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
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…
What makes a great music score? Does it need to dominate the soundtrack or can go unnoticed in the background? Should a contemporary movie always use modern music or is it blasphemy for a period piece to include pop songs? Whether you have answers to these questions or not, there's no denying the power of music in how we experience movies. These are the best movie scores of all time — some you will spot a mile away, others will raise some eyebrows, but all will get you thinking about what music you'll use in your next project.Continue reading 23…
Never-ending. Eternal. Infinite. People speak in hyperbole quite often but, in real life, everything does come to an end. Everything, that is, except The Shepard Tone, which may be the one thing that truly doesn’t stop. This audio illusion is more than just a novelty, however, and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan have embraced it in their work. From sound effects to the musical score, nothing ramps up tension quite like the Shepard Tone. We'll explain how this illusion works and with some examples of this fascinating trick of the ear.Continue reading What is The Shepard Tone? The Audio Illusion Explained…
It is impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song can be purely aural, cinema combines sight and sound for a unified experience where one bolsters and elevates the other. Read on to learn about the role of the sound designer and other sound design jobs, the fundamentals of sound design, and to check out some…
There are three things in this life you can be certain of — death, taxes, and awesome Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Tarantino is the master of the needle drop and knows how to place an existing song perfectly within a scene. It’s tough to narrow down the best Quentin Tarantino songs in his filmography, but that’s precisely what we did so that you can learn how to incorporate needle drops into your own work.Continue reading The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies
We’ve all seen films with an eerie green or chilly blue tint that drives home the tone of the project. These different atmospheres, and many more, stand as monuments to the film and video coloring process. It takes a good amount of research and practice to control images with advanced precision. What's the difference between color grading vs. color correcting? And what other color processes can filmmakers use to tell their stories?Continue reading Color Grading vs. Color Correction Process for Video: A Complete Guide
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
Using lower thirds in Premiere can add crucial context to your videos. But there’s a plethora of creative lower thirds to choose from out there. It’s all too easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t worry. As with any part of video producing, just focus on what’s right for your project. And keep in mind some tried-and-true principles of creating lower thirds in Premiere to stay on track.Prepare to be inspired by the great examples we found. And, because we’re so darn nice, we also designed a free lower thirds template just for you. So download and get started on those titles…
The impact of music in a film is undeniable. It can make a distant feeling scene feel suddenly personal and emotional. It can change the energy of an entire sequence. The credit for that largely goes to the music supervisors. These individuals play a critical role in shaping the film's soundscape and enhancing its emotional resonance. Continue reading What is a Music Supervisor — Definition & Job Description
