He’s got his lab coat on at all times, his hair is a mess, he’s not paying attention to anything or anyone but his work, and he might possibly have murderous tendencies. He is the mad scientist, a character trope that has shown up in fiction so much that he’s become ubiquitous to pop culture overall. So what is a mad scientist, where did this stock character come from, and what are some examples?Continue reading What is a Mad Scientist — Definition, Characteristics & Examples
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’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…
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 takes a bit of explaining, so if you can, please join us as we look into the origins of VistaVision, what it was like, and why it still matters today.Continue reading What is VistaVision — A History of Widescreen in Hollywood
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 (September 2020)
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, Ranked for Filmmakers (June 2020)
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 May, 2020.Continue reading Best New Movies on Netflix, Ranked for Filmmakers (May 2020)
