Film festivals are everywhere. There’s a festival for every niche you can imagine, and every niche you can’t. Today, festivals can take many shapes and sizes, from massive industry mainstays to scrappy yet exciting startups. A savvy independent filmmaker understands the festival circuit, knowing what to apply to and how. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about film festivals.Continue reading What is a Film Festival — Everything You Need to Know
Watching a film can sometimes feel like looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. This someone else may be a particularly auteurist filmmaker, or they can be a character within a movie that a filmmaker wants us to identify with. Referred to as subjective cinema, this filmmaking technique can be incredibly powerful.Continue reading Subjective Cinema — Types and Techniques in Filmmaking
Some of the greatest scenes in movie history take place in a car. The dino-tour in Jurassic Park, the “Contender” speech in On the Waterfront, the “Bohemian Rhapsody” rendition in Wayne’s World — what would these iconic scenes have been without a car? Let’s take a look at how car scenes are captured and how your next car scene can enter the movie automobile pantheon. Continue reading How to Shoot a Car Scene — Camera, Sound & Rigs Explained
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, emotional intensity to a scene or sequence.Continue reading How to Use Slow Motion to Create Iconic Moments
You’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. These are the movies, for some reason, we keep coming back to for the holiday season.Continue reading 12 Best Christmas Movies That Aren’t Christmas Movies
For 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 of Christmas jingles into their Yuletide films. These songs can create some unforgettable moments in films, and can often stand up just as well outside the movie. Here are some of the best Christmas movie songs!Continue reading Best Christmas Movie Songs — 10 Perfect Holiday…
It’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. Let’s break down some of the best Oppenheimer practical effects. Continue reading Oppenheimer Practical Effects Explained — VFX Without CGI
More 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 film financing, and how can you get money behind your next movie?Continue reading What is Film Financing — How to Get Funding for a Movie
Over the past couple decades, The Blair Witch Project has proven to be one of the most influential films ever. Between its groundbreaking found-footage aesthetic and pioneering marketing approach, Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick’s movie has cast a long shadow. Perhaps the most beguiling and memorable moments of the movie is its final scene, which continues to shock viewers to this day. What makes the Blair Witch ending so special? How did its directors pull it off? Continue reading The Blair Witch Project Ending Explained & Making Of
It’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 movies has something to offer. With that in mind, here is our list of Sofia Coppola movies ranked.Continue reading Sofia Coppola Movies Ranked — The Complete Filmography
