Alyssa Maio is a screenwriter from New Jersey, now living in Los Angeles. She works as a copywriter here at StudioBinder.
BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Lighting EssentialsOpen menu Basics of Film Lighting: 4 Qualities of Light What is Practical Lighting 3-Point Lighting What is Key Light What is Fill Light What is Backlight What is Low Key Lighting What is… Continue reading When is Golden Hour? How to Capture the Perfect Light
Becoming a film director isn’t a straight path. There are multiple ways of getting there but, ultimately, there’s only one driving force: you. Regardless of your education or current skill set, if you want to make movies, you will. But that’s easier said than done, so let’s go a little deeper to answer how to… Continue reading How to Become a Director: Learning from Seasoned Filmmakers
Inside your digital camera is a very important element: the sensor. Camera sensor size is definitely something to consider when renting or purchasing a camera. The image quality and the flexibility of what kinds of images you can capture is directly related to your camera’s sensor. So how exactly does camera sensor size matter? Let’s… Continue reading Camera Sensor Sizes Explained: What You Need to Know
The French New Wave of cinema, or La Nouvelle Vague, was one of the most important film movements of all time. In this article, we’re going to rank the best French New Wave Films based on four criteria: Acting, Story, Directing and Style. But before we jump into the ranking, it’s important to know what… Continue reading French New Wave Films: A Curated List and Their Iconic Directors
By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Action Romantic Animation Thriller Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror Fantasy Western Musical War ResourcesOpen menu Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Write Your Script for… Continue reading The Breakfast Club Script PDF: Plot, Monologues, and Scene Analysis
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Even if you’ve seen only… Continue reading What’s an Extreme Long Shot (aka Extreme Wide Shot)?
No one plunges into the specifics of their own psyche quite like screenwriter and director Charlie Kaufman. And the praise for his work, from audiences and critics alike, ranges from overwhelmingly positive to downright life-changing. But what makes his movies so great? When thinking about some of the best screenplays, it seems the more specific… Continue reading Best Charlie Kaufman Movies, Ranked for Their Screenplays
We often hold writers, directors, and cinematographers, responsible for movie masterpieces. But who made this possible? It turns out discovering who invented the movies is actually more of a question of when, because there were different inventors at different times in history, and all had a hand in innovating the motion picture. Let’s look at… Continue reading When Were Movies Invented? A Brief History of Motion Pictures
Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading Manic Pixie Dream Girl — A Eulogy for a Character Trope
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now Cinematographic and photographic techniques like shallow focus can serve your story or images in numerous ways. And mastering it isn’t overly complicated. Some filmmakers… Continue reading What is Shallow Focus? How Can it Help Your Cinematography?
When it comes to buying new headphones, I’m a firm believer in trying them out for yourself – you have to hear the difference. But depending on who you are and what you plan on using your headphones for, there are some deal breakers to know upfront. This post will save you some time giving… Continue reading What Are the Best Wireless Headphones? Includes Over Ear & Earbuds
Bollywood and Hollywood are the two most known “woods” in the world, or at the very least, the top two film industries in the world. Actually, it depends how we measure that statement. Nollywood is another industry that seems to be passing Hollywood in terms of the amount of movies it produces a year. How… Continue reading What is Nollywood and How Did it Become the 2nd Largest Film Industry?
If you’re a beginner enthusiast videographer, or professional dabbling into new territory, 360 video might be a great new adventure. Capturing immersive 360 degree footage isn’t complicated, but there are a few things to consider. Let’s answer what is 360 video, where does virtual reality come in, and how can you start shooting yours? Let’s… Continue reading What is 360 Video? How to Create An Immersive Experience
Advertising EssentialsOpen menu What is Pathos What is Logos What is Telos What is Kairos What is Ethos Ethos, Pathos & Logos What is an EPK What is a Creative Director What is Branded Content What is a Creative Brief How to AdvertiseOpen menu How to Pitch a TV Show Like a Pro How Does… Continue reading Instagram Promotion — How Does It Work and Is It Worth It?
Types of Camera GearOpen menu Tripod Handheld Gimbal Jib / Boom Drone Dolly Steadicam Crane Shot TypesOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Camera Movement Master Class Create Free Shot List Now The crane shot allows the audience to leave a normal point of view, creating a novel perspective that’s inherently cinematic.… Continue reading What is a Crane Shot? And Why Do the Pros Use Them So Often?
You’re a videographer or photographer learning more about what goes into lighting a shot. You know it takes years to become a skilled filmmaker, but maybe you want quality images and well-lit footage fast. The ring light can enhance the quality of light in your images and this post explores some reasons why you should… Continue reading What is a Ring Light, Who Relies on Them and Why?
Being a comedy writer isn’t easy. Even if you’re a director, knowing what’s funny and what’s not, isn’t always easy. Comedy is mostly subjective, but if you’re trying to write, direct, or even act in a comedy, there are some techniques that might help. So what is comedy? We’ll give our comedy definition, examples of… Continue reading What is Comedy? Defining it Through Technique and Subjectivity
Advertising EssentialsOpen menu What is Pathos What is Logos What is Telos What is Kairos What is Ethos Ethos, Pathos & Logos What is an EPK What is a Creative Director What is Branded Content What is a Creative Brief How to AdvertiseOpen menu How to Pitch a TV Show Like a Pro How Does… Continue reading Instagram Ads: The Complete Guide to Advertising on Instagram
Animation BasicsOpen menu What is Animation Types of Animation What is Pre-Production in Animation What Does an Animator Do What is Cel Animation What is Pixilation Animation What is Tweening in Animation What is Anime What is Claymation What are Keyframe What is Persistence of Vision What is Stop Motion Animation What is Rotoscope Animation… Continue reading The 10 Absolute Best Stop Motion Movies
Types of LensesOpen menu Lens Basics Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) What is a 50mm Lens Good For 35mm vs 50mm Lenses Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) Specialty LensesOpen menu What is a T-Stop Macro Lens Fisheye Lens Tilt-Shift Lens Split-Diopter… Continue reading What is a Macro Lens? Tips and Techniques on How to Use One
