One of the most important parts of creating an engaging film is being efficient with time. As a storyteller, you must make sure that you are communicating the necessary plot information to your audience without boring them with superfluous details. A bridging shot helps filmmakers accomplish exactly this. When a story jumps from one moment to another that is at a different time or place, bridging shots help communicate this change in an efficient yet effective way. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the bridging shot and how it can be an incredibly useful filmmaking tool.Continue reading…
The world of animated movies has opened doors to limitless types of stories. It’s limitlessness, however, comes at the cost of labor. The innumerable moving parts of an animated movie production are all overseen by a director. While it can sound like an overwhelming task, directing an animated movie can be broken down more simply. In this article, we’ll dive into how to direct an animated movie, the stages of creating an animated movie and the director's role throughout production. Continue reading How to Direct an Animated Movie From A to Z in 10 Steps
The advent of the internet is arguably the biggest revolution in education since the invention of the printing press. Anything and everything you want to learn about is at the tips of your fingertips including the best cinematography courses. It may be overwhelming to find the best sites and courses online, so we curated a list of the best online cinematography courses that you can start today. Continue reading Best Cinematography Online Courses — Basic & Advanced
What is realism in film? We hear the term “realistic” all the time, but how do we know if something is realistic when realism is so subjective? Well, in storytelling, there is an objective way to tell whether or not something is realistic. We’re going to explore what realism is and how it's used in film, with examples from Pather Panchali, the Before Trilogy, and more, but first let’s review where realism began.Continue reading What is Realism in Film? Cinematic Realism Explained
After their first viewing, many people need the Vertigo movie explained. This Alfred Hitchcock film is beguiling and its initial release in 1958 was disappointing. It made significantly less than other Hitchcock films to date and it was widely panned by critics. Subsequently, Hitchcock bought back the rights to the film but it was widely unavailable until 1983. And yet, as years went by, Vertigo slowly ascended the ranks of Hitchcock’s filmography, from cult favorite to critical favorite. Now, it’s considered not only one of Hitchcock’s best films, but one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time.What is it about…
How does a director create a memorable scene? The Pulp Fiction scene dance made a lasting impact in pop culture consciousness, still inspiring Halloween costumes, hairstyles, and dance moves nearly two decades later. But what techniques did Quentin Tarantino use to make the Pulp Fiction dance scene so indelible? Using StudioBinder’s pre-production software, we break down the methods that any filmmaker can use to craft memorable scenes: from the script, to the breakdown, to the shot list. Continue reading Pulp Fiction Dance Scene — What Makes This Scene So Great?
Tim Burton is a filmmaker with a style so unique that we’ve come to regard his works — and those who replicate them — as Burtonesque. And we see the Burtonesque in every facet of his films: writing, lighting, music, characters and of course, production design. We’re going to explore the Tim Burton style and his singular mise en scene with the purpose of better understanding expressive filmmaking. By the end, you might be inspired to create something equally audacious and bold.Continue reading What is Burtonesque — A Complete Tim Burton Style Analysis
David Fincher is one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation – and he’s a director we can learn a lot from. We’re going to break down David Fincher directing tips by looking at interview clips and quotes from the man himself. Unlike other more guarded or mysterious auteurs, Fincher is very open about his process and why he directs the way he does. By the end, we will have a better understanding about Fincher's unique approach to his craft and that, perhaps, there is indeed a method to his madness. Continue reading David Fincher Interviews & Quotes on His Filmmaking…
What phone has the best camera? We’re going to rank the best camera phones to buy by looking at the two essential aspects of camera phones: the camera and the phone. Nowadays, hardware and software both play a huge role in image optimization – so we’ll keep that note in mind when ranking camera phones here. We’re also going to focus on the rear-camera systems of phones as those are the cameras used to shoot the highest quality photos and videos.The phones on this list were ranked by the following criteria: photo quality, video quality, specs, and price. Now without…
You may have heard about golden hour, that special time before a sunset or just after a sunrise. For many photographers, golden hour is a great time to get a wonderful, warm, and beautiful photograph. But what is magic hour? Surely you must have heard of it, especially if you have also heard of golden hour. These two hours have a lot in common, but they’re not the exact same thing. So let’s dig further into what is magic hour and how it differentiates from the golden.Continue reading What is Magic Hour Photography & Cinematography Explained
