Music videos are an incredible medium that bridges the world of filmmaking and music. Whether you are a musician looking to shoot your own music video or a filmmaker looking to shoot a music video for a client or friend, creating a music video can be daunting. When broken down into steps, however, filming and editing a music video can be a rather simple and extremely rewarding process. In this article, you’ll find every step you need to learn how to make a good music video. Continue reading How to Film and Edit a Music Video From Start to Finish
Much has been made about Wes Anderson’s use of symmetry in shot composition – but did you know symmetry extends to his editing style as well? Wes Anderson utilizes symmetry in every facet of his filmmaking process, from pattern events to blocking and staging. We’re going to show you the art behind Wes Anderson’s symmetrical editing; by the end, you’ll know how it works and why it’s such a stylistic strength. Continue reading Wes Anderson Symmetry & Symmetrical Editing Explained
The lap dissolve is one of the oldest editing transitions in cinema. Originally, the lap dissolve was achieved by overlapping the exposure of a single frame of film from shot to shot similarly to a double exposure in photography. Why exactly did filmmakers want to create this effect? How do they use the lap dissolve differently from scene to scene? In this article, we’ll take a look at one of filmmaking’s oldest editing tricks and make a case for why it’s still relevant today. Continue reading What is a Lap Dissolve — Film & Video Editing Techniques
How do you get movie clips to use in editing projects? There are a few different reasons why you may need pre-existing movie footage brought into your editing program of choice. Perhaps you are putting together YouTube content such as video essays or movie reviews and you need clips of the source material, or maybe you need footage to learn how to edit or to practice with. Whatever your needs may be, there are a few different ways one can go about sourcing movie footage. We will run through each viable method.Continue reading How to Get Clips for Edits —…
Editing is one of the most fundamental processes of filmmaking. Many call it the last rewrite of a film in which the film truly comes together. So how do you create a movie without normal post-production editing? Through in-camera editing of course. In-camera editing may seem like a disadvantageous technique. However, the popularity of the one take look found in acclaimed films like Birdman and 1917 have made many wonder, what is in-camera editing?Continue reading What is In Camera Editing — Techniques for Photo and Video
A Sound Designer is an essential member of media production – but what is a Sound Designer? And what does a Sound Designer do? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at sound design examples in film, television, and more. By the end, you’ll know not only what they do, but why they’re important to media production.Continue reading What Does a Sound Designer Do — Role & Duties Explained
Scene transitions, sudden sounds, quick cuts, off-screen voices, and narrative flow are just among the many terms associated with the “invisible art” known as film editing. Originally seen as a technical tool in the movie making process, film editing quickly evolved to become one of the most important creative aspects of filmmaking. But as its affectionate nickname implies, not everyone knows much about film editing or how it works. So what is film editing, what does a film editor do, where did it come from, and why is it so important?Continue reading What is Film Editing — Editing Principles &…
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
There are a few fundamental editing techniques that every editor should know. One of the major ones is the J-cut. Just about every movie you watch has some sort of J-cut within its edit. J-cuts help move the film along in an engaging way, but can also be an incredibly effective storytelling device when used correctly. In this post, we're going to explain the technique, look at the different applications typically used by editors, and we'll even review how to make these edits work in your own projects. Let's get cutting.Continue reading What is a J-Cut in Film — Editing…
What is a color rendering index? This bit of technical jargon might seem daunting to unravel, but in this post, we’ll be breaking down this somewhat scientific term into the simplest language possible and providing a clear definition. We will also take a look at how a color rendering index is used and why it matters in photography and filmmaking. Continue reading What is Color Rendering Index — Light & Color in Film & Photo
