How The Weird Satanist Guy Spawned a Sundance Indie With Demon Puppets
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10/18/23 • 69 min
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Making a film is a laborious task that requires dedication, passion, discipline, and inspiration. Seeing the success of other filmmakers, who are more often than not in the same position as us, is not only motivational but can be a guiding light for those making their first film.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Yaroslav Altunin speak with multi-hyphenate creative Andrew Bowser to discuss:
- How Andrew came up with the Onyx character
- Starting his career as a child actor before becoming a writer and director
- Questioning his original script after getting some harsh notes
- Why having multi-hyphenate creatives work on the film was necessary
- Working with VFX and puppets and the challenges that came with it
- Discovering some continuity errors they didn’t catch in the final edit
- Why Andrew likes a slower editing process
- Not looking down on non traditional film platforms
Memorable Quotes
- “It was this revelation. I felt like I had found something to pursue creatively.” [2:23]
- “I was led to writing and directing purely out of a want for more control.” [5:39]
- “On indies there's not a lot of time to explore.” [40:22]
- “Editing for me is such slicing and splicing.” [48:19]
Resources:
Onyx, The Fortuitous, and The Talisman of Souls
Tickets to Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Onyx-the-Fortuitous-and-the-Talisman-of-Souls/
Andrew’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@BowserVids
Find No Film School everywhere:
On the Web
https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool
https://twitter.com/nofilmschool
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Making a film is a laborious task that requires dedication, passion, discipline, and inspiration. Seeing the success of other filmmakers, who are more often than not in the same position as us, is not only motivational but can be a guiding light for those making their first film.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Yaroslav Altunin speak with multi-hyphenate creative Andrew Bowser to discuss:
- How Andrew came up with the Onyx character
- Starting his career as a child actor before becoming a writer and director
- Questioning his original script after getting some harsh notes
- Why having multi-hyphenate creatives work on the film was necessary
- Working with VFX and puppets and the challenges that came with it
- Discovering some continuity errors they didn’t catch in the final edit
- Why Andrew likes a slower editing process
- Not looking down on non traditional film platforms
Memorable Quotes
- “It was this revelation. I felt like I had found something to pursue creatively.” [2:23]
- “I was led to writing and directing purely out of a want for more control.” [5:39]
- “On indies there's not a lot of time to explore.” [40:22]
- “Editing for me is such slicing and splicing.” [48:19]
Resources:
Onyx, The Fortuitous, and The Talisman of Souls
Tickets to Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Onyx-the-Fortuitous-and-the-Talisman-of-Souls/
Andrew’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@BowserVids
Find No Film School everywhere:
On the Web
https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool
https://twitter.com/nofilmschool
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
Why You Should Write Your Spec with 'Greenland' Screenwriter Chris Sparling
Don’t be afraid to plant your flag early on. This advice comes from writer Chris Sparling, who is known for the 2010 film, Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds and the 2020 film Greenland, starring Gerard Butler.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Jason Hellerman speaks with writer and director Chris Sparling to discuss:
- The first time Jason and Chris met, 10 years earlier
- How Chris starts the writing process
- Talking to reps to get an accurate idea of what scripts will be successful
- Why Chris writes specs and encourages other writers to do the same
- Breaking out of the box people put you in
- Recognizing it’s not necessary to go after every single assignment
- How to manage your expectations when going out with a new spec
- Writer’s block - Is it real and how to overcome it
- Why it’s important to rehearse your pitch
Memorable Quotes
- “If there’s a real fire in you, that’s the story you want to tell.” [6:10]
- “I’m constantly trying to pump out new material that shows another side to what I do.” [12:30]
- “You have to get out of your own way and power through it. [30:38]
- “Don’t be difficult, but also don’t undervalue yourself.” [42:52]
Resources
Find No Film School everywhere:
On the Web
https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool
https://twitter.com/nofilmschool
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
How 'The Creator' DP Challenges Big Budget Filmmaking with an Indie Mindset
Can you make a big budget, sci-fi film that isn’t a franchise, or a sequel, or a reboot, and tackle it using an indie mindset? That’s what the team behind the film, The Creator did. The film, which tells a story about war between humanity and artificial intelligence, is currently in theaters.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s Charles Haine speaks with DP Oren Soffer to discuss:
- Being offered a co-dp position on the film
- How shooting on one lens made the VFX much easier to work with
- The differences in lenses over time that affect their consistency
- Leaning into natural light as much as possible
- Wanting to maintain the creative energy of guerilla style filmmaking
- How the project originally got the green light from the studio
- Working in a very trusting environment
- Looking at tons of references images the director pulled from
Memorable Quotes
- “The visual effects approach was designed to fit the footage and not the opposite.” [6:53]
- “What do we need to add or subtract from that lighting to create a more curated lighting environment?” [22:04]
- “The filmmaking process itself felt really scrappy in the best way possible.” [36:39]
Resources:
Find No Film School everywhere:
On the Web
https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool
https://twitter.com/nofilmschool
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool
https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool
Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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