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 previous title as the MPAA. This long-standing organization has a complex history and has been a powerful force in the film industry for better and worse. In this post, we’ll be unraveling the entire complicated history of the MPAA, but first, let’s get started by…
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 current movie ratings as well as all of the former ratings that are no longer used. Let’s tackle each rating in escalating order of severity, but first, a bit of background on the rating process.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.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. It consists of three pillars — aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.This is ultimate guide walks you through the key methods to emerge with the knowledge and confidence to elevate your imagery.You'll Learn:ContentsWhat is the script breakdown?How to break down a scriptCommon production elementsFormatting a script properlyWhat is a…
A Filmmaker's Guide to Shooting Schedules (FREE Ebook)Understand the fundamentals of creating a shooting schedule from start to finish.How to Create Shooting SchedulesMaster the film scheduling process, from start to finishThere are a lot of variables to consider when creating a real-world shooting schedule — time to prep, time to shoot, availability of talent, crew, locations, vendors, union requirements and break times to name a few. These are considerations that take filmmakers and 1st ADs years to master. With this ebook, we will fast-track your skillset so you can jump into any production and create an effective, and realistic, shooting schedule in…
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 responsibilities of a Special Effects Supervisor and what skills a successful supervisor should possess. 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. In this article, we have two different options for you to organize your talent details and information into an organized cast list.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 of fair use copyright law.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 can tell if your own project is high concept or not.Continue reading What is High Concept in Film — Definition and Examples
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 film vs. theater, what you need to do in order to become a CD, and how to find jobs in that arena. Continue reading What is a Casting Director — Job Description, Duties & Salary
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 way to be prepared as a production designer or prop master. Let’s take a look at how to create a props breakdown list.Continue reading Props Breakdown — How to Make a List of All Props in a Script
