12 Secrets to Great Exposition in Screenwriting (w/ Examples)
Exposition in film or screenwriting is one of the most difficult aspects to master. It’s necessary for our audience to understand our characters and plot, but we don’t really want…
Social Media and Digital Communications for Successful Short Films
Navigating our uber-connected, tech-driven world can be overwhelming for filmmakers. Making a successful short film is exhausting enough. But keeping your crew — and followers — up to date, minute…
How to Plan a Film Shoot: 10 Tips for Estimating Times on a Schedule
Scheduling your film shoot is one of the very first steps in making your project come to life. But in order to schedule, it is our job to figure out…
The Best Werewolf Movies to Watch Right Now
Werewolves predate almost every other fictional monster. So, why aren’t werewolf films very popular? Perhaps it comes down to a practical issue. The make-up is labor intensive. The transformation sequence…
Breaking Down the Contemporary Western: Westworld
As the lovechild of the Costume Drama and the Fantasy Adventure, the Western might have more considerations that go into producing it than any other genre. When shooting a western,…
What Filmmakers Can Learn From Darren Aronofsky Movies
Darren Aronofsky movies show us the most complex regions of the human psyche. As the Black Swan director says, “Because we are filmmakers, we can show where a person’s mind…
Organize Post Production Workflow to Edit Like a Pro
When it comes to keeping a shoot on budget and on schedule, a clean and organized workflow is everything. Film sets are busy places and as workplaces go, they’re pretty…
A Filmmaker’s Guide to Michael Bay’s Movies & Directing Techniques
Michael Bay movies are much more than an assembly of explosions. Filmmakers can learn a lot from his films, so if you’re hoping for another post that attacks Bay as…
The Best Denis Villeneuve Movies & Directing Techniques
Denis Villeneuve, director of such modern classics as Blade Runner 2049 and Sicario, has yet to make a bad movie. His first two features might be flawed but they are…
Paul Thomas Anderson Movies and Directing Style
Paul Thomas Anderson has evolved his style over the last two decades. His early films are chaotic and dramatic, built with extreme techniques and extreme performances. His later films have…
High Angle Shots: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
The way you frame your actors or subjects conveys your message to the audience. Send the wrong one, and the audience goes packing. Today we’re going to go over high…
Ultimate Guide to Working with Unions: Grieved and Flipped
Choosing to work with Hollywood’s unions is a major decision for any filmmaker or producer. There are pros and cons to joining or not joining. The choices you make at…
How to Create a Production Company Business Plan [FREE Template]
Highly successful video companies start with a strong production company business plan. Whether your company has been around for a while, or you’re a freelancer ready to take your services…
What are LUTs? The Ultimate Guide to Color Grading
Color grading can completely transform the look of your video, but unless you’ve spent years inside a coloring house, you may not have the technical know-how to achieve the desired…
How to Write a Car Chase Scene in a Screenplay [with Examples]
T here’s something about a car chase that captivates an audience. Maybe it’s the need for speed, or, perhaps it’s the knowledge that at any moment the scene can come to…
How to Plan a Movie Shoot: 11 Essential Location Scouting Tips
I n the process of video production, you’ll eventually need to start location scouting. But considering permits, fees, and logistics, it can be daunting to find locations that work for your…
How to Write a Spec Script: The Complete Guide to Writing on Spec
There’s no shortage of “How to Write a Spec Script” posts out there, and they tend to come in two forms. Articles about writing on spec either spotlight “business side”…
What is a Line Producer: Ultimate Guide to Duties, Salary and More
What is a line producer? What do they do? Great question. And not uncommon, even for people well-versed in film. The role of the line producer, like many inner-workings of…
Directing Styles Explained: Quentin Tarantino Tips and Techniques
Is there any filmmaker whose personality is more apparent when you watch his films than Quentin Tarantino? In his own quirky way, Tarantino has introduced us to some of the…
Deep Focus Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
W hen you’re shooting a scene there are a lot of choices to be made about what’s in the audience’s focus. If you want them to see everything, then you need…
FREE Online Film Production Crew Contact List Template
W ho do you need to make a movie? Depending on the size and scope of the vision, you may need a lot of trained professionals. And you’ll need all of their…
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