One of the biggest challenges photographers and cinematographers face is having the images they shoot pop to a viewer. After all, viewers see these images through two-dimensional mediums such as print or screens. Side lighting is a fundamental lighting technique that will help you achieve the three-dimensional lighting style you desire. What is side lighting in photography and how can you create it? Let’s take a look.Continue reading What is Side Lighting in Photography — Portrait Lighting Tips
Whether you’re a photographer, a video game designer, a filmmaker, or work with VR, thoroughly understanding field of view or (FOV) is your foundation for success. It’s basic optics, and while you likely can assume what it is, let’s quickly go over it and see its importance in photography and the gaming world. So, what is field of view and why does it matter?Continue reading What is FOV — The Importance of Field of View in Photography
Сreating a shot list can alleviate a tremendous amount of stress and pressure on actual shoot days. They can provide a clear blueprint for what needs to be shot so that you can save time. It’s important to understand all of the common shot list abbreviations used in a shot list so that you can effectively communicate your ideas to others and so that you can understand what a shot list says when the shooting days finally come.Continue reading Shot List Abbreviations Explained — A Quick Guide
Cinema is an ever-evolving landscape. Throughout its history, certain technological advances have opened countless doors for filmmakers. Technicolor brough colorized motion pictures, green screens opened new worlds, and motion capture opened the door for limitless characters. What is mocap and how does it work to create iconic characters? Let’s find out. Continue reading What is Mocap — The Science and Art Behind Motion Capture
Since the days of silent films, music has played an essential role in cinema. Originally played by phonography or improvised by live musicians, music accompanied the narrative of a film in theatres. As technology progressed and the ability to synchronize sound to celluloid developed, the role of the film composer became integral and music was tailored to every frame of a film. Thus the film score was born.As cinema progressed and dialogue and cinematography became the heavy lifters of a film’s narrative, music unfortunately started to become an afterthought in the filmmaking process. However, the most memorable, emotional, and engaging…
Muzzle flashes are an integral element in every movie shootout. Though they might seem like a small detail, it can make the difference between a movie gunshot seeming cheap and fake or real and exciting. Muzzle flashes can be executed in a few different ways, and we’ll be explaining everything you need to know about this effect. But, before we dive into movie muzzle flashes, it’s important to understand the real-life counterparts.Continue reading Muzzle Flash Effect — Downloads, Tutorials & On-Set Tips
One of the best ways to incorporate unique transitions or vibrant overlays into your edit is through light leaks. Lens flares, light leaks, and film burns can result in a unique look, but are not always easy to add naturally in-camera. So we’ve compiled a list of the best places to download light leak overlay effects that are easy to use in any edit. Continue reading 76 Light Leak Overlay and Video Effects — Free Downloads
Inglourious Basterds was a massive turning point in director Quentin Tarantino’s career. It launched his revisionist history trilogy, which flipped the script on World War II, American slavery, and the murder of actress Sharon Tate at the hands of Charles Manson’s cult members. Tarantino is known for unforgettable dialogue in which ordinary conversations become extraordinary and tensions subtly rise to a climax with words alone. The Inglourious Basterds script has some of the most intense and powerful stretches of dialogue in cinema and we can transform future screenplays for the better by analyzing its example. Let’s continue the conversation. Continue reading Inglourious…
If you love TV, then you’ve probably heard of a bottle episode before. Some of the best shows ever from Breaking Bad to Community have used this formula to mixed results. They tend to be some of the most divisive episodes with some fans hating the unique structure while others love what’s made possible through them. But what is a bottle episode? Keep reading to see if your next spec script should have this structure. Continue reading What is a Bottle Episode — Best Examples & How to Write One
What is colorization? Back in the early days of filmmaking, color was something reserved for movies few and far between. But as the years went by, more and more movies began to be made in color. However, many filmmakers and critics in Hollywood expressed outrage at the idea of adding color to classic black-and-white movies. We’re going to look at how film colorization led to one of the most contentious periods in Hollywood history. But first let’s analyze the colorization process.Continue reading Film Colorization Process & The Debate Over Colorized Movies
