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… Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
Blade Runner 2049 breathed new life into Ridley Scott’s world of replicants and blade runners due to its great performances, steady direction, and bold cinematography. But all of the visual splendor that we see in the final cut, was once just words on a page. The Blade Runner 2049 script set the stage for a… Continue reading Blade Runner 2049 Script PDF — Download and Analysis
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
In 2018, Roger Deakins finally won his first Oscar for Best Cinematography for Blade Runner 2049. And the world was not one bit shocked. As one of the most well respected cinematographers in the business, Deakins seems unable to make a less than beautiful film. So we decided to take a look at the tricks and… Continue reading Water Light Reflection in Blade Runner — Deakins Explains How
The Academy Award for best cinematography is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed each year at the Oscars. The best cinematography Oscar has been around since the inception of the award ceremony but it underwent a great deal of experimentation and evolution in the early years.Continue reading Academy Award for Best Cinematography — Top… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Cinematography — Top 20 Winners
Lenses work in a very similar way to the human eye. However, not all lenses have an angle of view that is similar to the human eye. The normal lens aims to capture a shot in a way that is most similar to how we see the world. So what is a normal lens exactly?… Continue reading What is a Normal Lens? Definition & Uses of a Standard Lens
From movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This… Continue reading What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Close-Up (CU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now There are… Continue reading What is a Full Shot in Film? Types of Shots in Film Explained
Types of LensesOpen menu Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Lens Basics More About Lens Types Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) More Focal Lengths Specialty LensesOpen menu Macro Lens Fisheye Lens Tilt-Shift Lens Split-Diopter Lens Deakinizer Lens Lens BrandsOpen menu Lens Buying… Continue reading The Different Types of Camera Lenses for Video and Photography
The best movie directors of all time — the idea of such a list sparks immediate debate. Rather than try to impose any sort of definitive or objective best directors list, consider this more of a celebration of the entire medium. Woefully underrepresented on this list are women. While women have been an integral part… Continue reading 55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films
Mise en scene plays a huge role in communicating the tone of a story — but what is mise en scene? In classical terms, mise en scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play or film. Today, mise en scene is regarded as all of the elements that go into any… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film like Kubrick: Mise-en-Scène Elements Explained
Audiences and filmmakers alike love sequels. And we all love to rank and debate which are the “greatest.” But deciding which films belong on a “best movie sequels of all time” list can feel overwhelming. How does one choose from every film ever made? And how to rank one above the other? While such a… Continue reading Best Movie Sequels of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
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… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list. We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix — A Playlist for Filmmakers (August 2020)
When making a movie, it can be a struggle to decide between the two most common widescreen aspect ratios: 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. For anyone who has ever felt this struggle, there is an ideal middle ground. We’re talking about the 2:1 aspect ratio which has seen a resurgence in the last decade. In this article, we’ll… Continue reading What is 2:1 Aspect Ratio (Univisium) & Why Are Directors Switching Over?
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… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix — A Playlist for Filmmakers (July 2020)
Storytellers have been using literary allusion for thousands of years – Sophocles, for example, used Greek mythological allusion in Antigone way back in 441 BC. But while the device is a crucial element of literature and drama, it’s not always easy to recognize types of allusion or understand how they are used. Exactly what is… Continue reading What is an Allusion? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Introducing StudioBinder’s screenplay library — your one-stop-shop for reading, downloading, and analyzing the best movie scripts online. Our collection contains all the feature-length screenplays in our database as well as scripts that we have broken down by plot, character, ending, quotes, and more. Our hope is that screenwriters everywhere can have access to these iconic… Continue reading Explore and Read the Best Free Movie Scripts Online (with PDF Downloads)
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list. We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix — A Playlist for Filmmakers (June 2020)
Types of LensesOpen menu Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Lens Basics More About Lens Types Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) More Focal Lengths Specialty LensesOpen menu Macro Lens Fisheye Lens Tilt-Shift Lens Split-Diopter Lens Deakinizer Lens Lens BrandsOpen menu Lens Buying… Continue reading What is a Prime Lens and What are the Benefits of Using One?
