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.
There are few things that can keep an audience more engaged in a film than suspense. But what is suspense, exactly? That feeling of intense anticipation can be found in various genres and have an audience leaning forward with their eyes glued to the screen. Understanding what suspense is and how it differs from other… Continue reading What is Suspense — The Elements of Suspense Explained
What is a soundstage? It’s a term we hear fairly often in film circles, but it’s usually assumed we know what it means. Don’t fret, we’re going to define soundstage and then look at some iconic examples. By the end, you’ll know what soundstages are and how they’re used. But before we get into our… Continue reading What is a Soundstage — Definition, History & Function Explained
Rear Window is a game of restraint. The rules of the film are clear: a murder mystery told through a window. The protagonist, and the camera, can’t leave the apartment. It’s a game Alfred Hitchcock was more than able to play, as Rear Window is now regarded as one of the greatest films of all… Continue reading Rear Window Script PDF Download: Plot, Themes, and Ending
While not always necessary for story-telling, freeze frames are a timeless tool in film and television. Whether for stylistic purposes or to draw attention to particular aspects of your film, it’s important to whittle down the motivation for your freeze frame. Read on to dissect successful freeze frame movie examples and ways you can implement… Continue reading What is a Freeze Frame — The Best Examples & Why They Work
So you’re ready to learn about a new script writing format! If you’re familiar with one or the other — stage plays or screenplays — then you’re halfway there to understanding the other. If not, don’t fret, it may just take a little more time to master the basics. We’re going to show you everything… Continue reading How to Write a Play Script Format Explained with Examples
You’ve seen them: the crazy scientist, the damsel in distress, a noble and chaste hero, the villain who keeps his identity secret, the old guy who trains the hero. These are who you call stock characters, and they have been in fiction for an extremely long time. In fact, they keep showing up in fiction,… Continue reading What is a Stock Character — Definition, Examples & Tropes
The lap dissolve is one of the oldest editing transitions in cinema. Originally, the lap dissolve was achieved by overlapping the exposure of a single frame of film from shot to shot similarly to a double exposure in photography. Why exactly did filmmakers want to create this effect? How do they use the lap dissolve differently… Continue reading What is a Lap Dissolve — Film & Video Editing Techniques
Editing is one of the most fundamental processes of filmmaking. Many call it the last rewrite of a film in which the film truly comes together. So how do you create a movie without normal post-production editing? Through in-camera editing of course. In-camera editing may seem like a disadvantageous technique. However, the popularity of the… Continue reading What is In Camera Editing — Techniques for Photo and Video
The cinematographer, editor, and director work together to create a seamless experience within watching a film. There are certain cuts that can jar an audience out of this experience and make them aware they are watching a movie. One of these cuts is referred to as a jump cut. While many advise against using jump… Continue reading What is a Jump Cut? 5 Ways to Use Jump Cuts in Film
Since the days of silent films, music has played an essential role in cinema. Originally played by phonography or improvised by live musicians, music accompanied the narrative of a film in theatres. As technology progressed and the ability to synchronize sound to celluloid developed, the role of the film composer became integral and music was… Continue reading What is a Film Score — Movie Score vs. Soundtrack Explained
Of all of the parts of a screenplay, the opening scene is perhaps the most important – not only because it has to establish the world of the story, but because it also has to grab the attention of the script-reader. We’re going to look at a few different ways you can start your screenplay… Continue reading Screenplay Opening Scene Examples — 6 Ways to Begin a Script
What are Giallo films? This Italian term might be familiar yet mysterious to horror fans, or it might be completely unfamiliar to you. Whichever the case may be, you will leave here with a thorough grasp of the in’s and out’s of the Giallo genre. This is one film genre that can be a little… Continue reading Giallo Films Explained — Italian Horror, Argento, Bava & Beyond
What is a Slasher film? The name of this popular horror sub-genre might evoke a strong mental image, but do you know the actual criteria for what constitutes a Slasher film? In this post, we’ll provide a Slasher movie definition, explore the complex history of Slasher films, and take a look at some of the… Continue reading What is a Slasher Film — Definition, Characters, Villains & Tropes
Perhaps more than any other film genre, a great horror movie relies on a great soundtrack. An effective horror soundtrack heightens the terror in a scene exponentially, scaring an audience before there might be anything visually to be afraid of. The best horror soundtracks are memorable, but don’t overshadow the film. They become inseparable from… Continue reading Best Horror Movie Soundtracks — Top 10 Scary Good Scores
After their first viewing, many people need the Vertigo movie explained. This Alfred Hitchcock film is beguiling and its initial release in 1958 was disappointing. It made significantly less than other Hitchcock films to date and it was widely panned by critics. Subsequently, Hitchcock bought back the rights to the film but it was widely… Continue reading Vertigo Movie Explained — Plot, Characters, Themes & Legacy
Rhythm in art is often synonymous with music. Tempo, measures, and beat are critical to captivating listeners and building a great song. Rhythm in film editing works in the same way. The audience’s engagement is largely dependent on the pacing of a film. Too slow is boring and too fast makes it hard to connect… Continue reading How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film?
Before the 1950s, nearly every single movie was in the same 4:3 aspect ratio. But then CinemaScope from 20th Century Fox changed the landscape with widescreen imagery to get people into theaters nationwide. Pretty soon, other studios were making their own widescreen movies, including Paramount Pictures with VistaVision. What is VistaVision, you ask? Well, it… Continue reading What is VistaVision — A History of Widescreen in Hollywood
We’ve discussed the basics of exposure — overexposure, underexposure and what camera settings control it. But what is double exposure? It isn’t a difficult technique to master, it just takes a little practice. In this post, we’ll cover the basics behind this style with some tutorials on how to do double exposure in Photoshop. Let’s… Continue reading What is Double Exposure? Techniques in Photography and Film
There are a lot of intricacies in scripts that present challenges to even the most veteran of screenwriters. The process of writing a script is difficult enough but the vocabulary, abbreviations, and defintions related to the job can be a bit elusive. But don’t worry, we’re going to cover a variety of screenwriting terms that… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab
Many consider the Academy Award for Best Actress the greatest honor an actress can receive. Over the years, some of cinema’s finest actresses, like Meryll Streep and Elizabeth Taylor, have been given the award. We’re going to list every actress who has won the Academy Award for Best Actress, then we’ll rank some of their… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Actress — Top 20 Winners Ranked
