Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. Lover of foreign films; hater of American remakes.
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
A static camera shot is perhaps the most basic tenet of cinematography and one of the first tools a growing filmmaker adds to their cinematic toolbox. Camera movement certainly makes for more dynamic visuals but knowing when to keep the camera still can have just as much impact. Let’s review some static shot examples and… Continue reading What is a Static Shot? Definition and Examples in Film
Have you heard the term “principal photography” or “principal shooting” bandied about without knowing exactly what it means? Breaking into the behind the scenes world of filmmaking requires learning an entire set of specialized terminology. In this post, we’ll answer the questions: what is principal photography? How long does it take to shoot a movie?… Continue reading What is Principal Photography in the Stages of Film Production?
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 (October 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 (Oct 2020)
One of the most, if not the most, iconic and influential directing duos of all time, the Coen Brothers have secured a place in the zeitgeist and in the annals of film history. From Blood Simple to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers’ filmography has been both eclectic and distinctive. In this post,… Continue reading Who Are the Coen Brothers — Bio, Early Work and Film Style
If you are at all interested in filmmaking, then you have undoubtedly heard the term ‘green screen’ but have you heard of ‘blue screens’? There are a number of blue screen vs green screen differences and we’ll break all of them down in this post. Blue screen backgrounds may find slightly less use than green screens… Continue reading Blue Screen vs Green Screen Differences Explained
The best action movie actors have a magnetic combination of physical ability, “coolness,” and charisma to spare. Hollywood’s obsession with muscle-bound action stars may have lessened since the gun-toting days of the ’80s and ’90s but compelling, talented central figures remain a staple of action cinema the world over. Join us in counting down the… Continue reading 20 Best Action Movie Actors of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
It is impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song… Continue reading What is Sound Design for Film? Definition and Examples
Audio is 50% of the film experience, yet many beginning filmmakers don’t place nearly as much focus on audio as they do on the visual side of things. Don’t leave audio as an afterthought. The lavalier is one family of microphones that you may want to consider adding to your filmmaking arsenal. What is a… Continue reading What is a Lavalier Microphone and How Do They Work?
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