest discuss… Transitioning from theater directing to feature filmmaking Drawing from childhood memory to create visceral, psychological horror Why a boys’ water polo camp became the perfect contained setting Casting and directing a large ensemble of young actors Letting location do the storytelling heavy lifting Embracing chaos on set instead of fighting it Building anxiety through sound design and post-production rhythm Hands-on collaboration in the edit and score development Advice for emerging filmmakers on making work consistently Memorable Quotes: “I just wanted to create a really kind of visceral, subjective, psychological experience of being a 12-year-old boy.” “There’s strategy built into the cruelty and the violence and getting away with it—and that felt really ripe cinematically. “The space is sort of like a character in this film.” “The more I put out into the world, the more that the world gave back.” Guest: Charlie Polinger Resources: The Plague EP by Lexi Tannenholtz on Cannes first-timers: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Cannes Film Festival Find No Film School everywhere: 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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Charles Haine sits down with cinematographer Oren Soffer to dive deep into the groundbreaking and much-discussed visual style of The Creator. As the co-DP alongside Greig Fraser, Soffer shares how they achieved the film’s unique aesthetic using a prosumer Sony FX3 camera, a single vintage lens, and a minimalist, indie-inspired production model. This discussion covers everything from lighting choices and VFX collaboration to gear workflows and lens testing, offering an in-depth look at how one of the year's most visually striking sci-fi films was crafted. In this episode, No Film School's Charles Haine and guest Oren Soffer discuss... How Oren Soffer became co-DP on The Creator alongside Greig Fraser The decision to shoot 95% of the film on one vintage 75mm Kowa anamorphic lens Using the Sony FX3 with an Atomos Ninja for ProRes RAW capture The benefits of designing visual effects around photography rather than the reverse Lighting choices inspired by naturalism and a small-footprint, indie ethos The influence of films like Baraka and Rogue One on the visual approach Operating with a nimble crew and custom-built gimbal rigs Remote collaboration between Soffer, Fraser, and director Gareth Edwards The impact of location shooting across Southeast Asia Memorable Quotes: "We shot 95 percent of the movie on a single focal length, which is the Kowa Cine Prominar... you're baking the look into the image." "The way to make visual effects feel more real is to let the photography lead." "We wanted to shoot this big movie as if it’s this tiny road movie." "It was an indie film with a 90-day shoot schedule and a full stunt team... but the filmmaking process itself felt really scrappy in the best way possible." Guest: Oren Soffer Find No Film School everywhere: 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] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices