Watching a scene is easy, but blocking and staging a scene effectively is a complex dance between actors and your camera. When deciding where to position your actors and your camera, you're essentially solving a puzzle — a puzzle with more than one solution.So, how is it done?In this post, we’re going to show you how three of the great directors in filmmaking history stage and block their scenes in a way that is profound, interesting, and ultimately cinematic. Lezgo.Continue reading Blocking and Staging a Scene like Spielberg, Kubrick, and Inarritu
The best short films have a few key things in common: concise storytelling, great performances, an original concept, and stunning visuals. You can learn from each, but which are the best to watch?Continue reading The 49 Best Short Films of All Time That Every Filmmaker Can Learn From
We’ve all seen a film or TV show breaking the fourth wall. It’s hard to miss, and that’s why breaking the 4th wall is a really big filmmaking decision that can polarize your audience. Is your project right for this technique? If so, when should you do it? We've included plenty of breaking the fourth wall examples, and three tips to help you decide whether this cinematic technique is right for your project. Continue reading Breaking the Fourth Wall: Definition, Meaning and Examples
Mise en scène. It’s a fancy looking phrase that you’ve seen floating around many film-related articles, carrying with it an immediate sense of snobbery. Don't worry, you're not the first person to ask "what is mise en scene?" After today, you’ll have a better sense of this concept and its fundamentals so you can apply it in your next project. Continue reading What is Mise en Scène in Film: Definition and Examples
With so many places to debut your videos, getting the correct aspect ratio has become critical to your project’s success. But it can be tricky to understand.Continue reading The Definitive Guide to Aspect Ratio [with FREE Aspect Ratio Calculator]
In narrative filmmaking, the relationship between the director and the actors is arguably the most important relationship on set. And yet, for many directors beginning their careers, the process of working with an actor can seem mystifying. No one director collaborates with actors the same way, and yet many of the most celebrated actors’ directors follow certain tenets. Study up, and you can help create a great performance.Continue reading Directing Actors — How to Get the Best Performances
Telling a story isn’t enough. You have to grab your audience by the eyeballs. Whether you’re a seasoned director or just learning what framing in film is, the way we see things is just as important as the things themselves. In his video essay on Drive, Tony Zhou uncovers 4 simple rules of composition that can make your shots out-of-the-box. Continue reading Rules of Composition: How to Show Deeper Meaning in a Single Frame
When countries are at war, every industry within them is also under attack. Or at the very least, is vulnerable to change. After WW1, German films became stranger and quite a bit darker. The control of the government banning foreign films also aided to their isolation. From there, German Expressionism was born. But what is German Expressionism in film? Let’s find out.Continue reading What is German Expressionism in Film? Defining the Style
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 might take longer to shoot than the rest of the film. The most important criteria for judging werewolf movies is the creature effects. The werewolf transformation scene is the hallmark for any film in the category and these films live or die on their success. Let's look back at the best werewolf movies and see how they turn men (and women) into monsters...Continue reading 20 Best Werewolf Movies to Watch…
From the 1930s to the modern era, zombie movies have terrified audiences. They’ve also occupied a unique position in the horror genre in that they can serve as sociopolitical allegories. But of course, there are some zombie movies that exist solely to make you laugh.For this list, we’re ranking the 30 best zombie movies of all time. This is a list for every horror filmmaker looking to hone their craft as there are bound to be some films on this list you need to check out both for your entertainment and your studies. We’ve even thrown in a mood board…
