Did you know that some of the most famous movies of all time, like Rear Window, Rashomon, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, were adapted from short stories? The art of turning prose into a professional script has been incredibly lucrative for hundreds of writers over the years. We’re going to show you how to convert a short story into a script. By the end, you’ll be ready to pitch the next big cinematic adaptation to studio execs.Continue reading How to Convert a Short Story into a Script — A 5-Step Guide
Swiss philosopher Carl Jung theorized that all people are connected by a collective unconscious; which dictates we understand a collection of archetypes and symbols. But how do we understand these archetypes and symbols? Where do they appear? And how are they used? We’re going to answer those questions by exploring “repetition in art,” from character archetypes to semiotics and everything in between. By the end, you’ll know why repetition is such an important part of art.Continue reading Repetition in Art — Patterns, Meanings & Techniques Explained
Is there power in nonsense? Some might say that nonsense is by definition meaningless. But for Dada artists, nonsense was the ultimate political tool to smash existing power structures and artistic norms. In this article we’ll look at the historical context in which Dadaism artists arose, what Dada looked like, and how it still casts a long shadow over the world today.Continue reading What is Dadaism Art — Movement, Style, and Artists Explained
What is a soundstage? It’s a term we hear fairly often in film circles, but it’s usually assumed we know what it means. Don’t fret, we’re going to define soundstage and then look at some iconic examples. By the end, you’ll know what soundstages are and how they’re used. But before we get into our examples, let’s review where soundstages started. Continue reading What is a Soundstage — Definition, History & Function Explained
Anytime you see an actor handle or interact with an object in a film, that object was carefully picked out and acquired by a single person — the prop master. Films can have an incredible amount of props and each one is important in its own way. Behind it all is a prop master. What is a prop master and why are they important to a production? In this article, we’ll cover how prop masters approach a script, how they acquire props, and the other responsibilities they have on and off set. Continue reading What is a Prop Master —…
There are a few iconic films that have transcended cinema and impacted culture at large and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon is certainly one. Kurosawa’s exploration of truth and its expression in the film led to a term that would be used both in and outside of cinema — the Rashomon Effect. The Rashomon Effect is used in a range of subjects from storytelling to psychology to law. So what is the Rashomon Effect? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at its origins, what it means, and its influence on both film and culture. Continue reading What is The Rashomon Effect in…
Most people are familiar with sepia tone as one of the first Instagram filters that ever existed. It might make you reminiscent of your great grandma’s old photos or old Western films, but when the tone was first created, it was a fresh and new medium for photographers to work with. So what is sepia tone, how exactly is it created and how has its function in photography changed over time? Let’s take a look. Continue reading What is Sepia Tone Photography — How It Works & Why Use It
Have you ever seen an insanely detailed photograph where every portion of the photos is completely in focus? If you’re like most people you might wonder “How did they capture this?” Odds are that they created the remarkably sharp image using focus stacking. Focus stacking is used to shoot a diversity of subjects from landscapes, to products, to macro photography. What is focus stacking and how can you do it to create incredibly sharp photos? Learn the answers to both these questions and more in this article. Continue reading What is Focus Stacking — Examples & How to Stack Photos
What do you think of when you think of Gothic Art? Imposing cathedrals? Creepy baby Jesus paintings? Teens in black eyeliner and JNCO jeans? Gothic art and architecture is more than its stereotypes (and if you’re thinking of modern goth fashion… it’s kind of a misnomer). This art movement was a dominant style for centuries in Europe, and gave birth to some of the continent’s most famous buildings and paintings. Let’s look at the Gothic genre in art and literature: what it is, where it came from, and why it still matters.Continue reading What is Gothic Art — History, Characteristics…
There are few movements that shaped the literary arts in the 20th century more than Magical Realism. The genre reinvented what a novel could do, and gave writers new tools with which to shape their stories and social commentaries. In this post, we’ll define Magical Realism and examine why it became so popular.Continue reading What is Magical Realism — Fantasy vs Reality in Art & Literature
