The Academy Award for Best Director is the most prestigious honor any director can receive -- well, at least in theory it is. You may be shocked to find out that many of “the greatest directors of all-time,” like Alfred Hitchock, Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini never won the award. Of all of the Academy Awards, the Best Director category probably has the greatest discrepancy between its winners and its retrospective, critical consensus. No matter though, we’re going to list all of the Academy Award Best Director winners, then we’ll rank some…
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today's stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best opening scenes in movies to see how the best in the business grab the audience and never let go. Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
The heist film has evolved over the decades, taking on many forms and styles. From sleek and chic to rough and gritty, filmmakers have taken the heist movie in every direction. The best of which have perfected the criminal ensemble, the intricate heist executions, or have taken the heist narrative into completely unique and innovative directions. What directions might that be? We’ve compiled a list of the best heist films of all time to find out.Continue reading The Best Heist Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
One of the most fundamental aspects of the medium of film is the ability to edit and rearrange images and shots to create a story. The difficulty in editing and film in general is to be both effective and efficient at the same time. This enables the audience to understand the story while also being completely engaged. One of the most useful tools that filmmakers have to execute this is the montage. What is a montage and how do filmmakers use them? Let’s dive in.Continue reading What is a Montage? Definition, Examples & 6 Ways to Use Them
Mise en scène. It’s a fancy looking phrase that you’ve seen floating around many film-related articles, carrying with it an immediate sense of snobbery. Don't worry, you're not the first person to ask "what is mise en scene?" After today, you’ll have a better sense of this concept and its fundamentals so you can apply it in your next project. Continue reading What is Mise en Scène in Film: Definition and Examples
Mafia Movies hold a dear spot in the hearts of many filmmakers. Every filmmaker remembers the first time they saw Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather; a type of film that inspires us as cinema fans. But before we rank the best mafia movies of all time, let’s define the key characteristics.The ranking of these films is in relation to their quality and importance as Mafia movies rather than just general gangster movies. Many of the films from our top gangster movies of all time list were excluded, with special exceptions for extraordinary impact as Mafia movies.Continue reading 13 Best Mafia…
You’re looking for a list of the best crime movies of all time. Maybe you want to find action crime films, or crime thrillers, or perhaps even a crime comedy movie or a crime drama. We’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best crime movies of all-time, including American crime movies and the top crime films from around the world. All of these movies are worth a watch, so pop some corn, call your lawyer, pour a glass of your favorite pruno, and start the show. Continue reading 73 Best Crime Movies of All…
Why do filmmakers use over-the-shoulder shots? Can they signal to the viewer that two characters are, at the very least, on the same page? The OTS shot is one of the most commonly used shots in film and television, but often it's used without proper application of advanced cinematic language. We'll break down the psychology so your OTS shots drive home an emotional concept. Continue reading Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Storytelling may start with an idea and a script. Along the way, it may garner tons of attention and praise for its directing and star-studded cast. But what can sound do for a story? Sound design involves much more than level dialogue and explosions. It’s highly technical, but requires an enormous amount of creativity. If done well, it can tell a truly powerful story. For the typical movie-goer, sound editing vs sound mixing can sometimes be confused with each other, but they are different. The two serve completely different purposes, and both are necessary for a truly cinematic experience.Continue reading…
A filmmaker is a visual artist. To be a great visual artist you need mastery of the color palette. Many of the greatest Directors, Cinematographers, and Production Designers have extensive backgrounds as visual artists themselves. There are many ways to use color in film. We’re going to break down the key approaches as well as offer you a free E-book. The ebook is an excellent tool for better understanding the use of the color in film, and how to master it. Continue reading How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color Palettes
