What is a character actor? The term has the potential to be confusing for two reasons. First: there are conflicting definitions for ‘character actor.’ Second: all actors are technically playing characters whenever they appear on screen, so it would be natural to assume that all actors are character actors. In this post we will clear up any confusion over the label, provide a comprehensive definition, and explore the role of character actors in film.Continue reading What is a Character Actor — The Art of the Supporting Role
Few films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Is The Shining a film that can be definitively explained? Without Kubrick around to spell out his intentions, the answer is probably not. But that hasn’t stopped people all over the world from trying. In this post, we’ll break down the six biggest theories on The Shining, including our own theory that it's actually a Christmas movie! We’ll explain each theory, why people believe it, and look at the corroborating evidence.Continue reading The Shining Explained — 6 Compelling Theories on The Shining
Few props are as inherently cinematic as firearms. For decades, creative filmmakers have been pushing past the bounds of reality to craft truly inventive and unique movie guns. Whether in the action, thriller, or sci-fi genres, there are many examples of writers and directors injecting an added dose of creativity into their shootouts by inventing fictional firearms. Join us in counting down the most creative guns in movies.Continue reading Famous Guns in Movies — Cinema’s Most Creative Movie Guns
Have you ever started a new show and changed the channel or switched to another show within the first few minutes? The show probably didn’t do enough to grab your attention. Cold opens can make or break an episode of a TV show. But what is a cold open and why do TV writers use them so frequently? In this article, we’ll take a look at a few of the best cold opens to answer those questions and more. Continue reading What is a Cold Open in TV — Dissecting the Best Cold Opens
Hollywood has gone through a lot of different eras, but perhaps none were more influential on society than the golden age. But when was the golden age of Hollywood? What made it golden? And why did it end? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at some examples from The Maltese Falcon, Citizen Kane, and more – but first, let’s review where the era began.Continue reading When Was the Golden Age of Hollywood — And Why Did It End?
What is tenebrism? Tenebrism is a lighting style that’s often confused with chiaroscuro – but what are the differences between them? And what makes the style unique? We’re going to explore tenebrism by looking at paintings from the Renaissance period. By the end, you’ll know where this style originated, what it can bring to your imagery, and how it’s been used by visual artists for half a millennium in fine art, photography, and film. Let's get to it.Continue reading What is Tenebrism — The Art of Light and Shadow Explained
If you remember only one thing from Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, it’s probably the visuals. The sandstorm-struck Las Vegas, the neon advertisements, the hypnotic interior of Wallace’s office, the smog-blanketed Los Angeles. Blade Runner 2049 is filled with stunning images that leave impressions that last long after the film is over. It should be no surprise, then, that the film was shot by one of the most acclaimed cinematographers of all time, Roger Deakins. Together with Villeneuve and a massive team of top-notch professionals, Deakins created a striking visual style that leaves you breathless. Let’s take a look at…
Detective movies love a good interrogation scene. It’s when the protagonist finally meets her foe, sitting across from him in a small room with nothing to do but talk. For filmmakers, these scenes are a dramatic goldmine, allowing them to dig into the psyche of their two leads while also revealing key plot details. At the same time, however, it can be difficult to keep these scenes engaging. Two people sitting and talking is not the most cinematic scenario. In this post, we’ll dissect one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history: The Dark Knight interrogation scene. By examining…
The iPhone has been a game changer in the realm of cell phone photography and cinematography. Big names like Steven Soderbergh and Sean Baker famously use iPhones to shoot entire feature films. iPhone has geared entire campaigns toward photographers and filmmakers showing off all the camera capabilities packed into the iPhone. So which iPhone boasts the best camera? We were curious too. So we did our research and created a list to find the best iPhone camera available. Continue reading Best iPhone Camera — Top Picks with Specs, Reviews & Prices
Conceptual art has been criticized and adored by critics and art consumers alike. While some of the criticism capitalizes on lack of technique and aesthetic, much of the criticism stems from the confusion of the term “conceptual.” After all, what characterizes a work of art as conceptual? Adding photography to this debate only increases this confusion. So, what is conceptual photography? This type of photography at least can be narrowed down to a medium, yet it is still difficult to concretely define. So in this article, we aim to demystify the idea of conceptual photography by looking at its history…
