Do you remember what pan and scan is? Did you ever rent or own movies on VHS tape, or even on DVD, that filled the entirety of your 4:3 aspect ratio tube television? If the answer to all this is yes, then you experienced "pan and scan" firsthand. But what is pan and scan, how can you identify it, and what happened to it now that we have streaming services and HDTVs?Continue reading What is Pan and Scan? Full Frame vs. Widescreen Explained
How does a director create a memorable scene? The Pulp Fiction scene dance made a lasting impact in pop culture consciousness, still inspiring Halloween costumes, hairstyles, and dance moves nearly two decades later. But what techniques did Quentin Tarantino use to make the Pulp Fiction dance scene so indelible? Using StudioBinder’s pre-production software, we break down the methods that any filmmaker can use to craft memorable scenes: from the script, to the breakdown, to the shot list. Continue reading Pulp Fiction Dance Scene — What Makes This Scene So Great?
Tim Burton is a filmmaker with a style so unique that we’ve come to regard his works — and those who replicate them — as Burtonesque. And we see the Burtonesque in every facet of his films: writing, lighting, music, characters and of course, production design. We’re going to explore the Tim Burton style and his singular mise en scene with the purpose of better understanding expressive filmmaking. By the end, you might be inspired to create something equally audacious and bold.Continue reading What is Burtonesque — A Complete Tim Burton Style Analysis
A cliche is an expression in any artistic work that has been overused to the point of losing all meaning. A car failing to start while a killer is hot on the protagonist’s tail may have once worked as an effective way to build suspense. But now, audiences are more likely to roll than eyes than genuinely fear for the character. It's time to put these movie tropes and cliches to bed...for good.The following movie tropes list is in no particular order. Some are pieces of bland dialogue while others are plot points that have been done to death. We’re…
David Fincher is one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation – and he’s a director we can learn a lot from. We’re going to break down David Fincher directing tips by looking at interview clips and quotes from the man himself. Unlike other more guarded or mysterious auteurs, Fincher is very open about his process and why he directs the way he does. By the end, we will have a better understanding about Fincher's unique approach to his craft and that, perhaps, there is indeed a method to his madness. Continue reading David Fincher Interviews & Quotes on His Filmmaking…
What phone has the best camera? We’re going to rank the best camera phones to buy by looking at the two essential aspects of camera phones: the camera and the phone. Nowadays, hardware and software both play a huge role in image optimization – so we’ll keep that note in mind when ranking camera phones here. We’re also going to focus on the rear-camera systems of phones as those are the cameras used to shoot the highest quality photos and videos.The phones on this list were ranked by the following criteria: photo quality, video quality, specs, and price. Now without…
You may have heard about golden hour, that special time before a sunset or just after a sunrise. For many photographers, golden hour is a great time to get a wonderful, warm, and beautiful photograph. But what is magic hour? Surely you must have heard of it, especially if you have also heard of golden hour. These two hours have a lot in common, but they’re not the exact same thing. So let’s dig further into what is magic hour and how it differentiates from the golden.Continue reading What is Magic Hour Photography & Cinematography Explained
Cameras have a lot of moving parts, be them a way to keep film rolling or to provide you with an image on your display. Among those moving parts are components that ensure everything looks good on your end when you’re filming something. One of those components is a film gate, which can be easily referred to as a “window” for the camera. So what is a film gate and what has it been used for?Continue reading Film Gate — What “Check the Gate” Means & Why It’s Important
There’s little argument that Wes Anderson has one of the most distinct visual styles of any modern director. But Wes Anderson isn’t the only common factor in every live-action Wes Anderson movie: since Bottle Rocket, cinematographer Robert Yeoman has been by his side.How does Yeoman create the style so immediately recognizable and beloved by Anderson fans? We break down four techniques in the director of photography’s toolkit.Continue reading Robert Yeoman Style — Wes Anderson’s DP Techniques
The Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars is often one of the most crowded and competitive fields in the entire Academy Award ceremony. Supporting actor roles tend to be some of the juiciest parts penned by screenwriters and often provide the perfect opportunities for talented actors to sink their teeth in and disappear into character. Join us in taking a look at 20 of the greatest Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor winners of all time, but first, let’s take a look at the complete list of winners over the years.Continue reading Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor —…
