Like anyone who has spent two hours waiting at the DMV can attest, emotional states are affected by the perception of time. In filmmaking terms, we want to take a moment to discuss one of the most commonly used time manipulation techniques — slow motion — and how it can be used to add deeper,… Continue reading How to Use Slow Motion to Create Iconic Moments
Y ou’ve unwrapped your gifts, gorged yourself on a massive breakfast, and curled up next to a roaring fire. It’s Christmas, and it’s time to throw on the perfect movie. Sometimes, however, the obvious Christmas classics feel a little too obvious. We’re here to help with a list of Christmas movies that aren’t really Christmas movies.… Continue reading 12 Best Christmas Movies That Aren’t Christmas Movies
F or most of us in the Western world, Christmas music is inescapable for the month of December. It is a fact of life, just as the sun rises in the east. As such, Christmas songs make a boatload of money. Never a town to miss an opportunity for a quick buck, Hollywood has built plenty… Continue reading Best Christmas Movie Songs — 10 Perfect Holiday Tracks
I t’s no secret that Christopher Nolan is a fan of practical effects. From running a plane into an airport to building an entire rotating hallway, the man likes to do it for real. Oppenheimer is no different. Though Nolan didn’t exactly detonate an atomic bomb, the auteur utilized in-camera effects in creative and unexpected ways.… Continue reading Oppenheimer Practical Effects Explained — VFX Without CGI
M ore than almost any other artistic medium, filmmaking depends on money. And the more expansive a filmmaker’s vision for a movie is, the more money they’ll need. Very few filmmakers get into the movie business because they’re interested in dealing with money, but often an effective filmmaker is good at film financing. So what is… Continue reading What is Film Financing — How to Get Funding for a Movie
Best Horror MoviesOpen menu Insert Image Best Horror Movies of All Time Insert Image Best Christmas Horror Movies Insert Image Best Zombie Movies Insert Image Best New Zombie Movies Insert Image Best Vampire Movies Insert Image Best Jump Scare Movies Insert Image Best 1980s Vampire Movies Insert Image Best Werewolf Movies Insert Image Best Stephen… Continue reading The Blair Witch Project Ending Explained & Making Of
I t’s hard to succinctly describe Sofia Coppola’s filmography. Her movies span time and space– 18th century France, the Civil War South, modern-day Japan. And yet Coppola’s work feels cohesive, joined by a distinct aesthetic and sensibility. Her films depict a distinct interiority, filled with unforgettable characters alienated from the worlds around them. Each of her… Continue reading Sofia Coppola Movies Ranked — The Complete Filmography
I t’s safe to say Oppenheimer is no typical biopic. The film leaps backwards and forwards through time, creating a nonlinear structure that stands apart from its counterparts in the genre. It should be unsurprising, then, that the Oppenheimer screenplay challenges conventions. By examining Christopher Nolan’s script for the movie, we can begin to appreciate just… Continue reading Oppenheimer Script PDF Download — Screenplay Breakdown
P hotography is constantly shape-shifting. A photograph can be taken in endless ways, and photographers are always looking for new boundaries to break in the medium. Knowing different types of photography will allow your own excursions into the medium to be all the more fruitful.Continue reading Types of Photography — Styles, Genres & Techniques
Metaphor Mixed Metaphor Visual Metaphor Extended Metaphor Implied Metaphor Dead Metaphor Metaphors are a crucial part of any writer’s prose. The figurative language technique can illustrate an idea or image in just a few words. Metaphors come in all shapes and sizes. One of the subtlest of its forms is the implied metaphor– a linguistic… Continue reading What is an Implied Metaphor — Definition, Examples & Usages
There’s no question that Barbie has been a sensation. The movie has smashed records left and right– it’s the highest-grossing Warner Brothers picture ever, the biggest opening for a non-sequel, and the highest grossing film directed by a woman, just to name a few. So what’s the secret to Barbie’s success? How did Greta Gerwig… Continue reading Barbie Director Greta Gerwig on Her Inspiration & Process
Metaphor Mixed Metaphor Visual Metaphor Extended Metaphor Implied Metaphor Dead Metaphor Metaphors are an important part of any writer’s lexicon. At their best, metaphors can crystalize an image or meaning in just a few words. Sometimes, however, they’re not operating at their best. Some of the most maligned metaphors are called dead metaphors, and most… Continue reading What is a Dead Metaphor — Examples & How to Avoid Them
In narrative filmmaking, the relationship between the director and the actors is arguably the most important relationship on set. And yet, for many directors beginning their careers, the process of working with an actor can seem mystifying. No one director collaborates with actors the same way, and yet many of the most celebrated actors’ directors… Continue reading Directing Actors — How to Get the Best Performances
Watch any film by David Lynch, and you’ll see that he has a singular style. The focus of his films varies — from chaotic romances to high school murders — but there are recurring themes and moods that the director evokes. Because of this, many critics and fans have begun using the term “Lynchian” to… Continue reading What Does Lynchian Mean — David Lynch’s Cinematic Style
Janusz Kamiński is one of the most celebrated cinematographers working today. Since Schindler’s List, he’s become Steven Spielberg’s go-to director of photography, giving the filmmaker’s movies a grit and realism that was largely missing in his earlier filmography. Janusz Kamiński movies have certain calling cards — high contrast, strong backlighting — but not one of… Continue reading Janusz Kamiński Movies Ranked — The Cinematographer’s Best
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image What is Post-Production Insert Image What is VFX Insert Image What are Special Effects Insert Image What is Virtual Production Insert Image What is SFX Makeup Insert Image What is CGI Insert Image What is Mocap Insert Image What is Compositing Insert Image What is Matte Painting Insert Image What is… Continue reading What is Motion Graphics — Definition, Examples & Types
Editing EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is Film Editing Insert Image What Does a Film Editor Do Insert Image How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film Insert Image How to Become a Film Editor Insert Image What is In Camera Editing Insert Image What is Screen Direction in Film Insert Image What… Continue reading What is Parallel Editing in Film — And Why Editors Use It
The world would be a lot more boring without figurative language. Look at your favorite novel, essay, monologue, script – you’re guaranteed to find at least a few figurative language examples (if it’s a novel, you’ll probably find hundreds). Figurative language is absolutely necessary to understand for any aspiring writer or, really, for anyone who… Continue reading What is Figurative Language — Definition, Examples & Types
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read Insert… Continue reading Spider-Man Script PDF Download — Plot, Dialogue & Ending
A detective movie can be a lot of things: a moody noir, a screwball comedy, a sci-fi thriller. Any of these genres can follow one protagonist trying to answer a question. Detective movies follow searchers– people are not satisfied until they get to the bottom of it all. Often, the answer isn’t as simple as they’d… Continue reading Best Detective Movies of All Time — Film’s Greatest Gumshoes