If you’ve ever seen a trailer to a sequel of one your favorite movies, you know what it's like to be emotionally conflicted. On one hand, you would love to see the characters of a film you love back on the big screen. But on the other hand you really hope they don’t mess it up. Unfortunately, the latter happens all too often. What is a sequel to you — a promise of greatness or the threat of failure?In a time when Hollywood is cranking out more franchises, remakes, and reboots than ever before, it’s important to understand the differences…
Why do we love superheroes? Is it because we fantasize about having powers that make us greater than what we are? Or maybe it's because we long for justice in an unjust world? Is it because we’re bored and there’s nothing better to watch? Yes, but there is more to our fondness of the superhero genre than entertainment. In this article, we will discuss what is a superhero, the history of the genre, supervillains and why we love superheroes so much. Continue reading What is a Superhero — Definition, Types and Characteristics
Tim Burton is a curious talent. From the start of any of his movies, you instantly have the thought, “Oh yeah, this is a Tim Burton movie.” He has a unique aesthetic, showcasing the beauty in the morbid. His career has been a rollercoaster of quality. From classics to clunkers, Burton’s unique filmmaking style has occasionally run its course. Continue reading 20 Best Tim Burton Movies — His Entire Filmography Ranked
An alter ego, often seen as a second self or a parallel identity, reflects the dual nature of the human character, encompassing aspects that may be suppressed or unexplored in a person's primary persona. A fascinating concept, it not only permeates realms of psychology and personal development but also significantly shapes literary narratives and pop culture. This exploration will analyze the intriguing world of alter egos, unearthing the inherent dichotomies that define our human existence. Continue reading What is an Alter Ego — The Duality of a Character
It’s an art style that had roots in the late 19th century but came into full force in the 20th century. Rejecting objective impressions for a subjective look at the world around them, expressionism art was much more than a traditional art movement or even a group of expressionism artists. This was a rejection of more life-like artworks and partially a reaction to the new industrial and urban world taking over. Artists in the field of expressionism painting emphasized feeling above all. But what is expressionism art, who were the main players, and what does it have to do with…
What is a character trope? In screenwriting, a trope is a common element of a story. In other words, a trope is something we see a lot. In a character sense, it’s a type of character we see a lot. The term trope is derived from the Greek (tropos) for “turn, direction, or way” and it’s meant to explain moments where the story figuratively shifts from one direction to another. However, tropes have come to be misnomered as cliches — and the term character trope often has more to do with the overuse of certain characteristics than it does with…
You’ve likely heard of an anti-hero – a protagonist who lacks common heroic attributes like morality and courage. But what is an anti-villain? Wouldn’t that just be a hero? The real answer is a bit more complicated, so let’s take a look at when your villain actually kind of has a good point to make. Continue reading What is an Anti-Villain — Definition, Types and Examples
You’re pretty familiar with Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. He lives in Gotham City, he stops crazy villains, and he spends a lot of his time with bats. But did you also know his parents are dead!? That’s what we call backstory, something most characters in fiction have with them whenever we start their story. So even if you start the story understanding where the character is at presently, there may be more to them that is not made immediately apparent. But what is a backstory, how would you define backstory, and what types of backstory styles are there?Continue reading What…
We do not always place a lot of emphasis or importance on sound, even though its impact on motion pictures is huge. Movies didn’t start with sound, but now they’re part of the package that comes with filmmaking. And while sound in movies has been around since the late 1920s, it would be Dolby Stereo in the 1970s that led a revolution. The name Dolby is no doubt familiar to you, but what is Dolby Stereo, and how did it impact filmmaking and movie watching?Continue reading What is Dolby Stereo — History of Game-Changing Sound in Film
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
