Mise en scene plays a huge role in communicating the tone of a story -- but what is mise en scene? In classical terms, mise en scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play or film. Today, mise en scene is regarded as all of the elements that go into any single shot of a production. Four of the most important aspects of mise en scene are: sets, props, costume/hair/makeup, and lighting. We’re going to show you how master filmmakers apply color to these four aspects of mise en scene with examples from films by Stanley…
There’s more than one way to animate a film. And one of the most innovative, albeit time-consuming, ways to bring a movie to life is through rotoscoping. But what is rotoscope animation? While it’s typically associated with modern works like the 2006 film A Scanner Darkly and the recent Amazon Prime series Undone, the technique has roots dating back decades. Let’s take a look at some movies that use rotoscoping to see how it can be utilized for future filmmakers.Continue reading What is Rotoscope Animation? The Process Explained
If you are at all interested in filmmaking, then you have undoubtedly heard the term ‘green screen’ but have you heard of ‘blue screens’? There are a number of blue screen vs green screen differences and we’ll break all of them down in this post.Blue screen backgrounds may find slightly less use than green screens but both are widely used in the industry. If you don’t know how blue or green screen technology works, what the difference between blue and green screens is, or why to use blue or green screen backgrounds, then you’ve come to the right place.Continue reading…
Some of the most iconic shots in history have been taken from the air. The elevated vantage point that we rarely see in day to day life creates a unique experience for any movie-goer. From war films, to thrillers, to action movies, aerial cinematography has created some of the most iconic shots in cinema. Aerial cinematography was originally only available to big budget Hollywood productions that could afford helicopters and large cranes. With the rise of drones in cinematography, aerial cinematography is now more accessible to all filmmakers than ever before. That being said, it’s important now more than ever…
Francis Ford Coppola is one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time; his seminal classics, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now, and The Conversation, consistently rank among cinema’s pantheon – but did you know he’s directed 20 other feature-length films? We’re going to rank every Francis Ford Coppola film, from top to bottom. By the end, you’ll know the best Francis Ford Coppola movies, and just might find a hidden gem or two!Continue reading Best Francis Ford Coppola Movies — Every Film Ranked
Audiences and filmmakers alike love sequels. And we all love to rank and debate which are the “greatest.” But deciding which films belong on a “best movie sequels of all time” list can feel overwhelming. How does one choose from every film ever made? And how to rank one above the other? While such a list is by definition subjective, it doesn’t have to be arbitrary. One way of more rigorously determining if a movie is the best in a certain category is by ranking it according to aggregated scores across categories. To determine the best sequels of all time…
A variety of lenses used throughout your filmmaking project can help ensure the audience feels how you want them to feel about a given scene. So what is a fisheye lens in your arsenal? It’s one of the most unique lenses out there for how it creates a spherical, warped perception of the frame. The subject looks like how you would think a fish would perceive them. You won’t see this lens all too often in film, but you don’t want to overlook it because the fisheye effect may be precisely what you need on your next project.Continue reading What is…
In a world where almost everything you see is digitally shot, the priority is now "clean" images with high resolution and sharp edges. For a lot of filmmakers and fans lamenting the death of celluloid, one of the key attributes missing is something we've nearly forgotten: film grain. The textured look of cinematic film grain is what gives celluloid film personality, depth, and dynamics. The irony is now that digital filmmaking has nearly perfected the "clean" image, some filmmakers are adding film grain texture in Post-Production. So, what is film grain and why are some directors bringing it back? Let's…
You can tell a lot about a movie based on its color palettes. Color evokes mood and tone. And few directors understand this quite as idiosyncratically as Wes Anderson. In pretty much all of his films, you could take any single frame and learn so much about the characters or plot. And it all comes down to how he uses color. For this blog, we’re breaking down a single Wes Anderson color palette from each of his movies to see what we can glean across his filmography and how his use of color plays with costumes, character development, and themes.…
If you grew up in the home video era, you may have found yourself asking, “What is a Director’s Cut?” When DVD emerged, some movies would claim to be a “Director’s Cut,” which could imply many things to the potential consumer. It might seem straightforward, but there’s a lot more to Director’s Cuts than just a longer version of a movie. So, what is a Director’s Cut and why are there so many of them? We’re going to go over the definition, its history through theatrical and home video releases, famous examples of Director’s Cuts and the different types that exist.Continue…
