Short films are unique in the sense that they’re usually produced under tighter budgets and stricter time-frames than their feature-length counterparts. As such, we thought it would be a good idea to break down how to make a short film schedule, so you can plan your production as efficiently as possible. By the end, you’ll… Continue reading Short Film Schedule Tips — How to Plan Your Entire Production
Great movies are often praised for incredible direction, cinematography, or performances. But one of the more important aspects of the filmmaking process that unfortunately does not receive proper recognition is costume design. Costume designers are more than just fashion designers. They are storytellers that utilize the craft of fashion design to tell a story. In… Continue reading What is a Costume Designer — Job Description, Duties & Salary
Writing a script isn’t easy, and getting one approved for filming can be just as tough. However, if your script does get greenlit, that means it’ll be in the hands of producers and filmmakers so that the words on the page can come to life. But this same process can involve rewrites, tweaks, changes, omissions… Continue reading What are Script Revision Colors — A Guide for Filmmakers
What is the MPAA? You may or may not have heard the acronym before, but you have definitely seen and felt the influence of this organization if you have been to the movies in the past 99 years. The acronym was recently shortened to the MPA, but most people will be more familiar with their… Continue reading What is MPAA — History of the Hollywood Ratings System
Have you ever wondered why movies are rated the way that they are? The rating a film receives can have a significant impact on its audience size and, by the same token, on its box office revenue. But, what do all of the various letter ratings really mean? We will be explaining each of the… Continue reading Movie Ratings Explained — Origins & How They’ve Changed
A Filmmaker’s Guide to Script Breakdowns (Free Ebook)Learn how to create script breakdowns, categorize elements, and generate production reports. Download Now How to Create a Script Breakdown ExplainedThe script breakdown process explained, start to finishBeing able to execute proper camera exposure in photography and video requires fundamental knowledge of what’s known as The Exposure Triangle.… Continue reading A Filmmaker’s Guide to Script Breakdowns
Think of some of your favorite films or television series of all time. Whether they are rooted in fantasy or made to be naturalistic, odds are they required some special effects. To bring those effects to life, a Special Effects Supervisor got the job done. And in this article, we’ll dive into the role and… Continue reading What is a Special Effects Supervisor — Job Description & Role Explained
Staying organized is one of the most essential components to a smoothly run production. This means having the most important details of your production stored in an easily accessible and organized form. When it comes to cast lists and talent, there can be plenty of important details to make note of from person to person.… Continue reading Cast List Template — FREE PDF Download & Guide
What is fair use? If you produce YouTube content or do any work with intellectual property or copyrighted material, then a thorough understanding of fair use copyright law may be absolutely vital. In this post, we’ll break down what fair use is, dig into the criteria that determine fair use, and discuss the various applications… Continue reading What is Fair Use — Definition, Policies, Examples and More
What does high concept mean? The term ‘high concept’ is thrown around in film circles with reckless abandon but the true meaning is often misused or misconstrued. In this post, we will define high concept, debunk many of the misconceptions around the term, and look at some examples. And we’ll let you know how you… Continue reading What is High Concept in Film — Definition and Examples
In the era of the digital camera, there are numerous settings and adjustments that can be made on a camera. Keeping these details organized and recorded is important for many reasons. Camera reports have changed substantially over the last few years so it’s time to get an updated version. In this article, we’ll give you… Continue reading Camera Report Template — Free Downloads and Guide
You might think you know what a Casting Director does, but you would likely be only partially right. Casting Directors do a lot more than just find actors for film, television, and commercials. In this post we’re going to talk about all the things Casting Directors do — and don’t do. We’ll also discuss casting in… Continue reading What is a Casting Director — Job Description, Duties & Salary
What is a StoryboardHow to StoryboardStoryboard ExamplesStoryboard SoftwareStoryboard TemplatesCreate Storyboard → How can you storyboard if you cannot draw? It might seem like a conundrum at first glance but, luckily, there are a number of alternatives to drawing that you can make use of and still produce high quality storyboards. In this post, we will… Continue reading How to Storyboard if You Can’t Draw — 4 Alternative Options
Shooting a documentary is very different from shooting a narrative film. In many ways it can be on the cuff, guerilla style shooting. Documentaries can also be made of properly planned and composed shoots. Great documentaries are made of both and thus require an organized documentary shooting schedule. Creating a documentary shooting schedule is an effective… Continue reading How to Create a Documentary Shooting Schedule
What is a StoryboardHow to StoryboardStoryboard ExamplesStoryboard SoftwareStoryboard TemplatesCreate Storyboard → Storyboarding is an incredibly powerful filmmaking tool that allows you to refine your ideas as well as communicate them to others. But how exactly do your storyboard visual ideas like a shot’s composition? Storyboard composition and storyboard format can be ambiguous. In this article,… Continue reading Storyboard Composition — A Guide to Layout, Format, Framing
One of the most crucial elements to a scene can be a prop. Props are important for a film’s plot, characters, and overall story. Ensuring that every prop in a screenplay is accounted for and brought on set can be overwhelming. However, creating a props list by breaking down a screenplay is a sure fire… Continue reading Props Breakdown — How to Make a List of All Props in a Script
So you have a great idea for a movie or TV show but don’t have the know-how to write it yourself. What do you do? Hire a screenwriter, of course! But how do you hire a screenwriter? Read on to see the five steps you must take to find a great screenwriter for your project… Continue reading How to Hire a Screenwriter — 5 Steps to Find the Perfect Writer
What is meal penalty? Well, meal penalty is something cast/crew are sometimes subject to – and it’s certainly something producers don’t want to incur. Meal penalty is the disincentive that keeps producers from overworking their employees – but it’s also something more than that. We’re going to break down meal penalties at the union, state,… Continue reading What is Meal Penalty — CA Lunch Penalty Law Explained
If you’re the kind of person who waits through the credits of movies (and if you are, thank you for acknowledging the crew), you’ve probably asked yourself, “What is a Key Grip”? Well, in this post we’re going to tell you exactly what the Key Grip on a film crew is. We’ll explain what they do,… Continue reading What is a Key Grip — Definition & Job Description Explained
One of the first (and most exciting) parts of starting your own film production company is creating your film production company name. This name is going to reflect your groundbreaking style, show off your professional and one-of-a-kind brand, and set the tone for the projects you’ll take on as your company takes off. It also… Continue reading Film Production Company Names — Creative Ideas & Examples
