Lighting is a huge component of how a shot looks and feels to a viewer’s eye. Specifically, the quality of light can deeply affect the overall tone of a shot. Diffused light, hard light and everything in between are tools filmmakers have at their disposal to tell a story through their shots. In this article, we’re going to dive into how diffused light photography is created with a light diffuser. What is a light diffuser and how does it work? Let’s dive in. Continue reading What is a Light Diffuser — How Do They Work in Photo & Film
What is overcranking? Is it just a relic of filmmaking’s past? Or is it something that we still do today? We’re going to answer those questions by exploring the history of overcranking in film – then we’ll break down some overcranking examples from movies and YouTube videos. By the end, you’ll be ready to overcrank shots in your own videos. Continue reading What is Overcranking in Film — The Origins of Slow Motion
Looking to make a sci-fi epic? Need to shoot a weatherman spoof? Wanna spice up your Zoom calls? Don’t worry, no matter why you want to know how to use a green screen, we got you covered. We’ll talk about set-up, lighting, editing, all that stuff. Forget the key to the city, once you know how to use green screen/chroma key, you get the key to the universe. Continue reading How to Use a Green Screen — Setup, Lighting and Creative Uses
If you are a filmmaker or even just a movie buff, odds are you’ve heard the term “narrative film.” Although it is a rather vague term thrown around quite often, it can make a lot of people wonder, “What is a narrative film?” In this article, we’ll clarify the key characteristics to narrative movies and what makes them distinct from other types of film in cinema. We’ll also take a look at the history of narrative cinema and how its origins opened the doors for the films we know and love today. Continue reading What is Narrative Film — Overview &…
Andrei Tarkovksy was a director’s director. Ingmar Bergman called him “the greatest.” Lars von Trier dedicated a movie to his honor. Claire Denis said Stalker made her heart feel like it was going to stop. Suffice to say, Tarkovsky earned the respect of his colleagues. But despite his enormous impact, Tarkovsky only directed seven feature films. Today, we’re going to tackle the indomitable task of ranking Andrei Tarkovsky movies by way of three criteria: filmmaking, story, and theme. Why theme? Because theme – or the inferred stance taken on a subject of a story – plays an important role in…
Animated music videos: you love them. I love them. They’re the perfect form for bridging the gap between the poetic realism of music and the surrealist imagery we construct through lyrics. We’re going to break down a variety of the best animated music videos by looking at what makes them tick. By the end, you might be inspired to make your own animated music video!Continue reading Best Animated Music Videos of All Time — Top 20 List
Truly memorable shots in photography and cinema make a psychological impression on a viewer. These shots often use techniques that intentionally elicit emotions or create a psychological effect. One of these techniques is negative space, a perfect example of less is more. If this sounds counter-intuitive, stick around. We’re going to be taking a look at the negative space definition, its effects and how it's used in art, photo, and film. Continue reading What is Negative Space — Definition, Examples in Art & Film
Star Wars is the second highest grossing film franchise in the world – second only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past 40+ years, nine directors have worked on theatrical Star Wars films, including George Lucas, J. J. Abrams, Ron Howard and more. We’re going to explore the careers of every Star Wars film director and their greatest works. By the end, we’ll have a comprehensive knowledge of some of the most respected and sought-out filmmakers in modern Hollywood history.Continue reading Every Star Wars Director — How Each Helped Shape a Franchise
How we see a campfire versus how we see the moon varies greatly. Why? Both are sources of light but are visually very different. The answer is color temperature. Color temperature is one of the most determining qualities of how a light source appears to the human eye as well as a camera sensor. What is color temperature and why is it important? In this article, we’ll take a look at what it is as well as the spectrum of color temps. We’ll also take a look at how color temperature applies to white balance and your own lighting schemes and…
In 2013, Ari Aster released Munchausen, a short film about the proxy disorder of the same name in which a caregiver torments people in their care. Munchausen made waves upon release in large part due to Aster’s impressive direction. In the years following the release of Munchausen, Aster became a household name in cinema circles for writing and directing Hereditary and Midsommar. We’re going to revisit Ari Aster short films to analyze his early writing/directing style. Fans of his work may be surprised to see just how much he worked on in such a short time before his Hollywood breakthrough.Continue…
