Since re-launching in January of this year, No Film School 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 No Film School! page includes B&H and Amazon search boxes -- if you use them to buy anything, No Film School 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 No Film School at no additional cost to you. Thanks as always for reading!
Death of Pilot Season, Max Lugavere's ‘Little Empty Boxes’, and Big Pivots
“He spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to make this movie happen. And the first thing I did is I deleted it.”
As streaming reshapes the industry, pilot season is a thing of the past, leaving creatives to navigate constant demands and year-round pitching. How do filmmakers find balance when the lines between work and rest blur? And how can unexpected pivots lead to more meaningful projects?
This episode of the NFS Podcast explores staying resilient in a world without structure, featuring Max Lugavere's decade-long journey with Little Empty Boxes, a deeply personal documentary about his mother's battle with dementia that evolved in ways he never expected.
Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health journalist, and New York Times bestselling author. After his mother’s diagnosis with Lewy body dementia, Max chronicled her experience in Little Empty Boxes. The film, which took over a decade to complete, shifted from an investigative piece to an intimate portrayal of love, loss, and resilience.
Give the podcast a listen below!
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Gigi Hawkins speaks with Jason Hellerman, Max Lugavere, and Chris Newhard to discuss:
- The death of pilot season and how streaming has transformed the TV landscape
- The endless cycle of pitching and the impact on writers’ lives
- Finding balance between personal life and an unpredictable film industry.
- How unexpected creative pivots can lead to more meaningful work.
- Max Lugavere’s personal journey documenting his mother’s battle with dementia in Little Empty Boxes
- Chris Newhard’s role in reshaping Little Empty Boxes through fresh eyes, helping it evolve into a deeply emotional and impactful documentary
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This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by GG Hawkins.