They say the best way to learn how to become a filmmaker is to just go out and do it. While that will always be the first and best avenue to pursue, I’d argue that the second best way to learn how to become a successful filmmaker is to listen to those who have done it before you.

Here at No Film School, 2018 was a great year for interviews. Not only did NFS sit down with some big name filmmakers like Yorgos Lanthimos and Reed Morano, we also have some in-depth interview articles and podcasts that focus on all parts of the filmmaking cycle.

From script writing tips with Bo Burnham on Eighth Grade to DP-to-director from Jeremy Saulnier on Hold the Dark, we are proud to share some of the most insightful filmmaking interviews of 2018!

And if you’d like more year-in-review takes on 2018, here are some of our favorite films and tip roundups as well:

Bo Burnham and Elsie Fisher on ‘Eighth Grade’

Another huge hit for A24 this year, Emily Buder sat down with writer and director (and you know, noted Youtube comedian) Bo Burnham and the film’s breakthrough star Elsie Fisher to chat about the writing and filmmaking process behind Eighth Grade.

Check out the full interview here.

Yorgos Lanthimos on ‘The Favourite’

In a podcast interview with Jon Fusco, filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos opens up about his making his surreal film The Favourite and his journey putting the project together over the years.

You can read the full interview with Lanthimos here.

BONUS: for those more interested in the editing side of filmmaking, NFS' Erik Luers also chatted with editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis about crafting a different kind of period piece in The Favourite as well.

You can read that interview with Mavropsaridis here.

 Ari Aster on ‘Hereditary’

In what might be regarded as one of the most disturbing films of all time (if not just in 2018), Ari Aster’s Heredity shook audience to their existential core. In this interview, we get some great insights into genre filmmaking and what it takes as a filmmaker to push yourself - and your audience - to those truly terrifying places.

Read the full interview here.

Lynne Ramsay on ‘You Were Never Really Here’

While the film You Were Never Really Here was technically released in 2017, we’re including its interview in our 2018 list because a) it took place in 2018, and b) it’s very much an insightful piece about character-built filmmaking that is highly worth a read for anyone interesting in unlocking the power of character-focused world building.

Here’s the interview with Ramsay in its entirety.

Production Design on ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’

If 2018 showed us anything (besides the fact that our Movie Pass subscriptions are now worthless), it’s that Netflix and streaming services are continuing to wrestle away some big names and projects from mainstream cinema. The Coen Brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was one of those big projects which audiences collectively enjoyed from their living rooms and laptops in 2018.

However, it still was a remarkable film (one of the Coen Brothers recent best), and featured some of the best production design of the year. Here’s our sit-down interview with production designer Jess Gonchor on problem solving the design of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Reed Morano on ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’

There might not be a brighter filmmaking star to watch heading into 2019 than the uber-talented DP-turned-Director Reed Morano. After years of being a cinematographer, Morano broke through with the Hulu hit The Handmaid’s Tale, which she then followed up with post-apocalyptic thriller I think We’re Alone Now.

In one of the best interviews of the year, Emily Buder chats with Morano about her DP-to-Director journey and working with stars Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning on I Think We’re Alone Now.

Jeremy Saulnier on 'Hold the Dark'

It’s hard not to find inspiration from the journey of filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier. From Blue Ruin to Green Room to his latest Netflix feature Hold the Dark, watching Saulnier’s beautiful filmmaking is both inspiring and a masterclass in suspense.

Check out the full podcast interview with Saulnier on Hold the Dark and why being a DP is more fun than being a director here.

interviewsfilmmakingaspiring filmmaker
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