Historically, sound effects were used as comic relief or to signify an action happening off-screen. But as cinematography has evolved, so too has sound design. Sound design has become a powerful tool and if you’re a filmmaker looking to increase the production value of your projects, these sound effect techniques can help get you there. This article will break down popular uses of sound effects and where you can find these film sound effects for your next project.Continue reading Movie Sound — A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques
It’s well established that most modern Hollywood movies are made up of three acts. Often, however, the second of those three acts can be divided into two — before the midpoint, and after. A midpoint is a major plot point that happens around the middle of a film which has big ramifications for the protagonist and the story arc. Sounds pretty vague, right? That’s because a midpoint can take many forms– bringing the protagonist closer to their goal, or away from it, or something else entirely. In other words, you know a midpoint when you see one. In this post, we’ll…
James Cameron’s Avatar was successful by almost any metric. It became the highest-grossing movie of all time, received rave reviews, and was nominated for a whopping nine Academy Awards. As many have noted, while Avatar’s story is compelling, it is its groundbreaking visuals that set it apart from other blockbusters. So how did James Cameron and his team create the vibrant, expansive world of Pandora? In this article, we’ll look at Cameron’s game-changing approach to filming Avatar and how he raised the bar for the film’s much-anticipated follow-up Avatar: The Way Of Water. Continue reading Making of Avatar & Avatar…
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…
When you think of the most iconic films in cinema, odds are there is a well-rounded, memorable, maybe even complex character attached to it. However, you may be surprised that many of these great films also use simple characters that lack complexity. These are flat characters. What is a flat character arc? In this article, we’ll take a look at the flat character definition, how they differ from round characters, and why writers intentionally use these characters in their stories. Continue reading What is a Flat Character — Types of Character Arcs Explained
James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar marked a technological breakthrough in the world of computer generated filmmaking. But although Avatar received a lot of renown for its visuals, the Avatar script has largely fallen by the wayside. I don’t think it would be inaccurate to suggest most people who saw the film in 2009 don’t remember much of what the film was about. We’re going to break down the Avatar 2009 script to see if it stacks up against the film’s final visuals. We’ll explore the Avatar setting of Pandora through the written word of James Cameron to pick up on…
Star Wars is the second highest grossing film franchise in the world – second only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past 40+ years, nine directors have worked on theatrical Star Wars films, including George Lucas, J. J. Abrams, Ron Howard and more. We’re going to explore the careers of every Star Wars film director and their greatest works. By the end, we’ll have a comprehensive knowledge of some of the most respected and sought-out filmmakers in modern Hollywood history.Continue reading Every Star Wars Director — How Each Helped Shape a Franchise
The bigger the budget, the more that’s at stake. While many directors never have to worry about films costing over a few million (if that), there are some who regularly operate in the area of $200 million. It begs the question: what is the most expensive movie ever made? We’ve adjusted the budgets of various movies over the years for inflation to give you this list of the biggest budget movies, all leading up to the most expensive movie ever made. Continue reading What is the Most Expensive Movie Ever Made — Top 25 Ranked
Cinema is an ever-evolving landscape. Throughout its history, certain technological advances have opened countless doors for filmmakers. Technicolor brough colorized motion pictures, green screens opened new worlds, and motion capture opened the door for limitless characters. What is mocap and how does it work to create iconic characters? Let’s find out. Continue reading What is Mocap — The Science and Art Behind Motion Capture
What is a Mary Sue? This much-maligned character type is often the subject of fierce online debate, and pinning down a precise definition requires sorting through swaths of debate and disagreement. In this post, we will be explaining everything you need to know about the Mary Sue trope. We’ll get started with a definition, then examine why this type of character is so derided, look at some examples, and attempt to end things on a positive note by searching for a silver lining.Continue reading What is a Mary Sue — Character Types Explained
