Color BasicsOpen menu Insert Image Color Grading vs. Color Correction Insert Image What is Color Space Insert Image What is Color Temperature Insert Image What is a Vectorscope Insert Image What is LUT Insert Image What is a Colorist Insert Image What is a Color Checker Insert Image What is Technicolor Insert Image First Color… Continue reading Mastering the Film Color Palette: Guillermo del Toro
Types of FramingOpen menu Establishing Shot Single Shot Two Shot Over the Shoulder Insert Shot POV Shot More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now You’ve written a script or maybe you’re trying to figure out a script’s shot list. You know what the film is about… Continue reading What is an Establishing Shot? Creative Examples that Set the Tone
The most recent drone from DJI Mavic is the Air. It’s lightweight, (mildly) affordable, and produces some incredible footage. This post gives a brief overview of the DJI Mavic Air, its capabilities, and a list of our favorite footage. Let’s take a look.Continue reading The Best Drone Footage: A Closer Look with the DJI Mavic… Continue reading The Best Drone Footage: A Closer Look with the DJI Mavic Air
The Sundance Film Festival is a branch of the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the U.S. with roughly 125,000 people attending in 2018, nearly tripling the attendance only two years prior. Getting a film into Sundance is a great way to make a splash in the independent film world. So,… Continue reading Where is the Sundance Film Festival?
Cleaning camera sensors isn’t challenging, it just requires meticulousness and the know-how to do it safely, so you don’t damage your camera. And it’s easy to damage your camera when the sensor is wide open. Dust and other particles are flying around you all day, everyday, and the last thing you want to do is… Continue reading How to Clean Camera Sensors: What to Consider to Avoid Damage
Before style is developed, grasping the basics of cinematography is critical. This post briefly goes over the tilt shot, this basic yet essential camera movement and the best ways in which to use it. So what is a tilt shot?Continue reading What is a Tilt Shot? Essentials of Tilt Camera Movement
ProcessOpen menu Insert Image How to Make a Short Film Insert Image How to Write a Short Without Dialogue Insert Image Short Film Schedule Tips Insert Image Write a Short That Gets Noticed Insert Image Making a Short Film Insert Image Phases of Short Film Pre-Production Insert Image Ari Aster Short Films Insert Image How… Continue reading How the ‘Whiplash’ Short Film Became the ‘Whiplash’ Movie
Dof basicsShallow dofDeep dofDOF GuideTYPES OF CAMERA FOCUS If you’re just getting your feet wet in photography or videography, you’ve probably heard one million terms tossed around that either mean nothing to you…yet, or you know of them, sort of, but you’re not entirely sure how they all work together. Whatever your skill level, this… Continue reading What is Deep Depth of Field? Definition and Examples
Ep1: Film ToneEp2: Prod DesignEp3: Film BlockingEp4: Camera Movement VIEW ALL EPISODES → EPISODE 3Filmmaking techniques: Blocking for directorsHow directors and cinematographers work together to block actors in a scene. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel ← WATCH PREVIOUS EPISODE WATCH NEXT EPISODE → FILMMAKING TECHNIQUES: EPISODE 3How directors block actors:In our third episode on Filmmaking Techniques in… Continue reading Film Blocking: Filmmaking Techniques for Visual Storytelling
Best Tarantino MoviesQT’s Directing StyleQT Directing Tips QT DialogueOnce Upon a Time AnalysisBasterds Breakdown 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 most shocking and moving emotional moments on film. Of course, Quentin Tarantino’s… Continue reading The Directing Style of Quentin Tarantino
Dof basicsShallow dofDeep dofDOF GuideTYPES OF CAMERA FOCUS If you’re hoping to become a great photographer or videographer, utilizing every tool at your disposal is the safest and smartest way to get there. One tool that can level-up your skill set is depth of field. Understanding depth of field is tantamount to not only craft,… Continue reading What is Depth of Field? Examples of Shallow vs Deep Depth of Field
Storyboard EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is a Storyboard Insert Image Best Storyboard Software Insert Image What is a Storyboard Artist Insert Image Websites to Find a Storyboard Artist Insert Image What is a Digital Storyboard Insert Image Introducing Storyboard Builder Insert Image Ultimate Guide to Storyboard Rules Insert Image Storyboard Dimensions Insert Image What… Continue reading How to Make a Storyboard — Ultimate Guide & FREE Templates
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 Every choice you make as a filmmaker will change your footage. Some choices are bigger than others, one of which is focal length.Continue reading… Continue reading Focal Length: An Easy Guide to Using and Understanding Camera Lenses
Types of FramingOpen menu Establishing Shot Single Shot Two Shot Over the Shoulder Insert Shot POV Shot More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now Insert shots are the unsung hero of filmmaking. They’re used in feature films, documentaries, and commercials. They may seem simple, but getting… Continue reading What is an Insert Shot: How to Build Clever Inserts like The Coen Brothers
Shot reverse shot may seem like a simple concept, but the truly great filmmakers know how to use it to achieve unique results. Want to make your scenes more dynamic, robust, and powerful? In this post, we take examples of shot reverse shot, reaction shots, scene coverage, and cutaways to illustrate how you can use these… Continue reading Shot Reverse Shot: Reaction Shots, Cutaways, and Coverage
Itext. You text. My grandmother who still thinks Reagan is president texts. But most tv shows and movies shy away from it. Having your characters pull out their phone puts seems to go against the key foundations of cinematics. But it doesn’t have to. Taking tips from Tony Zhou’s video essay, we’ll cover three cinematic… Continue reading 3 Cinematic Film Techniques to Make On-Screen Texting Actually Look Good
Creating a shot list is an invaluable tool for your video production, but unexpected obstacles can arise on your film set at any time. Continue reading Shot Listing Like a Pro: When Do You Create a Shot List?
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image Producer vs Director Insert Image What Does an Executive Producer Do Insert Image What Does a Producer Do Insert Image What Does a Co-Producer Do Insert Image What Does a TV Producer Do Insert Image What is An Associate Producer Insert Image What is a Line Producer Insert Image What is… Continue reading The Best Casting Tips for Directors and Producers
Michael Bay movies are more than a complex assembly of explosions. He’s a skilled craftsman from which filmmakers, young and old, can learn a lot from his films. If you’re hoping for another post that attacks Bay as a poor filmmaker… you’re in the wrong place. In this post, we break down the directing style of… Continue reading What is Bayhem? ― Michael Bay Directing Style
If you’re a filmmaker of any kind, you need to know the rules of cinema and video production. Understanding these rules give you control over your images. One of the most important rules to know is the 180 degree rule.Continue reading What is the 180 Degree Rule in Film? Crossing the Line with Purpose
