Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was an English film director and producer. He is one of the most influential and extensively studied filmmakers in the history of cinema.
It is not uncommon for directors to take inspiration from previous great directors in history. Various techniques and styles are passed on through cinema like a tradition between filmmakers. The Vertigo effect is one of the most distinct examples of this. Films throughout the last sixty years have used the Vertigo effect in a variety… Continue reading What is the Vertigo Effect? The Hitchcock Zoom Explained
A shocking twist ending is a great way to end a film with a bang but great twists aren’t confined to just the ends of films. The best plot twists catch us off guard, recontextualizing everything we just watched and rewarding subsequent rewatches. There will, of course, be major spoilers to follow, this is your SPOILER… Continue reading Best Plot Twist Movies & Biggest Plot Twists in Movie History
Peripeteia. Is it a synonym for ‘onomatopoeia’? A fancy potato? A lyric from Mary Poppin’s “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Excellent guesses, but no. Peripeteia isn’t written sound effects, a special tuber or delightful nonsense from the Poppinverse. So, what is peripeteia? Despite how intimidating it may appear on paper, the peripeteia definition is a simple, but crucial, story… Continue reading What is Peripeteia? A Deep Dive Into a Surprising Plot Device
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (December 2020)
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading What is a Complementary Color Scheme — Definition, Examples
The best movie directors of all time — the idea of such a list sparks immediate debate. Rather than try to impose any sort of definitive or objective best directors list, consider this more of a celebration of the entire medium. Woefully underrepresented on this list are women. While women have been an integral part… Continue reading 55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (November 2020)
Every film needs suspense. At the foundational level, a story poses a question in the beginning and answers it by the end. The suspense is the anticipation for that answer. But what are the elements of suspense films? And how do we go about building suspense with film technique? Film is the perfect medium for… Continue reading Elements of Suspense — Building Suspense with Film Technique
EssentialOpen menu What is Creative Commons What is Fair Use What is Public Domain ResourcesOpen menu Creative Commons License Pros and Cons How Copyright Free Music Works How to Copyright a Script How to Find Award-Worthy Script Ideas from The Public Domain Best Public Domain Movies There are many great films that are part of… Continue reading Best Public Domain Movies Online You Can Watch Right Now
Creating one moment that stands out in the minds of the viewer after your film or tv show ends can be hard, but it is possible. The long take is one way to do it. Today we’re going to go over the best long takes in film and television. Continue reading The Best Long Take Shots… Continue reading The Best Long Take Shots & How They Push the Story Forward
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (October 2020)
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film like Kubrick: Mise-en-Scène Elements Explained
Animation BasicsOpen menu What is Animation Types of Animation What is Pre-Production in Animation What Does an Animator Do What is Cel Animation What is Pixilation Animation What is Tweening in Animation What is Anime What is Claymation What are Keyframe What is Persistence of Vision What is Stop Motion Animation What is Rotoscope Animation… Continue reading What is Rotoscope Animation? The Process Explained
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (September 2020)
Types of LensesOpen menu Lens Basics Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) What is a 50mm Lens Good For 35mm vs 50mm Lenses Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) Specialty LensesOpen menu What is a T-Stop Macro Lens Fisheye Lens Tilt-Shift Lens Split-Diopter… Continue reading What is a Zoom Lens? Definition and Examples in Photo and Film
EssentialsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing What is a Film Composer What is a… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (August 2020)
There’s more than one occasion to break out the pint of ice cream and dive into the genre of romance. Whether you are going through a breakup, looking for a romantic watch with your significant other, or searching for a rom-com to watch with roommates on movie night, finding a great romantic film can be… Continue reading Best Romantic Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
When it was announced that 1917 would be shot to look like a single take, it quickly became one of the most anticipated movies of the year. While the performances and screenplay were both incredible, many left the theatre wondering the same thing. How was 1917 filmed? While there is no single answer to this… Continue reading 1917 One Shot Explained — How Roger Deakins Shot a “Oner” Film
Motifs are a great way to reinforce the theme of your project. Understanding how to build motifs that work requires strong attention to detail and a clear game plan. But what is a motif? Looking for a clear motif definition? Need motif examples in film? All these questions and more will be answered as we… Continue reading What is a Motif? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers
