Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. Lover of foreign films; hater of American remakes.
What is Chekhov’s gun? What are setups and payoffs? The concepts are interconnected, and all three should be included in any and all screenwriting endeavors. We will provide working definitions, take a look at illustrative examples used in great films, and discuss how to best incorporate the practice into your own writing. Before we jump… Continue reading Chekhov’s Gun — How To Setup and Payoff in Screenwriting
What is chroma key? The use of this technique has become integral to modern filmmaking. Whether alongside the use of green screens or blue screens, chroma key effects have become the most commonly used VFX technique in the entire film industry. In this post, we’ll provide a chroma key definition, explain the importance of this… Continue reading What is Chroma Key Technology — The VFX Process Explained
The Academy Award for best cinematography is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed each year at the Oscars. The best cinematography Oscar has been around since the inception of the award ceremony but it underwent a great deal of experimentation and evolution in the early years.Continue reading Academy Award for Best Cinematography — Top… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Cinematography — Top 20 Winners
The days of Avid Media Composer serving as the industry’s only standard video editing program are coming to a close. With David Fincher and Coen Brothers having turned to Adobe Premiere Pro for their post-production needs, the barrier to entry of professional-level video editing is shrinking. There are many reasons why one would want to reverse a… Continue reading How to Reverse a Clip in Premiere Pro — A Step-by-Step Guide
There are a number of different quality lavalier microphone brands on the market and prices can range from cheap and affordable to exorbitantly expensive. Audio fidelity can also fluctuate widely from brand to brand. Knowing which lav mic to go with can be a difficult choice for the independent filmmaker. In this list, we’ll be… Continue reading Best Lavalier Microphone — Pros & Cons, Prices & Specs
The South Korean film industry has been busy pumping out many of the best movies made over the last couple of decades. With Parasite’s best picture win shining a fresh spotlight on the SK film scene, we thought it would be helpful to offer a guide for newcomers to the best of South Korea’s cinematic… Continue reading Best Korean Movies of All-Time — ‘Parasite’ and Beyond
Is photography art? This question has been debated since the creation of the first camera, and is still sometimes contested to this day. The answer may seem obvious to those working within the photographic medium, but there is some dissent, even within the artistic community. We will be playing devil’s advocate and taking a look… Continue reading Is Photography Art? — Both Sides of the Debate Explained
If you are at all interested in the behind-the-scenes side of filmmaking, then you may have heard the terms “above the line” and “below the line” thrown around in interviews, articles, or BTS footage. In this article, we’ll be discussing above and below the line in film and breaking down exactly what above the line… Continue reading Above the Line Film Positions & How They Work in a Budget
What is the best GoPro camera to buy for 2021? At this point, there are many different models of GoPros available, and it can be tricky to know which one is best suited to your needs. We’ll be ranking the best GoPro camera choices, we’ll compare GoPro models, and we’ll give you some quick GoPro… Continue reading Best GoPro Camera in 2021 — Features, Comparisons & Prices
Sam Mendes, director of stage and screen, may not release quite as many feature films as some of his contemporaries but one thing he has displayed in abundance is variety. With the exception of his turns in the James Bond series as the Spectre and Skyfall director, it’s rare to see Sam Mendes movies tackle… Continue reading The Best Sam Mendes Movies — American Beauty to 1917
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Jan. 2021)
With such a wealth of new movies to rent on Amazon Prime, it can be hard to keep track of and parse new movies as they are added to the platform. Here we cover 10 new movies worth your time landing on Amazon Prime in January 2021 with plenty of horror in the mix for… Continue reading Best New Movies on Amazon Prime (January 2021)
When first stepping foot on a professional film set, there is a wealth of industry-specific terminology that you will be expected to know. All of these terms, titles, and phrases can be overwhelming at first but by familiarizing yourself with all of this terminology in advance, you’ll give yourself a leg up. In this article,… Continue reading What Does a 2nd Assistant Director Do? Job Duties Explained
A shocking twist ending is a great way to end a film with a bang but great twists aren’t confined to just the ends of films. The best plot twists catch us off guard, recontextualizing everything we just watched and rewarding subsequent rewatches. There will, of course, be major spoilers to follow, this is your SPOILER… Continue reading Best Plot Twist Movies & Biggest Plot Twists in Movie History
On a low-budget independent film with a scaled back crew, there are not too many film crew positions to keep track of. When we start looking at larger productions, however, the amount of distinct film crew positions can balloon to massive numbers. Gaining an understanding of the function of each movie crew member’s role can… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions (Jobs & Duties Explained)
What is a rough cut? If you have any interest in editing or filmmaking in general, then one of the first terms you should learn is the rough cut or rough edit. The rough cut is not always confined to just the Post-Production stage as you might expect. In this article we’ll explain exactly what… Continue reading What is a Rough Cut in Film — Stages of Film Editing Explained
With such a wealth of new movies to rent on Amazon Prime, it can be hard to keep track of and parse new movies as they are added to the platform. Here we cover 10 new movies worth your time landing on Amazon Prime in December 2021 with plenty of horror in the mix for… Continue reading Best New Movies on Amazon Prime (December 2020)
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Dec. 2020)
Few filmmakers are able to imbue simple, grounded genre stories with as much dramatic heft and visual style as Michael Mann. One of the “neon-noir” innovator’s greatest cinematic achievements is his action-thriller Collateral (2004). If Heat was Michael Mann’s masterwork of the ‘90s, then the Collateral movie was his masterwork of the ‘00s and, arguably,… Continue reading Neon Noir — ‘Collateral’ Movie Breakdown & Appreciation
The post-apocalypse can often be one of the most intense and dynamic settings for a film. There have been many excellent post-apocalyptic films over the years but also plenty of not-so-good ones. Sorting through the deluge of ’80s Mad Max knockoffs and contemporary low-budget, straight-to-DVD apocalyptic films can make finding the gems a little tricky.… Continue reading Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies — The End is the Beginning
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Nov. 2020)
With such a wealth of new movies to rent on Amazon Prime, it can be hard to keep track of and parse new movies as they are added to the platform. Here we cover 10 new movies worth your time landing on Amazon Prime in October 2020 with plenty of horror in the mix for… Continue reading Best New Movies on Amazon Prime (November 2020)
One of the best-known names in horror and one of the 10 highest-grossing American authors across all genres to ever live, Stephen King’s prolific body of work has been adapted numerous times with varying degrees of success. There are 89 books to his name, and his pen name Richard Bachman, and upwards of 70 film… Continue reading Best Stephen King Movies and TV Shows — The Ultimate List
There are many great films that are part of the public domain. This also means that in many cases you, yes you, can use these films for your own purposes. With many works in the public domain, you are free to edit, remake, or even use the characters in your own stories. Be sure to… Continue reading Best Public Domain Movies Online You Can Watch Right Now
How do you make a time lapse video? There is more than one way to create a time lapse video and even more ways to finetune the time lapse process. Creating great time lapse videos can be daunting as it is an incredibly technical feat with a number of settings, tools, and variables that all… Continue reading How to Make a Time Lapse Video in 5 Simple Steps
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