In this episode, we talk about…


  • How much Tom Cruise and the film industry has changed from the first Top Gun movie to Top Gun: Maverick
  • The problem with long climaxes, thanks to Michael Bay and Christopher Nolan 
  • Creating a story worth telling vs. destroying every last fiber of a franchise
  • Scientology is still bad, but at least Maverick has age-appropriate love interests 
  • James Cameron’s deliberate trolling about his 3-hour movie
  • Declining appeal of long movies as well as shows with too many seasons
  • Advice for emerging filmmakers—less is more, and storytelling matters most
  • Building community through backyard cinema and low-level networking events  
  • Details about Laowa’s anamorphic lenses, Atlas Lens’ Orion Silver Edition, and finding the perfect combination of camera, lenses, and lighting 

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This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by George Edelman.