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
Over the years, Linus Sandgren has made a name for himself as one of the world’s preeminent masters of cinematography. We’re going to explore Sandgren’s exemplary work with the goal of better understanding how his different cinematographic techniques better the visual feel of their films. By the end, you’ll know some of Sandgren’s greatest works, as well as what makes them great.Continue reading Linus Sandgren Cinematography Style & Techniques Explained
How do people make movies? Writers, actors, directors, surely play a part, but there’s something more important than a movie’s creators, and that thing is money. Movies need money; that’s an irrefutable fact. And it’s the sole goal of the financier(s) to get a positive return on their investment. We’re going to look at how producers use production budgets to outline a course to positive net return. We’re also going to break down movie production budgets at three levels: low, mid, and high end. By the end, you’ll know how production budgets are made and the most expensive movies of…
What does tank-warfare and the aspect ratio of movies have in common? Anamorphic lenses! These technological marvels are legendary in the world of cinematography. Over the past 100 years, Hollywood has constantly experimented with various innovations, seeking not just to push creativity but to increase profit. A brief journey through history will help us appreciate the anamorphic format and its unlikely invention and popularity. And if you're a filmmaker looking to get that "anamorphic lens look," we'll go over all the visual characteristics that will get the job done. Continue reading What is an Anamorphic Lens? How to Get that Cinematic…
A crucial part of filmmaking lies in preparation during pre-production. Developing an idea of what a film will look and feel like takes some deep thinking. Creating a film lookbook is a great way to compile all of these thoughts into one place for your benefit and the benefit of the entire film crew. In this article, we’ll take a look at the components of a lookbook, some film lookbook examples, and how to make a film lookbook.Continue reading Film Lookbook Examples & How to Make a Lookbook for Film
Writing dual protagonists is generally frowned upon, unless you’re one of the select few who can break the rules, like Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) or the late William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Critics argue that writers, especially amateur ones, can get lost in the logistics attempting to craft two protagonists. Others suggest that writers attempt to erect dual protagonists to distract from weak, unformed solitary ones. Let’s face it. Crafting a single endearing protagonist poses enough challenges as it is. Why throw in two? But so many of our favorite films (When Harry Met Sally, La…
Production design is everything that goes into making the world of a film – sets, props and more. But despite its importance, production design is a facet of filmmaking that I think many people take for granted. We often ascribe credit to the writers, directors and stars of a picture rather than the artists working in the shadows. But today, we’re going to honor the great production designers of Hollywood by looking at every Academy Award for Best Production Design winner – then we’ll rank some of the best production designs of all-time. Before we rank the “best” Best Production…
The Academy Award for Best Original Score is one of the most prestigious honors a composer can be given. Over the years, some of the world’s most acclaimed composers, like John Williams and Max Steiner, have won the award. We’re going to list every Academy Award for Best Original Score winner, then rank some of the best. By the end, you’ll know the Best Original Score category better than ever before. Continue reading Academy Award for Best Original Score: Top Winners Ranked
Every month, dozens of movies arrive on Netflix, but it can be a hassle keeping track of all the great content that comes and goes. Don’t fret though, we’re going to break down the best new movies on Netflix each month to help you decide on what to watch. These are the best of what’s coming to Netflix in June, 2020. Continue reading Best New Movies on Netflix, Filmmaker Playlist (October 2020)
What makes a great music score? Does it need to dominate the soundtrack or can go unnoticed in the background? Should a contemporary movie always use modern music or is it blasphemy for a period piece to include pop songs? Whether you have answers to these questions or not, there's no denying the power of music in how we experience movies. These are the best movie scores of all time — some you will spot a mile away, others will raise some eyebrows, but all will get you thinking about what music you'll use in your next project.Continue reading 23…
