From romantic comedies to dramas, many films require a scene where the future love interests meet. There’s love in their eyes, even if one or both of them don’t realize it yet. This is the meet cute, and if you’re writing a script with a romantic plot, then you need to know how to answer, “What is a meet cute?” It's often regarded as a cliche staple of romantic genres but it can be much more than that. Let's look at some meet cute examples from movies that elevate these scenes beyond the cliche. Then we'll talk about the four…
From 1929-1934, Hollywood produced some of the 20th century’s most progressive films. This period of time — and the films that were made within it — is widely known as Pre-Code Hollywood. But what is Pre-Code Hollywood? It was more than just a few years in cinema history — it was a liberal shift in culture. We’re going to look at the history of Pre-Code movies and how it was shut down. But before we get into the Pre-Code examples, let’s remind ourselves of the period’s general history. Continue reading What is Pre-Code Hollywood? The Most Risque Pre-Code Movies Explained
The Western is the quintessential American film genre. From the 1930s to the 1960s, American cinemas were filled with cowboys saving towns and fending off outlaws. While the classic Western may have gone out of fashion, it didn’t disappear completely. Instead, it morphed into what we know as the Neo Western. Let’s see what separates movies like No Country for Old Men from classic Westerns as well as rank the best modern Western movies for you to watch next. Continue reading The Best Modern Western Movies of All Time — Neo-Westerns Ranked
What is New Hollywood? There’s a scene in Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind that can answer that for us. It shows a group of young directors going to the home of a Hollywood Golden Age titan to express their admiration. This scene shows what the Hollywood New Wave was really about; an unwavering appreciation for Film that inspired these filmmakers to take it in a new direction. Essentially, New Hollywood was American cinema reborn by the Film School Generation.Continue reading What is New Hollywood? The Revolution of 1960s and ‘70s Hollywood
One of the most fascinating aspects of animation is the creation of visual continuity and motion, through still images. While technology may have changed the way animation works today, it hasn’t changed the underlying mechanism of the craft. If you’ve ever seen anything move on screen, persistence of vision is at play. So, what is persistence of vision? To start, it’s the very foundation of animation, but as an animator, how do you use it? How do you create that smoothness from frame to frame? It takes some understanding of a pretty basic optical concept that’s been at play for well…
Starting in the early 2000s, mumblecore helped keep independent filmmaking afloat amongst a growing slate of big-budget blockbusters. But what is mumblecore? How did it begin, and what’s the state of it now? Anyone who is a fan of the Duplass brothers will want to keep reading because we’re diving into the history and influence of the mumblecore film movement. Continue reading What is Mumblecore? An American DIY Film Movement
By the 1990’s, filmmakers worldwide were starting to resent the direction that cinema was going in. From Hollywood to Bollywood to nearly every other “wood” in between, big-budget movies were taking over the landscape of film. In response, Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, and Thomas Vinterberg created Dogme 95, a radical film movement that intended to strip cinema of the technical effects that it was becoming reliant on.Continue reading Dogme 95 — Rules, Manifesto and Films of a Radical Experiment
We know shooting in the rain can be tricky. Our friends at Zacuto have provided a handy 9-step guide on how to effectively prep for shooting in the rain.Continue reading A Filmmaker’s Guide To Shooting In The Rain
Over the course of nine feature films, Denis Villeneuve has shown himself to be one of contemporary cinema’s leading filmmakers.Known for his intense dramas, Villeneuve often allows his environments to act as extensions of his characters. Much of this is accomplished through color choice.Here’s how Denis Villeneuve uses color theory to enhance the narrative.Continue reading Mastering the Movie Color Palette: Denis Villeneuve
Soviet Montage Theory is one of the most technically influential film movements of all time. In this article, we’re going to define what Soviet Montage Theory is, then break down the five different types with examples from Russian cinema history. Continue reading Soviet Montage Theory — Definition, Examples and Types of Montage
