James Gray’s new film Ad Astra is a visually stunning journey through our solar system that explores concepts like solitude, commitment, and a focus on the essential to the exclusion of all else.Precision.That’s the word that immediately comes to mind when watching this film. Both from the impressive direction from James Gray to the flawless cinematography from Hoyte Van Hoytema, but what really stands out is Brad Pitt’s precisely measured and uniquely powerful performance.Continue reading “Ad Astra” Review: A Precise Exploration of Solitude
Death scenes are just… one of those things. A good death scene is totally subjective, but these are a few that really stand out. We’re going to take a look at some of the craziest and best movie death scenes from the past decade. These are scenes that are memorable either because of their impact on the story, they were presented in a particularly interesting way, or were just plain shocking for the audience.Continue reading Top 10 Best Movie Deaths of the Last Decade
Film blocking is arguably one of the most important things a Director must do on set. Think of it as a carefully choreographed dance where the camera and subject move together in harmony. Continue reading 3 Ways To Make Your Film Blocking More Interesting
Credits are crucial in music videos. At the dawn of music video, lower thirds stamped the beginning and end of each video. But that was the 80’s. With all the ways to watch video nowadays, how do you give credit where it’s due?Thankfully it’s easy to master the music video title format. Just keep the end goal in mind: to credit your creatives and crew in an engaging way. We’ll show you what credits you need and how to present them. And we’ll also hook you up with a great music video title card template to use for your own…
Earlier this year, the American Society of Cinematographers celebrated its 100th year anniversary. The ASC’s mission is to not only tell incredible stories, but to preserve the history of those that it made it possible. So what’s a better way to celebrate than with a really, really long list of the best cinematography movies of all time! The society voted and did an amazing job. But did the democratic system fail them? Just kidding, it’s an incredible list, but there are a few other insanely influential films that we think they might have missed, (and we may have added the).…
Ican’t imagine what it must be like to be a comedian. You work for hours, days, or even months, to get a tight 10 or 15-minute bit. As you bring your hard work onto the stage, you pray the audience doesn’t deafen you with their silence. If success on the stage is measured by the lack of objects being thrown at you, it’s no wonder why even famous comedians experience stage fright. Because even if you’re absolutely hilarious, there might be a night when you bomb, because you’re also, absolutely human. Continue reading How to Overcome Stage Fright — Jenny…
"Ahorse walks into a gym" is not the opening of a bad joke. Not for me. See, for me it was the reality I faced in scheduling a complicated VFX composite shot. We had to get a horse on a treadmill in a crowded health club. Just another day for an AD.What is VFX like on a practical level? How do you create cool video effects? I’ll show you how to use VFX, how to use a green screen, and how to plan a composite shot on a deadline. Whether you need a horse on a treadmill for an auto…
Best Tarantino MoviesQT's Directing StyleQT Directing Tips QT DialogueOnce Upon a Time AnalysisBasterds Breakdown Speculation about Tarantino's last movie has now reached full tilt — but are we really ready for Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek? There is only one final film to go before we find out if QT was bluffing or not. But what should it be? For us fans, what would be a satisfactory swan song?Quentin Tarantino movies are special — we know this because Tarantino lets us know how special they are. It all started with Kill Bill Vol. 1 when the poster informed us that this…
Nothing says movie nostalgia quite like the cars the characters drive, especially when the film involves racing of any kind. In many cases, these vehicles can become the visual icon for the entire film. They also become extensions of the characters themselves — they're not just props, they become key elements of the character development. And you don't have to be a gearhead to appreciate just how cool some of these vehicles are. So, without further ado, here is our curated list of the most famous movie cars in cinema history.Continue reading Famous Movie Cars: A List of the Most…
An unproduced feature script has a .3 percent chance of being made in Hollywood. Short film ideas, on the other hand, can be made for significantly less money, increasing their chances of being produced.Continue reading 30 Ways to Brainstorm Short Film Ideas You Can Actually Produce
