Andrei Tarkovksy was a director’s director. Ingmar Bergman called him “the greatest.” Lars von Trier dedicated a movie to his honor. Claire Denis said Stalker made her heart feel like it was going to stop. Suffice to say, Tarkovsky earned the respect of his colleagues. But despite his enormous impact, Tarkovsky only directed seven feature films. Today, we’re going to tackle the indomitable task of ranking Andrei Tarkovsky movies by way of three criteria: filmmaking, story, and theme. Why theme? Because theme – or the inferred stance taken on a subject of a story – plays an important role in…
Your eyes scroll horizontally, sentence by sentence, word over word over word – you stop to think, who is it that’s addressing me? Then, perhaps subconsciously, you realize that you must be reading from an alternate point of view, maybe this is second person – but what is second person point of view? We’re going to break down the second person point of view, or second person POV, with examples from Bright Lights, Big City and Mad Men, but first, let’s define second person point of view.Continue reading What is Second Person Point of View — Definition and Examples
At one point or another, everybody in film production has asked the question “what is craft services?” Well, what is craft services? We’re going to answer that question by defining craft service. We’re also going to break down the difference between craft service and catering. By the end, you’ll know everything there is to know about food on set. Continue reading What is Craft Services on a Movie Set — Film Prod. Essentials
Animated music videos: you love them. I love them. They’re the perfect form for bridging the gap between the poetic realism of music and the surrealist imagery we construct through lyrics. We’re going to break down a variety of the best animated music videos by looking at what makes them tick. By the end, you might be inspired to make your own animated music video!Continue reading Best Animated Music Videos of All Time — Top 20 List
Star Wars is the second highest grossing film franchise in the world – second only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past 40+ years, nine directors have worked on theatrical Star Wars films, including George Lucas, J. J. Abrams, Ron Howard and more. We’re going to explore the careers of every Star Wars film director and their greatest works. By the end, we’ll have a comprehensive knowledge of some of the most respected and sought-out filmmakers in modern Hollywood history.Continue reading Every Star Wars Director — How Each Helped Shape a Franchise
Actors far and wide travel to the Big Apple to pursue careers on the stage, and or in front of the camera – but where do they find casting agencies? Well, we’re going to help focus the search by breaking down the best casting agencies NYC edition. By the end, you’ll know where to look for New York casting agencies. Continue reading Best Casting Agencies NYC Edition — An Actor’s Guide
Aspiring screenwriters often ask “what are the best screenwriting programs?” And although that question certainly holds merit, its answer is completely subjective. The truth is that there are no “best screenwriting schools;” for one person it may be YouTube, for another it may be an Ivy League institution. Still, we’re going to break down the pros of some of the most renowned screenwriting schools so that you can see whether or not they’re worth pursuing!Continue reading Best Screenwriting Programs — Top 10 Schools To Consider
In 2013, Ari Aster released Munchausen, a short film about the proxy disorder of the same name in which a caregiver torments people in their care. Munchausen made waves upon release in large part due to Aster’s impressive direction. In the years following the release of Munchausen, Aster became a household name in cinema circles for writing and directing Hereditary and Midsommar. We’re going to revisit Ari Aster short films to analyze his early writing/directing style. Fans of his work may be surprised to see just how much he worked on in such a short time before his Hollywood breakthrough.Continue…
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the best story in the trilogy. There are those who will disagree with me, but there’s no denying that Fellowship does a tremendous job of establishing the characters and world of Middle-Earth – while also balancing fantastical whimsy with dramatic action. Fellowship is adapted screenwriting done right – and we’re going to show you why it works. Fly you fools! Download a copy of the Lord of the Rings script below and follow along as we break down its plot.Continue reading Lord of the Rings Script PDF — ‘Fellowship’…
Cinematographers far and wide have come to know the name “Local 600” – but what is IATSE Local 600? What does it mean? Why does it sound like a spy syndicate? Well, we’re going to answer those questions (at least most of them anyways) by exploring the history of Local 600. We’re also going to examine how specialty technicians can join Local 600. By the end, you’ll know all the nuts and bolts regarding Local 600. Continue reading IATSE Local 600 — How to Join the Cinematographer’s Guild
