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Behold Our New nofilmschool Logo! Plus We're Partnering with FreshDV to Best Cover NAB

Ryan Koo — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:34:32 +0000

Behold our new logo! While our complete site redesign is still a ways off, we’re premiering this new logo, very cleanly designed by David Ceraso, right away on our present site. We are also no longer “NoFilmSchool” or “No Film School” — henceforth we are simply “nofilmschool,” which is how I wrote it when I originally launched the site anyway. We will thus save ourselves (and you) the trouble of hitting the space or shift keys. We hope you like the new logo (and if you’re lazy how could you not like the new capitalization, or lack thereof?). Read on for some further pontification, as well as some news on our coverage of this year’s installment of the world’s largest film/video tradeshow, NAB. (more…)

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NoFilmSchool's Top 10 Posts of 2012

Joe Marine — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:24:58 +0000

You might still be celebrating the new year where you live (or recovering from the effects), but right now we’d like to take this opportunity and look back at some of the most popular posts from 2012. It was the best year NoFilmSchool has ever had traffic-wise, and it included a few new writers to assist Mr. Ryan Koo, the man responsible for making this site what it is today. Even though they still continue to perform well, the DSLR Cinematography and Hackintosh guides were not written in 2012, and will not be counted in the totals. Click through to see which posts made it into the top 10. (more…)

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No Film School is Hiring Bloggers, a Distribution/Marketing Writer, and a Social Media Specialist

Ryan Koo — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:59:56 +0000

UPDATE: applications are now closed. We’ll be responding this month (in ~~January~~ February), but give us some time to review them all. Thanks for your interest!

Want to write about something you love, and help build one of the fastest-growing filmmaking sites at the same time? We’ve got a few part-time jobs (with a lot of room to grow) available. We’re looking for General Film/Video writers, a Distribution/Marketing/Industry writer, and a Social Media/Traffic specialist. You can do any of these things from anywhere in the world. You can do them in your underwear. You don’t have to deal with the expense or hassle of commuting. You don’t have to stare at cubicle walls that are probably (and depressingly) beige. And you’ll hopefully learn a lot along the way, while building up your own abilities (as well as garnering name recognition for yourself). Read on if you’re interested! (more…)

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What Do You Want to See in the Next Version of No Film School? (Open Thread)

Ryan Koo — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:00:32 +0000

It’s been almost three years since I launched this site in its present form; the design as it is now is the same as it was then. Aesthetically I don’t mind it, but there are a lot of functions and features we could have that we don’t. A year ago I ran a poll about what should be in the next version, but I never ended up having the bandwidth to design it myself (I’m trying to make my first feature at the same time, after all), and so we’ll be working with a design firm to take the site to the next level. I’ve been preparing a design spec, and I have a good idea of what I want to see in the next iteration (and the next, and the next). However, above all else this site is here for you guys — so please let us know what you’d like to see in the relaunch and we will consider everything! (more…)

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Please Welcome New Writers Justin Minich, Christopher Boone, and MarBelle!

Ryan Koo — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:34:06 +0000

NoFilmSchool is written by filmmakers, for filmmakers, and the upside of that is we bring real-world knowledge and experience to our daily writing. The downside, as far as the “daily” part is concerned, is that we are sometimes off working on projects and unable to blog (this is where that real-world experience comes from, though). So when I go AWOL for a couple of weeks (as I just did during the Tribeca Film Festival, as one of the Tribeca grantees), that means it’s up to another writer to pick up the slack. The same goes for Joe and E.M., who also have real-world projects and responsibilities. While I want to make sure we’re always covering the news, I also want the site to start focusing more on issues of art and craft — as well as sharing short films and other content from around the web — which requires more bandwidth. With this in mind, please give a warm welcome to our new writers, Justin Minich, Christopher Moore, and MarBelle! (more…)

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Please Give a Warm Welcome to NoFilmSchool's New Writers, Joe Marine and E.M. Taboada!

Ryan Koo — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:41:42 +0000

There hasn’t been a byline on my posts here because, for the past two years, I’ve written 1,054 out of the 1,078 total posts on this site. One of my favorite comments has been “you guys are doing a great job!” because it’s actually just been one guy (except for these great guest posts). But that last post was not written by me. Until I get author names/pictures below the post titles, it might be a bit of a mystery as to who’s writing here. So I’d like to introduce you to two new NoFilmSchool writers, Joe Marine and E.M. Taboada: (more…)

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NoFilmSchool's Top 10 Posts of 2011

Ryan Koo — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:35:58 +0000

Traffic is a funny thing (internet traffic, that is, not the kind at left). I don’t pay very close attention to which posts are getting the most hits, at least not on a day-to-day basis, but at the end of the year it’s easy to sort the hundreds of posts here by “most viewed.” Discounting the DSLR Cinematography and Hackintosh guides, here are the most-trafficked (not necessarily the best or most original) posts of 2011: (more…)

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Want a Great Job You Can Do Anywhere? NoFilmSchool is Hiring Writers.

Ryan Koo — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:32:34 +0000

UPDATE: the application form is now closed. Thanks for your interest and stay tuned for future opportunities!

As a writer/director I’ve done my best to learn a bit about every aspect of filmmaking, but I want to bring on more writers — with different areas of expertise — in order to take NoFilmSchool to the next level. I believe this site can become an even more valuable resource with a proper team. So after two years of building this site myself, it’s time to expand into a site with multiple bylines. Interested in a part-time job writing about something you love? Read on. (more…)

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Poll: What Do You Want to See in the Next Version of NoFilmSchool?

Ryan Koo — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:21:36 +0000

I launched the current version of NoFilmSchool in January of last year, which makes this design 20 months old. It was the best I could do while living out of a suitcase and devoting a maximum of one week to the photoshopping of this design (I didn’t want to spend any longer launching the site, given I had no guarantees anyone was actually going to read it). But NFS could be so much more! However, it’s less about what I want to see here and more about what you would like to see. So please take this quick poll so I can build a better, more helpful site for you all going forward! You can select multiple answers — all of these things are possibilities, but I’m trying to figure out which ones should be highest priority. Here’s the poll: (more…)

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Maintaining Objectivity: How I Will (And Won't) Be Covering NAB

Ryan Koo — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:30:04 +0000

The interesting thing about covering an event like NAB in person — especially one that stretches across several halls — is, when you’re on one floor, you don’t really know what’s going on elsewhere. It’s a maze. After missing Band-Pro’s announcement that they will sell Leica lenses bundled with RED EPICs because I couldn’t find the Band-Pro booth in time (it was right after James Cameron’s keynote across the street), I asked one of the RED reps, “hey, what did you guys just announce with Band-Pro?” Since he was stationed at the RED booth and the announcement had just happened at Band-Pro’s, he didn’t know himself. To be fair, it’s not like I was asking Jim Jannard — just the first rep I ran into — but the point is, sometimes the best way to monitor breaking news is to be in the press room connected to the internet, or at least on Twitter — not traipsing the show floor with video gear in tow. It’s no coincidence that I had no updates to share yesterday, as I was too busy lining up video interviews. Thus I’m scratching the video stand-ups and will try to do a better job with show updates throughout the day. Also, if I’m not glad-handing on camera, I think I can be more objective about the products on display. (more…)

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NoFilmSchool's RSS Feed Going Excerpt-Only (Everything Else Staying the Same)

Ryan Koo — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:57:31 +0000

“Oh my God dude, you win this award and all the sudden you think your site’s too good to give away all the content for free?” Well, no, everything is staying free. I’ve even said no to some offers for sponsored posts. The only thing that’s changing is the RSS feed is going from full to partial, meaning those of you who get NoFilmSchool updates via a feed reader — and statistics show that there are not too many of you — will have to click through to this here site in order to read the full article. Most sites only offer a partial RSS feed as it is, and this is not an indicator that things are going to change around here in any other way. That’s it; move along, there’s nothing to see here.

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Thanks to You, NoFilmSchool Wins Total Film's 'Best Creative Blog' Award!

Ryan Koo — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 17:01:47 +0000

The 2011 Total Film Blog Awards results are in, and NoFilmSchool has won the Best Creative Blog award. Thanks to everyone who made this possible by voting! In fact, so many of you voted for NoFilmSchool that I was accused of cheating by some commenters and temporarily removed from the contest by the organizers. The controversy stemmed from the fact that many of you voted within a narrow window of time, and some believed this could only be the result of fraud. It was no such thing. If you’re curious as to how this happened, read on; otherwise, thank you again for your support. The award should help this site grow and improve in the future. (more…)

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NoFilmSchool Nominated for Total Film's Best Creative Blog Award - Please Vote!

Ryan Koo — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:09:12 +0000

I’m very pleasantly surprised to be nominated for Total Film’s Best Creative Blog Award. After just one year of running NoFilmSchool as a daily blog, I’m honored to be listed alongside the likes of Ted Hope’s Hope for Film and John August’s… um, John August. If you like what you’ve been reading here on NoFilmSchool, please head on over to the Total Film Movie Blog Awards and give this site a vote! The awards are also, of course, a good way to discover other film sites, so check ‘em out.

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NoFilmSchool is Looking for Guest Posts!

Ryan Koo — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:26:36 +0000

Have a filmmaking experience you’d like to share? Got your hands on some good (or bad) equipment? Record a helpful tutorial? Interview another filmmaker? All of this content is of interest to us, but I simply don’t have the time or resources to cover every story out there. I have managed to build a site that’s read by thousands of filmmakers and other creatives every day, however, and as a result writing a guest post here can be a great source of exposure for you and/or your project. (more…)

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NoFilmSchool is Now Open for Advertising

Ryan Koo — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Are you a DSLR accessory manufacturera, camera company, software developer, or anyone whose customers are filmmakers and independent creatives? You can now advertise on NoFilmSchool for as little as $1/day. As far as readers are concerned, very little is going to change with this development, as there have long been ads on NoFilmSchool. (more…)

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Sorry for Lack of Updates - Back at it Soon

Ryan Koo — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:18:23 +0000

For the first time since re-launching in January, I haven’t posted something to the site in a couple of days. Or maybe it was just one day — I can’t really remember, as I’ve been burning the midnight oil to finish a demo for my transmedia project 3rd Rail in preparation for Independent Film Week. And when I say “midnight oil,” I mean that I’ve seen the sun come up for the last five days. So — apologies and back to your regularly scheduled content in a day or two!

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Get a 100-page eBook of the “astonishingly detailed and useful” DSLR Cinematography Guide FREE

Ryan Koo — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:02:52 +0000

Filmmaker Magazine called The DSLR Cinematography Guide “astonishingly detailed and useful” at launch. Now the guide is updated, expanded, and professionally designed into a proper eBook. Including the eBook-only bonus chapters, it’s now over a hundred pages long! This new PDF is printable, portable, and more comprehensive — but it’s still absolutely free. This marks the official launch of the NoFilmSchool newsletter, which will simply email you once a week with site updates and will also occasionally ping you with tips and tricks on digital filmmaking (and how to start an independent career). Get your own full color, high-resolution copy of the guide here: (more…)

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Help NoFilmSchool Grow!

Ryan Koo — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:26:35 +0000

Since re-launching in January of this year, NoFilmSchool has received over 500,000 pageviews from 200,000 visits. With an average time on the site of 5 minutes, that accounts for one million minutes collectively spent on this site in 2010! Compared to the largest web sites out there, this is nothing in terms of traffic. But for a one-man operation — there is no marketing department, no ad sales team, no dedicated designers or developers — it’s been eye-opening and very pleasantly surprising. However, sometimes it feels like I’ve spent one million minutes working on the site myself. My eventual goal is to bring in other writers in order to A) take the content here to the next level, and B) keep the site going when I’m off shooting and can’t post something every day. But that’s still a ways off, so in the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about a page I’ve added. The Support NoFilmSchool! page includes B&H and Amazon search boxes — if you use them to buy anything, NoFilmSchool gets a small percentage of each sale (the percentage comes out of the store’s margin; it won’t cost you a penny more). There are a couple of kinks to work out — why is the B&H search box messed up? — but by all means, please think of this page anytime you’re planning on buying anything from B&H Photo or Amazon.com — it’s a great way of supporting NoFilmSchool at no additional cost to you. Thanks as always for reading!

Support NoFilmSchool! »

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Updated and Expanded DSLR eBook Coming Soon

Ryan Koo — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:03:11 +0000

Because of their low prices and dual-functionality, DSLRs are going to be around for a while — regardless of whatever new cameras come out in the next 12 months. To that end, I’d like The DSLR Cinematography Guide to be the #1 resource for anyone interested in making movies with DSLRs. If you’re reading this site you’ve already discovered the guide, but there are millions out there who haven’t. So in an effort to improve the guide, I’ve been working for quite some time now on a new eBook version (PDF or ePUB), that will be updated, expanded, full-color, high-resolution, 100+ pages, and will be perfectly portable and perfectly printable. How much will I charge for this longer, offline version? You might be surprised: (more…)

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