In 2021, it can be hard to figure out new ways to innovate on film, since it often feels like “it’s all been done before.” But today, we’re chatting with director Timur Bekmambetov, who found a new way to tell stories and is now deep in “screen life,” connecting with younger audiences and pushing the boundaries of the medium.

In this episode, we talk about…

  • Bekmambetov’s early career and how he got into filmmaking in Russia, which included doing just about every job except acting!
  • What happened when Bekmambetov first started getting into more artsy, avant-garde movies, and his realization that the only way to tell stories is to be real about fears, dreams, and other vulnerable emotions.
  • How screen life can work with every genre, and examples of types of films Bekmambetov has shot in that format.
  • The nuts and bolts of creating screen life films, from how acting is very different (it’s about the movement of the cursor or what is typed rather than facial expressions), to how it’s filmed, to how it’s edited in post.
  • Bekmambetov’s advice for young filmmakers who want to get involved in this new type of filmmaking.

Links to resources:

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

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