Storyboards can be a crucial backbone in the filmmaking process. Understanding what you’ll be shooting on a given day, and making sure that your crew does as well, often makes the production process much smoother and more efficient. In this post, we’ll look at how to make a storyboard template so that you can hit the ground running for your next shoot. Continue reading How to Make a Storyboard Template — A Step-by-Step Guide
Becoming a film director isn’t a straight path. There are multiple ways of getting there but, ultimately, there's only one driving force: you. Regardless of your education or current skill set, if you want to make movies, you will. But that’s easier said than done, so let’s go a little deeper to answer how to become a director.Continue reading How to Become a Director: Learning from Seasoned Filmmakers
There is no better teacher than doing. Learning as you go and surrounding yourself with filmmakers who are better than you is one of the best ways to learn the craft. However, many of the best cinematography books are actually worth taking a look at. In fact, some of them not only educate on craft, but they also provide a new way to see the world. Continue reading 30 Best Cinematography Books That Actually Inspire
Arguably, the most critical component to master when writing a screenplay is the scene description. Scene descriptions are what communicate cinematic action through text. How you write your scene descriptions will determine how a reader visualizes, hears, and paces through the story you are telling. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to write a scene description efficiently and effectively to clearly communicate your cinematic story. Continue reading How to Write a Scene Description — Script Elements Explained
Narrative films are made up of scenes. It should come as no surprise that a screenwriter needs to know how to write a scene. Every great scene carries emotional weight, character change, and story propulsion. If you can’t write a good scene, you can’t write a good movie. So, what are some of the fundamental elements of a great scene? How can you incorporate them into your script? Time to break down how to write a scene, and look at some scene examples.Continue reading How to Write a Scene — Elements of a Great Scene Explained
The size and shape of your storyboards matters. And if you're wondering if there is a single, standard size and shape of all storyboards, you'd be wrong. But that's a good thing! There is flexibility in storyboard dimensions, which allows you to visualize your story how you see fit. No matter the scope of your intended project, this post will cover some of the basics of storyboard dimensions and the considerations to make when storyboarding. Continue reading Storyboard Dimensions — Sizes, Layouts and Format Explained
Knowing precisely what a director does in every stage of a production's life cycle is vital to your success in the industry. A director's job description involves participation in nearly every phase of a project. Because their vision largely impacts the final product, directors work closely with department heads and technicians to bring it to fruition. The duties of a film director are many, but don’t worry: We’ll lay it all out here. So, what does a director do? Let's break it down.Continue reading What Does a Director Do? The Film Director’s Job Description
What is a trope? How is it different from an idiom or a cliche? In this article, we’re going to break down and define tropes, then show key trope examples from film. By the end, you’ll know how to both recognize and effectively use tropes in your own stories.Continue reading What is a Trope? Definition and Examples
C reating call sheets is time-consuming, complicated, and necessary. But what if you had an easy-to-use call sheet template that you could apply to all your projects? What StudioBinder offers is a simple and clear way to create, send, and track these vital documents. In this post, I’m going to show you how to make a call sheet in a fraction of the time. Continue reading How to Make a Call Sheet in StudioBinder — Step by Step
The French New Wave of cinema, or La Nouvelle Vague, was one of the most important film movements of all time. In this article, we’re going to rank the best French New Wave Films based on four criteria: Acting, Story, Directing and Style. But before we jump into the ranking, it’s important to know what the French New Wave is.This is our list of the best French New Wave films, including work from the critics of Cahiers du Cinema and the directors of the Left Bank.Continue reading French New Wave Films: A Curated List and Their Iconic Directors
