Shows
Film SchoolWhat to Cut and What to Keep (Cutting Room Floor #148)When writing/creating, how do you know what to throw into the trash bin, and how do you know what to keep and tweak until it's working right? It's the central question of editing and revising, and there is no easy, simple answer. But, there *IS* an answer. Josh and Ira share their thoughts on the matter. Also, Josh recommends Hulu's docu-series The Deep End, and Ira recommends the 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man. Finally...Josh's debut feature film is available to rent or purchase RIGHT NOW ON AMAZON PRIME! Run, don't walk, and leave a...2022-06-3048 min
Film SchoolBest of the AFI's 51-100 (Cutting Room Floor #072)Wondering where to start with the bottom half of the AFI's Top 100 films? We've got you covered! Before we dive into the top 50, we take a look back at the first 50 films we've watched, and recommend the ones we enjoyed the most, PARTICULARLY the films you may not have even heard of or otherwise may not watch unless you're doing the AFI list. There's some really, reeeaaalllyyy great movies on there. Don't miss out!2020-09-1028 min
Film SchoolDo I Have To Be Poor? (Cutting Room Floor #071)The starving artist, locked away in his tenement apartment, not a penny to his name, suffering for his art because that's how genius is made. That's what we all must strive for. Right? That's the only way to create a masterpiece. Right??? Maybe not.2020-09-0338 min
Film SchoolKeys to Consistency (Cutting Room Floor #070)Consistency is key. Spock would accept that as an axiom. So, if that’s a truth we all agree upon, the question naturally becomes: HOW? How do we do something with consistency? Josh and Ira discuss what consistency means to them, and how they’ve found it in their own lives.2020-08-2748 min
Film SchoolThe Muse: Engineering Serendipity (Cutting Room Floor #069)The groove, the zone, where the work is sublime and it's easy and plentiful and everything is working and we are a GENIUS. Some call it the "Muse." Others call it "Inspiration," or "Serendipity." It can feel otherworldly, like tapping into the power of the goddamn universe. So...IS it magic? Is it something that's entirely out of our control? Or is it something we can create ourselves, something we can engineer? We tackle it today!2020-08-2042 min
Film SchoolVillains: How to be Evil (Cutting Room Floor #068)What makes a good villain? What makes a GREAT one? From understanding that they're the hero of their own story to unpredictability and danger, we examine the villains we love to hate, and what makes us feel that way.2020-08-1353 min
Film SchoolWriting is Rewriting (Cutting Room Floor #067)What exactly do you get out of rewrites? Why do them? The term "rewrite," "edit," or "revision" can come with some negative juju, particularly when we've already spent so much time writing the first draft. You mean...I have to go back and write it AGAIN?! Today, we tackle the gold that can come out of rewrites, how to handle when your story changes--because it will change--and where is the sweet spot between a first draft that works, and a rewrite/edit that takes it the rest of the way home.2020-08-0630 min
Film SchoolThe First Draft (Cutting Room Floor #066)There is nothing more terrifying than the blank page. We all know this. So…how DO we get past that? How do we get from blank page to finished manuscript? There are many steps in between, and the first step might be the hardest: the first draft. This week, we talk about how to approach the first draft in a way that threads the needle between perfectionism and detachment to get past the blank page, at the very least. Because THEN…it can be fixed, right? Right.2020-07-3051 min
Film SchoolSellout (Cutting Room Floor #065)A sellout is a traitor. The lowest of the low. We hate sellouts. ...right? Except, what does 'sellout' really mean? Who's sold out? The Roots? Nicholas Winding Refn? The Black Eyed Peas? Who gets to decide who's sold out? What about the crowd that loves their sellout work. And, if money is the problem...aren't we ALL trying to sell out if we're pursuing being a professional??? We roll up our sleeves this week and tackle the sellout. Yay or nay?2020-07-2347 min
Film SchoolHave We Forgotten How To Make Movies? (Cutting Room Floor #064)"They don't make 'em like they used to!" That certainly seems to be a common phrase these days when talking about the film industry. But...is it actually true? ARE movies not as good as they used to be? And if it is true, why is that??? OR...is it us who have changed? Have some viewers lost their ability to love new things? Or, perhaps, is it a combination of the two? We tackle the state of Hollywood this week!2020-07-1659 min
Film SchoolThe Most Important Lesson (Cutting Room Floor #063)What is the biggest lesson you can think of that you had to learn, and once you did, had a positive affect on you? Life is replete with lessons if we're paying attention. Ira and Josh share a couple of theirs: sometimes the problem with the writing isn't the writing, and we don't have to suffer in order to be happy. We dig deep!2020-07-0922 min
Film SchoolHow to Rewrite (Cutting Room Floor #062)“Writing is rewriting.” Was it Stephen King who said that? Or maybe Hemmingway? Or, maybe it’s something made up by english and creative writing teachers. But…it’s true. Almost nothing comes out immaculate. Almost everything needs to be polished and shined before it sparkles. So…how do you rewrite? We tackle that question this week!2020-07-0259 min
Film SchoolWhere Are You Most-Improved? (Cutting Room Floor #061)We spend A LOT of time on this podcast talking about what, where and how we can improve ourselves as artists and people. But, where have we ALREADY improved? Identifying and celebrating breakthroughs must certainly be as important as seeking new ones, yes? This week, Josh and Ira share some things they feel like they've figured out and are doing well.2020-06-2534 min
Film SchoolDo Less More Often (Cutting Room Floor #060)This is a tidbit Ira picked up from a business coach by the name of Dallas Travers, and it's all about beating burnout and staying productive long and consistently enough to actually getting those big, scary, impossible-feeling projects done. Do less! Just do it more often. It's certainly easier said than done, but it's a game-changer. Plus, Josh shares his own very important keys to consistent productivity: be a person first, and always check in with the joy/inspiration.2020-06-1837 min
Film SchoolThe Beast Called Time (Cutting Room Floor #059)How do you handle time? It's always moving forward, whether we're aware of it in the moment or not . . . which is kind of the heart of the discussion this week. How much time do you spend thinking about the past or the future? Such thinking can cut both ways, aiding and hindering. So, how do we find a balance? And how much does the present, this moment, matter?2020-06-1132 min
Film SchoolPlot-Driven vs. Character-Driven (Cutting Room Floor #058)What makes a great story? A great Plot? Or great Characters? The first answer we come to for this question is "both." But, what if we dig deeper than that? HOW do we create a great character? Is it not the events we put them through, and how they react? HOW do we create a great, memorable plot? Is it not the characters that we fall in love with and remember? Just how do these two seemingly poles interact and mesh with each other? And how do they mesh with ourselves, the storytellers? Is the question a personal one...2020-06-0431 min
Film SchoolOne Project At A Time, Or Several? (Cutting Room Floor #057)02020-05-2831 min
Film SchoolThe Power of Starting Small (Cutting Room Floor #056)Start small. Laughably small. Then build incrementally. So incrementally that you don’t even notice the day-to-day increase. It’s a tried and true formula for success. It shortcuts the mind and the body’s resistance. These are recent practices that Ira has found to be very effective in several areas of his life. But, what else out there works? Josh talks about finding the Joy, another hack for beating resistance. What works for you? How have you started something that really succeeded and went well?2020-05-2141 min
Film SchoolLearning to Let Go (Cutting Room Floor #055)Hang on too tight, and we can squeeze the life out of anything. Project. Relationship. Ourselves. Thus, it behooves us to know when it's time to let something go. But, what exactly does that mean? How do we know when we're holding on too tight or for too long? From learning to say no, to not blaming ourselves for things beyond our control, we dive into the things that keep us up at night or weigh us down when we wake up in the morning.2020-05-1432 min
Film SchoolThe Masters Can Be Intimidating (Cutting Room Floor #054)By their very nature, we elevate the Masters above ourselves. It's inspiring to see greatness that exceeds our own. But the other side of that same coin is intimidating, and the lowering of ourselves . . . which can shut us down with despair. That gap can make us freeze rather than move forward. So, how do we deal with that? How do we fend off the feelings of less-than and engage with the inspiration?2020-05-0725 min
Film SchoolHow To Stay Sharp (Cutting Room Floor #053)Experience and success can be a double-edged sword. How often does a writer or filmmaker we know and love that's soooo good at what they do . . . seem like they start to phone it in, or lose their way? How often do we see the same thing in our own work? So, what's the antidote? How do we stay sharp? Both long-term and day to day? We discuss!2020-04-3026 min
Film SchoolA Good Death (Cutting Room Floor #052)The death of a character can be one of the most powerful experiences a story has to offer. When done right, it makes us feel and think about real life, and the people we’ve lost, the experiences we share. It helps us feel things that otherwise can often be so hard to feel. So . . . how do we do that right? How DO we tell a good death? What makes the best ones work so well? We dig in.2020-04-2338 min
Film SchoolAbandon Ship: How Do You Know When To Step Away? (Cutting Room Floor #051)Cut it loose! You're wasting your time. The project you're working isn't going anywhere, no matter how hard you try. So just let it go. At least for now. Take a break. But . . . is that just 'object syndrome?' Is this just resistance pushing back super hard because you're close to a breakthrough? If you're a creative, you've likely hit this point before, if not many times. So . . . what is the right thing to do? Is there a wrong thing to do? From two people going through this right now: it's not an easy answer. We discuss!2020-04-1648 min
Film SchoolThe Best Movies For Quarantine (Cutting Room Floor #050)You're stuck. You can't go anywhere for a while . . . what movies are you taking with you into quarantine or onto that deserted island? What movies do you find yourself turning to pass the time? As we all struggled to cope with the isolation of COVID-19, movies are some of our best friends. We dive in this week on what movies WE'RE watching, and we hope you share with us what YOU'RE watching!2020-04-0938 min
Film SchoolHow Do You Want To Be Remembered (Cutting Room Floor #048)We’re all gonna kick the bucket some day . . . what do we want to leave behind? What do we want to be our legacy? What we will be known for? Josh and Ira tackle this deep cut today in a very personal episode. How do YOU want to be remembered?2020-03-2620 min
Film SchoolThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingTo the fires of Mount Doom! JRR Tolkien and Peter Jackson’s masterwork comes to a spectacular conclusion in the final installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Frodo and Sam must muster the strength to destroy the one ring, and Aragorn must stop running from his destiny to become the King he’s meant to be. Doesn’t get any bigger than this one; it’s the Return of the King this week!2020-03-231h 07
Film SchoolHandling A Crisis (Cutting Room Floor #049)The entire world is grappling with the novel corona virus COVID-19 right now; a truly global crisis that none of us have any control over, particularly at the individual level. So . . . when presented with situations like these where major life-shifting events are taking place that we have no power to stop or control . . . how do we handle the stress, fear and anxiety that come along with that? How do we remain productive, or function? Josh and Ira talk about their own personal coping strategies this week on the cutting room floor!2020-03-1934 min
Film SchoolThe Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersPeter Jackson's epic live-action Lord of the Rings continues in grand fashion. Our heroes have split up and are in danger! Sam and Frodo wrestle with whether or not to trust Gollum and how to get into Mordor; Merry and Pippin escape capture and must convince the Ents to battle Saruman, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli must save Rohan from the Uruk-hai army. Middles are often a slog...but not this one. It's wall to wall action and tension...and it all reaches a climax at the Battle of Helms Deep. Yaaaaasssssssss!2020-03-161h 08
Film SchoolThe AFI's Top 100-51: Behind the Numbers (Cutting Room Floor #047)We're HALFWAY THROUGH the list!!! Crazy. It's flown by. This week, we do a deep dive into how we've rated the movies on this list thus far: how have the top 50 films fared? How do Josh and Ira differ from each other? What are our biases based on decades of movie-making? And what are the LIST'S biases? It's all a fascinating peak behind this list and our reactions to it thus far. Enjoy!2020-03-1225 min
Film SchoolThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (AFI Top 100 Films #50)One ring to rule them all! Peter Jackson's epic live-action series based on THE masterwork of fantasy, JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings was ground-breaking. For decades, THE masterwork of fantasy was considered un-filmable; too big, too expensive. Jackson smashed that notion with the first of these three films, and was at the vanguard of a new huge property, high-concept, CGI-driven, blockbuster-or-nothing era in Hollywood. But . . . does it hold up nearly 20 years later? We find out, this week on Film School!2020-03-091h 07
Film SchoolWhat is your Deepest Darkest Fear? (Cutting Room Floor #046)This can be a hard one to dig deep and engage with, but it's a really important question. Fear affects us all, and it affects us the most when we don't even know it's there. It kills creativity, it makes us act irrationally, and it lies by telling us that it's protecting us. So, what are you afraid of? And how does it hold you back? We dig deep this week!2020-03-0523 min
Film SchoolWest Side Story (AFI Top 100 Films #51)When you’re a jet, you’re a jet all the way! One of the definitive musicals of the 50s stage takes to the silver screen in the epic-ly scaled and shot masterpiece from Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The dancing is spectacular, and the cinematography is cutting edge, standing up even to this day. The love story is the beating heart…does that stand up as well? We break it down this week! *snap* *snap* *snap* Here are the 6 Core Questions from the story breakdown section: 1. What is the Beginning Hook, Middle Build, and Ending...2020-03-021h 08
Film SchoolEntitlement and the Fruits of our Labor (Cutting Room Floor #045)The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu epic, tells us that we are entitled only to our WORK. We are not entitled to the FRUITS of our work. So...what does that mean? And *is* there wisdom in detaching ourselves from expected results? What if we work forever and never see anything come back? What if keeping our eye on the prize ruins the work? What if we get the prize...and it doesn't make us feel what we thought it would? We really get into it this week, wrestling with this ancient edict; easily our most back and forth...2020-02-2728 min
Film SchoolTaxi Driver (AFI Top 100 Films #52)You talkin to me? You talking to ME?! Martin Scorcese may have broke through with Mean Streets, but it was this classic DeNiro collab that cemented him as a cinematic force. And the same for DeNiro, who was becoming the biggest star of the silver screen at the time. He's sensational as the unstable Travis Bickle, and Marty shows off all his best tricks: narration, moody lighting and music, and explosive violence. We break it all down, this week!2020-02-241h 09
Film SchoolBoundaries in Writing and Life (Cutting Room Floor #044)Boundaries; the line between me and them, and I get to draw it wherever I want. But...where do I draw it? Who and what do I need to keep separation from? And how do I keep that separation when the line is inevitably tested or crossed? These are all questions that are crucial to a healthy balance in life and in writing. Boundaries are an indispensable part of creativity, and they take many, many forms. Josh and Ira explore what those are this week! The "Sometimes it just takes awhile to click" Cutting Room Floor Ira...2020-02-2030 min
Film SchoolThe Deer Hunter (AFI Top 100 Films #53)Russian Roulette. Historical inaccuracies aside, it’s director Michael Cimino’s central metaphor for the Vietnam War. It’s also the pillar around which he builds this epic tale of three normal, blue-collar guys from Pittsburg who live for drinking, women, and hunting deer. ‘Nam will change each of them, tragically, forever. Easily one of the most disturbing war films ever made, and certainly the most obsessed with Russian Roulette…how does it hold up?2020-02-171h 04
Film SchoolHow To Have A Great Writing Day (Cutting Room Floor #043)You’re exhausted, but exhilarated. The words are done, they’re on the page, and they were perfect. Inspired. A breakthrough! We’ve all had that writing day. They’re magic. We’ve also all had the opposite: you’re exhausted, frustrated, nothing good came out, and you’re worrying ‘I’m never going to crack this open.’ So…how do we get more of the great days, and less of the terrible? Josh and Ira talk about what’s working for them!2020-02-1337 min
Film SchoolM*A*S*H (AFI Top 100 Films #54)Don’t let him kiss you Hawkeye! Robert Altman’s episodic tour through the absurdity of war stars Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, and Donald Sutherland as army surgeons who skip seamlessly from elbow-deep blood and guts to chasing tale, antagonizing Nurse Hoolihan, and putting together a football team. Yes. A literal football team. This movie is pretty bonkers…but it’s also a pretty profound commentary on WAR! What is it good for?! (absolutely nothing)2020-02-1059 min
Film SchoolHow close do you get to your characters? (Cutting Room Floor #042)How close is too close? How far is too far? Just how close / invested / inside our characters should we go when we're writing their story? As with most things, it's all about a balance? Josh and Ira share how they find that balance in their own writing, what has worked for them, and what hasn't.2020-02-0624 min
Film SchoolNorth By Northwest (AFI Top 100 Films #55)Cary Grant stars in (one of) his iconic roles as Roger Thornhill, the very normal, very dapper bachelor thrown into a very abnormal, dangerous game of spies and assassins and femme fatales all because of mistaken identity. Hitch and 50s aesthetic were both at the height of their powers, and it was 3 years before Bond. One of the greatest spy films ever made, if not the best. This week on the 'cast!2020-02-0359 min
Film SchoolMovie Theatre Snacks: What's Your Go-To? (Cutting Room Floor #041)Twizzlers or Red Vines? Reese's Pieces or Milk Duds? Coke or Slushie? Butter on that Popcorn? We all have our favorite movie theater snacks, so what are yours? Josh and Ira shared theirs, plus some of the wonderful memories that talking about all that junk food prompts, days gone by when there was more time to just pop into the movie theater and leave the real world for a while. We get nostalgic and delicious this week on the Cutting Room Floor.2020-01-3015 min
Film SchoolJaws (AFI Top 100 Films #56)You’re gonna need a bigger boat. Jaws: the genesis of the summer blockbuster, and the film that launched Steven Spielberg into the stratosphere. Dude was 26 when he made this move. TWENTY. SIX. And it defined an entire genre of films. We still make Shark Movies to this day. So, let’s go back to the original “don’t go in the water” scary movie. This week on Film School!2020-01-271h 02
Film SchoolWhat Would You Tell Your 24-year-old Self? (Cutting Room Floor #040)You're sitting in front of yourself at 24 years of age. What would you say to them? What have you learned that they haven't? What would you want to tell them that you know they wouldn't understand? Ya boys dive deep this week into life lessons, regrets, and triumphs.2020-01-2323 min
Film SchoolRocky (AFI Top 100 Films #57)Yo, Adrian! Stallone takes the turn that made him a star in one of the most successful examples of the "Performance" Genre in all of history. Rocky is a bum. He roughs people up for the mob. But he has a dream: to earn respect in the boxing ring. In Rocky, he gets his chance, and finds love along the way. Does this movie earn its reputation as one of the best underdog stories ever? Listen and find out what we thought!2020-01-2057 min
Film SchoolThe 5 Commandments of Storytelling (Cutting Room Floor #039)Every story that works has 5 fundamental building blocks: Inciting Incident, Progressive Complications, Crisis, Climax, and Resolution. This week, Josh and Ira dive into the definition of each of those terms, and how they apply to the stories we love and create. For more reading on this very topic, straight from the source, check out Shawn Coyne's brilliant work over at storygrid.com2020-01-1632 min
Film SchoolThe Gold Rush (AFI Top 100 Films #58)Chaplin makes his second appearance on The List as the hapless Klondike Gold Rush prospector...and he does not disappoint. We weren't too hot on Chaplin's previous film Modern Times. This time around, the gags are fresher, the story is tighter, and the music is absolutely breathtaking. It's epic, funny, poignant, and romantic. Even to this day, some of the visuals Chaplin employs are confounding. How did he do that?!2020-01-1358 min
Film School2020 Resolutions, Goals, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #038)Happy New Year! So...are you a resolutions kind of person? If not, do you set any kind of intentions or goals around this time of year? And if you are, welcome to the club! Josh and Ira share what they're looking forward to and planning in 2020. We're living in the future!2020-01-0935 min
Film SchoolNashville (AFI Top 100 Films #59)Wait. Is that Bob Saget? Robert Altman does his thing in what's aimed as an epic, grand portrait/commentary on middle America. It has no less than twenty-four main characters, a run-time of over two and a half hours, and a full HOUR of original country music. With all that's going on, does it all come together in the end. Listen and find out!2020-01-061h 04
Film SchoolDie HardYippie-ki-yay motherf—er! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! This holiday season, we’re watching the film that’s become the festive touchstone of this generation, and the one that defined Bruce Willis’ career as an action star. Josh has never seen this one! Boy, is he in for a treat! It’s a showdown at the Nakatomi Tower. And don’t forget to bring your shoes!2019-12-161h 26
Film School2019 Year In Review (Cutting Room Floor #037)We blinked and 2019 is coming to a close. Josh and Ira reflect on a year of movies. For all its flaws, the AFI’s Top 100 list has DELIVERED, and ya boys discuss the highs, the lows, the takeaways, and the laughter. It’s been a transformative experience already. If you haven’t listened to the back-catalogue yet, this is your perfect guide! Also, check out our BONUS extended conversation on our personal reflections on the year over at our Patreon for FREE; anyone can listen. Check it out here.2019-12-1232 min
Film SchoolDuck Soup (AFI Top 100 FIlms #60)This means WAR! The Marx brothers dominated the comedy space in the early 30s, and it's easy to see why in what's considered to be their best film. Groucho is a ridiculous dictator with a taste for war, and Chico and Harpo are spies working for the other side...or are they? It's hard to find a sillier comedy...which is all the more rare because it's a SCATHING commentary of a post-Great War world. Just watch "All God's Chillun Got Guns." It's a true classic. Buckle up and enjoy the ride with a hey-nani-nani and a ah-cha-cha!2019-12-0956 min
Film SchoolHow to Social Media (Cutting Room Floor #036)How do you handle your online platform? What social media do you use? And how do you use it? Social media and the internet in general have a massive impact on our daily lives, so these are important questions as a creative person, or just a person full-stop. How do we navigate the benefits of these powerful tools without letting them consume us? We try to answer that question this week. Enjoy!2019-12-0538 min
Film SchoolSullivan's Travels (AFI's Top 100 Films #61)There's a lot to be said for making people laugh! Joel McCrea takes a wacky turn as a famously successful comedy director who wants to suffer so he can make a serious movie. His solution: hit the road and pretend to be poor. Along the way, he falls in love with aspiring actress Veronica Lake. Sounds like a dynamite premise, yes? Let's find out if it delivers. This week on Film School!2019-12-0258 min
Film SchoolWhere Do Stories Come From? (Cutting Room Floor #035)One the most common questions storytellers get asked is 'where do your ideas come from?' And while that's a deeply personal and probably unanswerable question in any objective or concrete sense...Josh and Ira dive into how and where it happens for them. In the process, they discover it's a question worth asking and answering.2019-11-2821 min
Film SchoolAmerican Graffiti (AFI's Top 100 Films #62)The Wolfman is EVERYWHERE. George Lucas makes his first appearance on the list with this 50s nostalgia cruising culture classic, starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and a soundtrack that doesn't quit. It's a teenage "last night in town" story, but how does it hold up? We watch and debate it this week! Enjoy :)2019-11-251h 01
Film SchoolWhat is the Dream? (Cutting Room Floor #034)We all have (at least) that one big dream, the one that is hard to even think of because we want it so much. It’s scary to talk about something we’re afraid we’ll never get. But it’s also important. SO important. So this week…ya boys talk about that big, scary stuff that they really, really want. More than anything. The BIG dreams.2019-11-2129 min
Film SchoolCabaret (AFI Top 100 Films #63)Money money moneymoneymoneymoney! It makes the world go round! Liza Minelli and Bob Fosse dominate this late-period musical about love, nazi's, and a divey cabaret bar that echoes the ecstacies and miseries of growing up. It made Minelli a star, and it cemented Fosse as one of the greatest directors to ever work in musicals. This week on Film School!2019-11-181h 00
Film SchoolThe Joy is the Thing (Cutting Room Floor #033)We draw from Rachael Aaron's "2,000 to 10,000" this week, a book that's ostensibly on increasing productivity. For Ira, however, it cut much deeper recently, and it turns out that one of the central tenants in Aaron's book is kind of THE thing: Joy. Excitement. Inspiration. Whatever you want to call it; it's the key to everything. Buckle up: epiphanies are ahead!2019-11-1423 min
Film SchoolNetwork (AFI's Top 100 Films #64)I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more! Paddy Chayefsky's script is the real star of this bonkers film. It starts out very conventionally: an aging, depressed news anchor and his equally aged and depressed producer are being pushed out from their network. But when the anchor announces he's going to kill himself on air, things get crazy...and then crazier and crazier. This film is a SCATHING indictment of the news-as-entertainment culture we live in to this day, and what it has to say has never been more relevant. Let's get mad, y'all...2019-11-1156 min
Film SchoolHow To Quit (Cutting Room Floor #032)You'll only fail if you quit. We've all heard that advice. And oftentimes, that's good advice. But...what if quitting was not only okay, but absolutely crucial to success. Knowing when and what to quit is one of the most important things to learn in life. This is a big topic, certainly not one that can be covered in a single episode, but Ira recently went through an experience that taught him a lot about the UPSIDE to quitting, and Josh asks him to talk about it.2019-11-0723 min
Film SchoolThe African Queen (AFI Top 100 Films #65)Bogart and Hepburn star in this epic John Huston flick that was filmed ON LOCATION in Africa, something that was quite incredible for the time. It's WWI, the Germans are invading, and our two plucky heroes decide they need to take down a warship with a 6lb gun all by themselves...and fall in love along the way. The titular "African Queen" steals the show as the run-down river steamer, a boat that had historic reverberations at none other than Disneyland. It's high jungle adventure this week on Film School!2019-11-041h 13
Film SchoolWhat Does 'Show Don't Tell' Really Mean?You've probably heard of the storytelling advice 'show, don't tell.' It's one of the most important things to keep in mind when telling a story. But, what does that REALLY mean? And WHY do we need to do it? Josh and Ira dive into that this week, including a very unique perspective on this common axiom that comes from their background as actors. We got you covered. Enjoy!2019-10-3124 min
Film SchoolIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullCan you ever go home again? Spielberg, Ford and Lucas were game to try 20 years after making the last Indiana Jones film, which also wraps up our brief vacation from the AFI Top 100. The band was back together, but could the music ever be the same? That became the question at the heart of this film for Josh and Ira, and the analysis over how they fared, what worked at what didn't, was fascinating indeed. We get critical and existential, this week on Film School.2019-10-281h 01
Film SchoolQuality vs Quantity: How Do I Improve the Fastest? (Cutting Room Floor #030)Should I create as much content as I possibly can? Or should I take my time to make each project as good as I'm able? It's the age-old question of quality or quantity, and it's age-old because there is no easy answer to it. We all want to be as good at our art as we possibly can be, and it can be confusing how to get there...and how that confusion and anxiety can in and of itself be unhelpful. Ya boys discuss their own answers to these questions this week on the Cutting Room Floor.2019-10-2430 min
Film SchoolIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeI TOLD you, don't call me Junior!!! After the mixed reviews of the last Indy film, Spielberg and Lucas reached back to pull from Raiders...and the results are incredible. Adding Connery as Jones Sr really puts this one over the top and it's arguably just as good as the first one. Once again, we have to stop the Nazis, and this time they're after another biblical macguffin: the Holy Grail. Doesn't get much more mystical than that. A return to form is always so satisfying. We discuss, this week!2019-10-211h 04
Film SchoolGear Talk: Filmmaker and Author Edition (Cutting Room Floor #029)Who doesn't love gear?! Equipment. Software. Electronics. Notebooks. Pens. All the tools of the trade and the creature comforts we all use to film or write or photograph or brainstorm...it's just so fun! This week, ya boys talk about what gear they use to write, film and edit. From cameras to writing software to headphones to where we write out our ideas and dreams, it's all here. Enjoy!2019-10-1731 min
Film SchoolIndiana Jones and The Temple of DoomHey lady, you call him DOCTOR JONES! If Temple of Doom does *one* thing (and it actually does much more), it gives us Short Round. If you saw this movie as a kid, who didn't want to be Indy's best friend and helper? Temple is definitely problematic. It doesn't hold a candle to Raiders...but how much did we just miss Indiana, and how fun are some of the set pieces? Mine car chase? Yes please! So, how good or bad really IS Temple? We watch and discuss. AND...here are the pics of Josh's 20-something year...2019-10-1458 min
Film SchoolHow Do You Handle Feedback? (Cutting Room Floor #028)Just don't panic cry, Josh. That's what our dear McClenney tells himself over and over whenever he receives feedback...and it's no different for Ira. Feedback is hard. It's haaaarrrrddddd. Our creative work is so personal to us, we work on it so hard, and for someone to tell us that it's not perfectly perfect feels...well, PERSONAL. But listening to and applying feedback is THE THING that separates the masters from the amateurs. So, how do we reconcile that? Ya boys tackle it this week. It's a big one!2019-10-1022 min
Film SchoolRaiders of the Lost Ark (AFI Top 100 Films #66)Indy, why does the floor move? OMG. This movie needs literally no introduction. It's the classic supernatural adventure story that gifted us all with Indiana Jones, arguably Harrison Ford's best character (Han, stop looking at us). He's an archaeologist Bond set in the mid-30s, an era of time where mysticism abounded and the ancient world was still being discovered, un-buried, and looted for its powerful, cursed treasures. Nazis! Creepy-crawlers! Temples! Old Testament! ROMANCE! Raiders of the Lost Ark has it all.2019-10-071h 00
Film SchoolCliffhangers! How To Keep Your Audience (Cutting Room Floor #027)How do you write a pageturner or a movie that you can't turn off? Cliffhangers. Pure and simple. Cliffhangers keep the people coming back for more. So, how do we apply that idea to our stories? We use the wonderful article from Ruth Harris this week to talk about this underrated and misunderstood tool, and it's kind of blowing our minds. But, you'll have to listen to learn the secrets... :) Please check out Ruth's original article here: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/7-rules-cliffhanger/2019-10-0327 min
Film SchoolWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (AFI Top 100 Films #67)I swear if you existed I'd divorce you! Elizabeth Taylor and real-life, several-times-divorced husband Richard Burton are positively on fire in playwright Edward Albee's explosive family drama. Nothing is off-limits for these two, including chewing up and spitting out a hapless young couple. Secrets! Lies! Adultery! Alcohol! So, soooo much alcohol! It's all in one terrible, crazed night on this episode of Film School!2019-09-301h 03
Film SchoolImposter Syndrome: How Do You Deal With It? (Cutting Room Floor #026)Imposter 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.2019-09-2619 min
Film SchoolUnforgiven (AFI Top 100 Films #68)It'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!2019-09-231h 05
Film SchoolThe Gap Between Taste And Skill According To Ira Glass (Cutting Room Floor #025)Ira 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/91FQKciKfHI2019-09-1923 min
Film SchoolTootsie (AFI Top 100 Films #69)It'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 40 years since it was released. What kind of mother would...2019-09-161h 04
Film SchoolDon't Sleep On Outside Validation (Cutting Room Floor #024)Self 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?2019-09-1221 min
Film SchoolA Clockwork Orange (AFI Top 100 Films #70)Clear 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?2019-09-091h 02
Film SchoolHow Can Meditation Help My Writing? (Cutting Room Floor #023)Ira'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.2019-09-0533 min
Film SchoolSaving Private Ryan (AFI Top 100 Films #71)"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 worth it to save Private Ryan.2019-09-021h 04
Film SchoolNumbers, Updates, and Changes? (Cutting Room Floor #022)Ira 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!2019-08-2931 min
Film SchoolThe Shawshank Redemption (AFI Top 100 Films #72)Morgan 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!2019-08-261h 09
Film SchoolHas the AFI's Top 100 Improved Your Storytelling? (Cutting Room Floor #021)Josh 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?2019-08-2218 min
Film SchoolButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (AFI's Top 100 Films #73)Robert 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.2019-08-191h 07
Film SchoolHow Do I Start A Writing Routine? (Cutting Room Floor #020)Ira 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!2019-08-1538 min
Film SchoolThe Silence of the Lambs (AFI Top 100 Films #74)Hello 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!2019-08-1256 min
Film SchoolHow Do We Balance Creativity and the Day Job? (Cutting Room Floor #019)We 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.2019-08-0826 min
Film SchoolIn The Heat Of The Night (AFI Top 100 Films #75)They 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.2019-08-051h 06
Film SchoolWhat Is An Elevator Pitch? (Cutting Room Floor #018)"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!2019-08-0120 min
Film SchoolWhat is a Love Story? (Cutting Room Floor #010)BONUS! 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 scenes and conventions MUST they have? We explore all t...2019-07-2950 min
Film SchoolThe Apartment LIVE!BONUS! 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/filmschool2019-07-292h 09
Film SchoolWhat Movies Give You The Warm Fuzzies? (Cutting Room Floor #017)We 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???2019-07-2520 min
Film SchoolForrest Gump (AFI Top 100 Films #76)Life 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 QUIT. It's Forrest Gump, this week on Film School!2019-07-221h 28
Film SchoolSometimes it just takes awhile to Click (Cutting Room Floor #016)We 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!2019-07-1824 min
Film SchoolAll The President's Men (AFI Top 100 Films #77)It'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 than any fiction. Deep throat, anyone? This week, on film school!2019-07-151h 02
Film SchoolHow To Finish! (Cutting Room Floor #015)How 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. This week on the Cutting...2019-07-1121 min
Film SchoolModern Times (AFI Top 100 Films #78)Charlie 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." This week, on film school!2019-07-081h 07
Film SchoolThe Wild Bunch (AFI Top 100 Films #79)If 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.2019-07-011h 05
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Miri"Ira and Josh debate the worthiness of the JJ-verse, Kirk demands “No blah blah blah!,” and Ensign McClenney and Heinichen realize there’s NO ONE LEFT UP ON THE SHIP.2016-06-2443 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Charlie X"Kirk sucks in the gut, Ensign McClenney considers what to call Dr. McCoy, and the boys debate the wisdom of the Captain giving a teenager "women" advice.2016-06-2425 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Where No Man Has Gone Before"Our very FIRST episode! Josh & Ira talk alternate titles for the podcast, meet Ensign McClenney, and watch the Star Trek pilot that introduced us all to Captain Kirk is his intrepid crew. Join us!2016-06-2442 min