Why 99% of Screenwriters Never Make It, Indie Feature Guide, & Shooting Cinematic on Your Phone

[No Film School]

April 13, 2026 Hey Stu, Welcome back! Want to know what’s new on No Film School? Check out our top craft stories of the week.  📢 Announcements We’ve Been Nominated for a Webby! Our How-To Explainer, featuring No Film School’s awesome podcast host GG Hawkins on making I Really Love My Husband on a freakishly fast timeline, has been nominated for The Webby Awards! Produced by the great Max Gibson, we wanted to create a resource for folks looking for a way in to starting their own feature-length movie journey. We’re now in the running to win a People’s Voice Award! VOTE FOR US BEFORE APRIL 16TH! 🖋️ Screenwriting Why 99% of Screenwriters Never Make It (and How to Be the 1%) 'He Got Game' Credit: Touchstone The vast majority of aspiring screenwriters never see a dime from their work. Now, would we call that bad luck or just a reality of the business? In a revealing interview with Film Courage, veteran screenwriter and UCLA instructor Corey Mandell broke down the harsh truth about the "high bar" of professional screenwriting and why even "really good" writers often fail to break through. Continue Reading - Why 99% of Screenwriters Never Make It (and How to Be the 1%) 🗞️ Quick Reads for Screenwriting The Two Questions You Should Always Ask as You Write - If you're lost, this can help you. What Do Writers Mean When They Say "Economy in Storytelling"? - Are you weaving your narrative in a way without wasted pages or story beats? The Only Script Coverage Database You'll Ever Need - Want to learn to write coverage or read how different companies do it? We have the solutions for you. 🎬 Directing How We Stole an Airport: A Guide to Making an Indie Feature Without Permission 'The Travel Companion' Credit: Oscilloscope There’s a particular moment most first-time feature directors recognize: you’ve got a script you believe in, yet absolutely no idea how you’re supposed to pull off half the things written on the page. Factor in locations and actors you can’t afford, gear you don’t have yet…it’s a lot. So, the real question becomes: how do you make a feature anyway? The filmmakers behind The Travel Companion break down how they pulled it off. Continue Reading - How We Stole an Airport: A Guide to Making an Indie Feature Without Permission 🗞️ Quick Reads for Directing Why Every Aspiring Filmmaker Should Start with Comedy or Horror -They're more alike than you think, and both will teach you everything. What Did Stanley Kubrick Tell Tom Cruise Was a Filmmaker's Most Valuable Asset? - Tom Cruise shares insights into the legendary director’s patient, meticulous, and "non-stop" creative process.  🎥 Cinematography ​Here’s How You Can Use Any Smartphone to Create Cinematic Footage Credit: Tim Winkler In the world of YouTubers, everyone loves a good challenge. And that’s exactly what Marques Brownlee laid out for his MKBHD team to do in one of their latest videos, as the team at The Studio was assigned different smartphones and tasked with creating high-quality, cinematic intros. Let’s take a look at this fun YouTube video and explore what advice can be found from this challenge, with a focus on what techniques can be used for your own smartphone videos and other content—whether that be YouTube vids or more ambitious film and video projects. Continue Reading - Here’s How You Can Use Any Smartphone to Create Cinematic Footage 🗞️ Quick Reads for Directing Why Less is More When Lighting a Creature Feature - The Yeti DP Joel Froome, ACS NZCS, discusses how limiting light can elevate scale and fear. Intimidated by Anamorphic Lenses? This Tutorial Series Can Help Demystify the Process - Curious about anamorphic filmmaking but intimidated by squeeze factors, workflows, and lens behavior? 5 Movies That Mastered the Day-For-Night Filmmaking Technique - A timeless trick that reminds us of the magic of cinema. 🎙️ Podcast ​From 'Evil Dead Rise' to 'The Mummy': Lee Cronin on Evolving Horror 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy' Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, writer-director Lee Cronin joins to discuss how he approached reimagining The Mummy through the lens of family trauma, mystery, and body horror. In conversation with host GG Hawkins, Cronin breaks down the emotional architecture behind effective horror, the challenge of staging fear in broad daylight, and the way Irish storytelling, personal experience, and practical effects continue to shape his work. Continue Reading - From 'Evil Dead Rise' to 'The Mummy': Lee Cronin on Evolving Horror 📚 Recommended Reads: A Huge List of Onomatopoeia Words for Your Screenwriting It's time to spice up your action writing. What is Pixar's Story Structure Formula? The Pixar storytelling formula has been used over and over again by the company to create emotional and successful screenplays. How does it work? Two Words That Still Define ‘The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy’ 20 Years Later The heartbeat of an entire saga. The Doorway to Nowhere: Why the Final Shot of ‘The Searchers’ Still Haunts Us The closing shot of Ethan Edwards walking away in The Searchers (1956) shows a hero forever locked outside the world he saved. Setting the Stage: 5 Greatest Movie Opening Lines of All Time Five opening lines that defined a movie’s beginning. Explore more articles → Visit No Film School 🎬 Never Miss an Update! Subscribe Now Want the latest filmmaking news, industry insights, and indie success stories delivered straight to your inbox? 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive tips and resources: 👉 Sign up here 🎙️ Check out the No Film School Podcast for gear updates, trending film topics, and interviews with some of the biggest names in the industry. 🎥 Keep learning, keep creating. Visit No Film School for daily updates, expert guides, and in-depth tutorials. 📢 Join the conversation on social media and connect with fellow filmmakers: Instagram | Twitter/X | YouTube | Facebook See you next time with more filmmaking goodness! 🎬   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 No Film School 14205 N Mo Pac Expy Ste 570 PMB 39920 Austin, TX 78728-6529, United States Terms of Service