The No Film School Podcast

After an earlier feature project collapsed, filmmakers Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton, and Samantha Westervelt decided to stop waiting for permission and make Sour Party with the people, locations, equipment, and lived experiences already available to them. They discuss financing and shooting the microbudget comedy, surviving festival rejection, finding a distributor, budgeting for post-production, and campaigning through Decentralized Pictures until Steven Soderbergh selected the film to receive his support and the “Steven Soderbergh Presents” credit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton, and Samantha Westervelt discuss...

Turning the collapse of a planned feature into the motivation to make Sour Party

Expanding earlier short-film ideas into a female-led Los Angeles buddy comedy

Writing around the actors, locations, equipment, and personal experiences they already had

Financing the production with a small-business loan, credit cards, deferred rates, and community support

Moving quickly from the first draft to production rather than waiting for outside permission

Shooting an 80-minute feature over approximately 19 days with mostly 12-hour production days

Navigating festival rejection before premiering at the Chattanooga Film Festival and winning its Audience Award

Building relationships with filmmakers and festival supporters who helped champion the movie

Choosing a smaller distributor that offered accessibility, communication, and flexibility

Why a distribution agreement does not necessarily include a minimum guarantee or a marketing budget

Applying for Steven Soderbergh’s Decentralized Pictures grant to secure prints and advertising support

Spending months campaigning through the platform’s community-based voting process

Pulling the film from its scheduled release after Soderbergh selected it and offered to present the movie

Setting up a collection account to manage investors, deferred payments, points, residuals, and revenue distribution

Planning for post-production costs, including music licensing, legal work, sound, color, deliverables, and distribution expenses

Negotiating music licenses when the production could not afford the initial quoted prices

Learning to consider production logistics while writing future projects

The importance of collaborators whose different skills combine into a shared creative vision

Why filmmakers should view their careers as a long game rather than measuring success by age

Building the soundtrack around Samantha’s former band, Egg Drop Soup, and other local female artists

How DCP Plus aims to offer independent filmmakers a more transparent distribution option

Why audience reviews, word of mouth, and communal viewing remain important for microbudget films

Memorable Quotes:

“We’re not waiting for permission. So we just did it.” — 05:37

“My big advice is just do it. You’ll figure it out. You’re going to make mistakes. Just do it. And also, do not forget about post.” — 32:39

“The best negotiation tactic is to just actually not have the money.” — 33:27

“Your community is your superpower.” — 43:41

Guests:

Amanda Drexton

Michael A. Drexton

Samantha Westervelt

Resources:

Sour Party on IMDb

Sour Party is scheduled to be available July 24 on digital rental platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Fandango at Home, DirecTV, and DCP Plus.

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No Film School’s Jo Light records live from Aspen Shorts Fest with Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, the co-writers and co-directors of Jane Austen’s Period Drama. The conversation covers how the short grew from a period-drama pun into an Oscar-nominated comedy, what it took to produce an ambitious period piece on a limited budget, and how the filmmakers navigated festivals, awards qualification, campaign strategy, and the career momentum that followed.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Jo Light, and guests Julia Aks and Steve Pinder discuss...


How Julia Aks and Steve Pinder first met through a USC student film and developed their creative partnership


Turning a comedic pun into a short film with emotional depth and a clear central event


Why successful short films often focus on a small moment instead of compressing a feature-sized story


Budgeting the short, finding the right producer, and learning where production money shows up on screen


Calling in community favors for period costumes, crew, and production support


Working with Snow White the chicken and planning animal scenes safely


Balancing Julia’s roles as actor, co-writer, co-director, and editor


Building a festival strategy after early rejections and learning the importance of premiere status


Why Aspen Shorts Fest became a key Oscar-qualifying opportunity for the film


How live festival screenings shaped the filmmakers’ understanding of the comedy


Handling polarizing reviews and why strong reactions can signal that a film took risks


What happens after winning a qualifying award, from the long list to the short list to nomination


The cost, strategy, and labor behind an Oscar campaign for a short film


How Emma Thompson became the film’s “Executive Menstrual Advisor”


Why live screenings became central to their campaign strategy


The career impact of receiving an Oscar nomination, even without winning


Developing the feature version of Jane Austen’s Period Drama and future musical comedy ideas

Memorable Quotes:


“When short films are very successful, I think they take a small moment or they take a small piece of humanity or a small observation about life, and then really maximize and explore that small thing.”


“We never wanted to make a proof of concept that didn't stand on its own. We wanted to make a short film that was a short film.”


“Everything makes sense, and also nothing makes sense.”


“Be bold, be brave, make a zero or a 10. Don't make a five.”

Guests:


Julia Aks


Steve Pinder

Resources:


Jane Austen’s Period Drama


Jane Austen’s Period Drama on IMDb


Aspen Shortsfest

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In this episode, GG Hawkins talks with writer, director, producer, assistant, and Not Your Daddy’s Films co-founder Vika Stubblebine about building a sustainable film career through assistant work, mentorship, community, and creative self-advocacy. Vika traces her path from acting and theater at UCLA to working in TV production at Sony, becoming a writers’ assistant, writing episodes of S.W.A.T., and helping build Not Your Daddy’s Films into a Los Angeles community for women and non-binary filmmakers.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Vika Stubblebine discuss...


How Vika moved from theater, acting, and playwriting into film and television


Why assistant jobs can be one of the most valuable ways to learn the entertainment industry


What Vika learned working in TV production at Sony


How mentorship from bosses and showrunners helped her move toward writing


The importance of telling people what you want to do in your career


How Vika landed opportunities in writers’ rooms and on S.W.A.T.


Why Not Your Daddy’s Films began as a grassroots screening event


Building community for women and non-binary filmmakers in Los Angeles


The role of accessible events, panels, workshops, and screenings in supporting emerging filmmakers


Why being on set in any capacity can help actors, writers, directors, and producers understand the filmmaking ecosystem

Memorable Quotes:


“Tell everyone what you want, and you don’t need to be me, me, me, me, me. Talk about me all the time, but be comfortable being like, yeah, I want to be in a writer's room.”


“You need to start believing that you're good enough because every single person in this world, it's not everybody, but people are going to tell you no, and you can't also tell yourself no.”


“That was the spark that led us to creating Not Your Daddy's Films because we were looking for more community.”


“I think that community, community, community is what indie film to me is all about. It's making at the very basic level, it's making cool shit with your friends.”

Guests:


Vika Stubblebine

Resources:


Not Your Daddy’s Films


Not Your Daddy’s Films on Instagram


The Daddy Dailies Podcast on Instagram


Vika Stubblebine


How Not Your Daddy’s Films is Redefining the Industry By Championing Women and Non-binary Filmmakers

Find No Film School everywhere:


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Filmmaker Joe Burke and actor-writer-producer Oliver Cooper join No Film School to discuss the making and release of Burt, a black-and-white micro-budget feature inspired by real-life musician Burt Berger. The conversation covers how Burke and Cooper built a narrative film around a non-actor, shot the movie in seven days for $7,000, used a tiny crew to preserve authenticity, and pursued a self-distribution strategy through Filmhub after the film gained momentum on the festival circuit.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Joe Burke, and Oliver Cooper discuss...


How Joe Burke and Oliver Cooper first met Burt Berger and realized he could be the center of a feature film


Why Burt became a narrative film instead of a documentary


Working with non-actors and blending fiction with real-life details


Shooting a black-and-white feature in seven days with a three-person crew


Why the team avoided a traditional production model


How they kept the production legal and professional while still working with almost no money


The role of cinematographer Daniel Kenji Levin and the stripped-down camera package


Raising finishing funds after the film was already cut


Winning festival awards, including Best Comedy at Cinequest


Getting press coverage through persistent DIY outreach


Why the filmmakers chose self-distribution with Filmhub


Building a release strategy around digital ads, TikTok reviewers, podcasts, local press, and community organizations


Setting an “off-ramp” date to avoid burnout during the release process


Advice for filmmakers deciding whether to make a short film or a micro-budget feature

Memorable Quotes:


“It’s a father-son grounded comedy with a bit of a thrilling twist inspired by a real-life friend of ours, Burt Berger, who’s not an actor.”


“I love his spirit and the world needs to know who he is.”


“I’m so tired of waiting for permission.”


“We knew the smaller footprint we had, the more authentic we could do that.”

Guests:


Joe Burke


Oliver Cooper

Resources:


Burt The Movie

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GG Hawkins speaks with production designer Vivian Gray about building the visual world of Obsession, from Southern Gothic references and texture-heavy interiors to practical blood gags and micro-budget problem-solving. They discuss what a production designer actually does, how Gray collaborated with the director, cinematographer, costume designer, and art team, and why color, texture, aging, and window treatments can make a major difference on an indie horror film.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Vivian Gray discuss...


What a production designer does and how the role shapes the visual world of a film


How Vivian Gray landed the job on Obsession through a recommendation and visual pitch deck


Building the film’s Southern Gothic and Midwestern Gothic-inspired visual language


Why production designers should come onto a project as early as possible


Collaborating with cinematography, costumes, props, set decoration, lighting, and graphic design


How a small indie crew used hands-on collaboration to make the film’s world feel cohesive


Designing horror environments through texture, color, maximalism, and unease


Practical lessons from blood gags, aging props, window treatments, and set dressing


The highest-impact production design choices for micro-budget filmmakers


Vivian’s advice for aspiring production designers

Memorable Quotes:


“My job basically is I'm in charge of the visual design of the film and the visual world.”


“Because they have nothing to shoot until there's something to shoot, right?”


“Everything has to have a texture.”


“I think it is color and texture. It's going to make the biggest impacts in your film, from my experience.”

Guests:


Vivian Gray

Resources:


Obsession on IMDb


Universal Studios Prop House & Drapery


The Hand Prop Room

Find No Film School everywhere:


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