Radio Film School

A blast from the past. One of my personal faves. Insightful. Inspiring. Potent. Definitely worth listening to again. And if it's your first time, enjoy.

This week on the show we delve into one of the most important topics we’ll discuss all season. It’s at the core of what we do as filmmakers. Telling stories. Chris Huntley from The Write Bros. talks about the narrative story development theory Dramatica and the connection story has ...

This May marks the 15th anniversary of my video business and this summer marks the 25th anniversary of going to film school. Wow!

This past weekend was Memorial Day so I had just enough time to put together a flashback to some past episode segments. In this 15th/25th anniversary special, I replay the story of my first time on a film set (from RFS004 "Your First Time") and the start and evolution of my video business (from FJ24 "Maki...

A popular reward level for crowdfunded films is a credit in the movie. Apparently, this is a bigger deal than I originally thought. Today we find out why.

In this episode of our "Making a Documentary" mini-series of Radio Film School, friend of the show Yolanda T. Cochran (with her husband JD offering his usual comic relief) gives us some detailed information on film and television credits. If you have thought about giving away a mo...

Today we explore why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been able to out-pace the DC Extended Universe in box office and critical acclaim, and what lessons we creators can learn from it.

Throughout history, there have been some pretty epic rivalries. Mac vs. PC. Canon vs. Nikon. Marvel vs. DC. There's a lot of discussion and analysis on the internet about this latest topic, specifically the MCU vs. the DCEU. And on this episode of th...

How long will change take? Should we all just settle in and "wait for a new generation"?

Rahm Emmanuel, former White House Chief of Staff, Mayor of Chicago and brother of Ari Emmanual of WME was once quoted in the New York Times saying, "We can't kick the can down the road because we've run out of road." In today's episode, miniseries co-producer and a recurring guest on the show, Yolanda T. Cochran takes the reigns again to ponder ...

The #1 question I've had about the ridiculous Pepsi ad from a month ago is "How?" How did so many smart people in a room get this so wrong? I think today's episode of Radio Film School has some potential answers.

I wanted to talk to some professionals who could give us informed and experienced insight into this debacle and PR mess. So I got on the line with Blake Howard, Creative Director of Matchsic, a brand consulting and design f...

It's NAB this week, and we have a new technology and filmmaking episode you must hear before you spend a dime!

Because the nature of this show involves taking bits and pieces of longer episodes, I have a veritable vault full of as yet unmined content from fantastic interviews. In honor of it being NAB this week (that annual mecca to Las Vegas for media professionals all over the world), we have as yet unaired excerpts from interview...

In this bonus episode of our "Making a Documentary" miniseries, I read feedback on our Kickstarter video from Amina Moreau of the Emmy award-winning studio Stillmotion, as well as from Patrick Moreau of Muse Storytelling. Show regulars JD and Yolanda Cochran chime in with their 2 cents as well. If you haven't listened to episode 4 of the miniseries, you may want to go listen to that first.

Click here to see the current version of th...

Feedback, in all of its forms, is essential for any artist to grow in his or her craft.

This week we have part 4 of our “Making a Documentary” miniseries, wherein we document the making of my first low-budget <del>feature-length</del> documentary "Invisible Illness." During this series, it's my goal to share not only what I've learned, but what other documentary filmmakers have learned.

On this episode, we have the second...

A veteran documentary filmmaker reaches out to lend us a helping hand in the making of our first feature documentary.

This week we have part 3 of our “Making a Documentary” miniseries, wherein we document the making of my first low-budget feature-length documentary "Invisible Illness." During this series, it's my goal to share not only what I've learned, but what other documentary filmmakers have learned.

On this episode we have CEO ...

"For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." These are the words from Ernest Hemingway's famous 6-word short story. And they're the impetus for today's guest-produced and highly anticipated episode.

"We only give each other the top layers, the top; we dont give each other what lies beneath." ~ Kassim Harris, Director of It Eats You Up

Robert Hardy is a filmmaker and writer who used to write for the popular filmmaking website No F...

Is the EEOC's investigation into Hollywood's hiring practices of women valid? Are women really not treated equitably in Hollywood. According to Scott Baio, the answer is a resounding "No!"

From teen heart-throb to conservative political activist, Scott Baio has some provocative political ideologies that is fair to say isn't the common mindset in what has traditionally been a very liberally-minded, Democrat-populated town. From speak...

Is a white director the best person to tell what is traditionally a black story? Is that a question that's even fair to ask?

"I was terrified. I'll be totally honest with you. But that's why I knew I needed to make it. I just gotta be bold. 'Cuz why do the safe thing." ~ Spencer Gillis, Director of "Sweep"

Spencer Gillis is an A-camera operator for the hit Netflix series "Orange is the New Black." But his pas...

If you're about to start a crowdfunding campaign or are even thinking about one, this is a must-listen episode?

This week we have part 2 of our “Making a Documentary” miniseries, wherein we document the making of my low-budget feature-length documentary "Invisible Illness." During this series, it's my goal to share not only what I've learned, but what other documentary filmmakers have learned.

On this episode, documentary filmmaker B...

A blast back to the past with a replay with one of my favorite episodes from season 1. In honor of "Black History Month," I present to you again, "Do I Sound Black." Here was the original episode description...

I have a confession to make. I’m black. Yes, I know. You probably had no idea, right? If all you’ve heard was my voice, I’m almost certain you didn’t know. I just don’t have that rugged, deep, recognizable “African American” ...

Have you ever been afraid to do something you knew was the right thing to do?

Today is the inaugural episode of the “Making a Documentary” mini-series, wherein we document, well, the making of a documentary. Specifically, my first feature-length documentary. Except, I’m not the director. My wife Tasra is (pronounced TOZ-ra).

On this episode, Tasra shares the deeply personal story that motivated her to take up the mantle of “filmmaker...

In this our first episode of 2017, we look back at four of the most important lessons learned on the show last year. Plus, a look at a new mini-series on the making of my first feature-length documentary.

Happy New Year boys and girls out there in podcast land! I'm excited to be back behind the microphone and bring you weekly and/or biweekly stories about filmmaking, creative arts, and pursuing your passion. To kick us off, we're go...

In keeping with our Star Wars theme this week, today we discuss their strong female characters and how well the series passes the Bechdel Test.

The latest two entries into the Star Wars universe have had strong female leads at the center. Show regulars JD and Yolanda T. Cochran join me today in this special episode to discuss that role that strong women have played in the various franchise installments.

We also get into how many of t...