The No Film School Podcast

What These DPs Used Instead of Stills to Land Their Sundance Films

February 26
57 mins

Episode Description

Recorded live at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, this annual Director of Photography Roundtable features No Film School’s GG Hawkins in conversation with cinematographers Lidia Nikonova, Sam Levy, and Maria Herrera. The group discusses their unconventional paths into cinematography—from orchestras and photojournalism to weddings and radio DJing—how they landed their Sundance projects, and why connection, rhythm, and trust matter more than flashy lookbooks. They also break down the tools they used to communicate vision, navigate long dialogue scenes, and adapt to technical and emotional challenges on set.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss…

  • Shooting at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and hosting at the BraveMaker house

  • Maria Herrera’s transition from music to cinematography and operating handheld for emotionally intense performances

  • Sam Levy’s mentorship under Harris Savides and how that shaped his approach to narrative filmmaking

  • Lidia Nikonova’s journey from photojournalism and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II to AFI and shooting narrative features

  • How each DP landed their Sundance projects through relationships, cold emails, and creative chemistry

  • When to bring visual references to a director meeting—and when to just listen

  • Using tools like Figma to build collaborative lookbooks and visual worlds

  • Why dialogue rhythm and musicality influence cinematography choices

  • Shooting on 35mm with an Arricam ST versus digital on the ARRI Alexa 35

  • Working with vintage Super Baltar lenses (famously used on The Godfather) for a modern crime thriller

  • Referencing L'Argent by Robert Bresson for insert shots and cinematic economy

  • How to approach 10+ page dialogue scenes without losing visual intention

  • The value of shooting weddings and low-budget projects to build craft and confidence

  • Advice for emerging cinematographers: show up early, trust your vision, and get your reps in



Memorable Quotes:

  • “This child will never play a musical instrument ever in her life.”

  • “If you have good dialogues, it's like, okay, here's something.”

  • “Just connect with her.”

  • “Show up at least one hour early… and do not use your phone on set.”

Guests:

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