Whether you’re on the hunt for visual inspiration or trying to communicate a cohesive aesthetic vision to your team, creating a film mood board is a great place to start. Creating one involves more than just collecting pretty pictures — it’s about understanding how light, color, texture, and other elements come together to create the mood of your film. Let’s dive in and explore the basics of creating an inspiring film mood board.Continue reading How to Make a Film Mood Board — Setting, Colors & Characters
Literary jargon like plot and story are often used excessively to describe the same thing. But in this post we’re going to define plot in relation to story, so you can understand the difference. But also, understand how they’re connected. So what is plot in a story?Continue reading What is the Plot of a Story? Plotting Out the Basics with a Quick Definition
Thanks to movies and television, we’ve all experienced fantastical worlds that could never exist on our Earthly plane. Even if we don’t typically enjoy the fantasy genre, we’ve definitely seen these effects in action — whether in cinema, commercials or even video games. This post explores how to create these worlds using visual effects. So what is VFX? How and why do filmmakers use it? We’ll explore VFX by defining the term with epic examples from some of your favorite films.Continue reading What is VFX? Defining the Term and Creating Impossible Worlds
For decades, filmmakers have iterated on creative lighting and cinematic techniques. But still, some of the best lighting techniques, such as chiaroscuro, have persevered to have an impact on cinema today. Though chiaroscuro in film was popularized nearly a century ago, modern cinema still venerates its value. So what is chiaroscuro in film and how is it used today? Let’s find out with some chiaroscuro examples in film, from past to present.Continue reading What is Chiaroscuro in Film? Definition, Techniques, & Examples
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to pretty much every Edgar Wright film, some of the best films of all time have effectively used needle drops to take their films to the next level. This list runs through the best movie songs of all time, and as you go through the scenes, you will find they all have one thing in common. They all enhance what’s happening in the scene.Continue reading 60 Best Movie Songs Of All Time — Top Needle Drops, Ranked
Which are the best superhero movies of all time? Studios pour buckets of money into these films and the “arms race” for better stunts and production value has now been raging for decades.We’re going to tell you which are the 15 best superhero movies of all time based purely on the story, the filmmaking, and aesthetic. If you disagree with our list, make your case in the comments below.Continue reading 16 Best Superhero Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
A tragic hero is a longstanding character type that originated from some of the earliest documented story-telling. Stemming from early stageplays, this type of hero has made its mark as a literary tool not just on stage but in TV and film. But what is a tragic hero compared to any other protagonist? How does it fit into the overall narrative of a literary work? Continue reading to uncover how the tragic hero is a pillar of good stories and how its legacy still provides emotional catharsis to this very day. Continue reading What is a Tragic Hero — Definition, Examples…
Did you know that the Back to the Future script was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 1986 Academy Awards? Back to the Future may be most famous for its incredible production design and visual effects, but the script is excellent as well. We’re going to break down the Back to the Future screenplay by looking at its characters, quotes and iconic ending. By the end, you’ll know why the original Back to the Future script is such an iconic example of effective screenwriting. Doc, rev up the DeLorean, we’re going back – back to the future! Continue…
We've all seen a continuity error in a film or noticed a plot hole at some point. The fact that you don't see hundreds of them is because productions hire someone to pay attention to the details of a script. This person on set is known as the script supervisor. We'll go over what a script supervisor does, why they're so important, and also provide a free script supervisor template and forms. Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Script Supervisors (FREE Script Supervisor Template)
Abbreviated DPR or just PR, the daily production report might be the most important documents a producer looks at every day.From video agencies to indie productions, having a up-to-date DPR is necessary for assessing progress, catching inefficiencies, and tracking each production daily expense. In our post, we cover the process with our free production report template and step-by-step guide. Daily Production Report Template - Tear Sheet - StudioBinderWhat is a daily production report?What is a daily production report?The Daily Production Report (often a two-sided page) is filled out by a member of the production, and contains key information about the shoot day.…
