Hoyte van Hoytema is a cinematographer at the top of his game. He began with smaller projects in Europe before shooting some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters we’ve ever seen. If someone were to ask for a description of Hoyte van Hoytema movies, what would you say? It’s hard to pin down a distinct look or style. And that’s his superpower — to facilitate and support the director to achieve their vision for each particular story. Let’s take a tour through a select filmography to see if we can identify the Hoyte van Hoytema cinematography style.Continue reading Hoyte van Hoytema…
Filmmaking is a collaborative process, but without a doubt, the most important role on set is that of the director. The director receives most of the credit when a film succeeds and most of the blame when it fails. In other words, there is a lot of pressure and responsibility placed on their shoulders. So, how much do directors make in terms of salary? The answer isn’t as simple as it might seem. The average director salary depends on the nature of the project, the size of the budget, and the director herself. In this post, we'll lay out the typical…
Have you ever stood next to a work of art and felt small? Whether it was a sculpture, painting, or building, odds are whoever created it aimed to make you feel that way. And they achieved this through scale. Human beings have a natural awareness of size and space. Artists often use this awareness to elicit specific responses in the viewers of their work. What is scale in art and composition? In this article, we’ll take a look at how scale is used to achieve these responses. We’ll also analyze the difference between scale and proportion and how proportion in cinema…
Сhristopher Nolan’s eleventh feature film Tenet became the first major Hollywood film to release in theatres amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Nolan’s persistence for a theatrical release makes more sense upon an initial viewing of the spectacle that is Tenet. The film is a labyrinth woven of threads reminiscent of past works. The intense battle scenes of Dunkirk, sci-fi action sequences of Inception, and fragmented time of Memento are all echoed in Tenet. So, what is Tenet about?While the plot itself not only takes a bit of digesting, but possibly weeks of chewing to get even close to full comprehension, we’ve…
Think of some of your favorite films or television series of all time. Whether they are rooted in fantasy or made to be naturalistic, odds are they required some special effects. To bring those effects to life, a Special Effects Supervisor got the job done. And in this article, we’ll dive into the role and responsibilities of a Special Effects Supervisor and what skills a successful supervisor should possess. Continue reading What is a Special Effects Supervisor — Job Description & Role Explained
Have you ever seen a photograph or a shot in a film and found your eyes wandering across the frame only to land at something significant? Odds are, leading lines were used to direct your attention. Photographers and cinematographers alike use various types of lines to lead the viewer’s eyes and tell a story through an image. What are leading lines and how can you use them? Let’s take a look at how this technique can benefit a shot’s aesthetic and function and how you can use them in your own compositions. Continue reading What Are Leading Lines — Composition in…
What does high concept mean? The term ‘high concept’ is thrown around in film circles with reckless abandon but the true meaning is often misused or misconstrued. In this post, we will define high concept, debunk many of the misconceptions around the term, and look at some examples. And we'll let you know how you can tell if your own project is high concept or not.Continue reading What is High Concept in Film — Definition and Examples
The Inception hallway scene is one of the all-time best cinematic action scenes – but how did director Christopher Nolan and his production team make it? We’re going to take you behind the scenes to show you the technical ingenuity of the Inception hallway scene. A sequence that not only boggles the mind but was executed without the use of CGI. By the end, you’ll know how the scene was made, and why it’s such a remarkable example of practical effects.Continue reading Inception Hallway Scene — How They Shot It Without CGI
Most movies can be characterized as being one genre or the other. If the plot involves a love triangle, that’s most likely romance. If the plot is about a space marine, it’s most likely science-fiction. If the plot involves a group of kids running away from a monster, that’s probably horror. The things that make up the conventions of a genre, also known as genre conventions. What are genre conventions, you ask? You’ll soon be getting an answer via definition, along with plenty of examples.Continue reading Genre Conventions — The Building Blocks of Genre Storytelling
Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung changed the conversation on psychology forever when he proposed his theory on archetypes and the collective unconscious. But Carl Jung’s proposed archetypes, otherwise known as Jungian archetypes, aren’t just pertinent for psychologists – they’re applicable for storytellers too. So, what are the Jungian archetypes? We’re going to look at these to see how writers have incorporated them in film and literature. By the end, you’ll know why Jungian archetypes are so important.Continue reading What are the Jungian Archetypes — A Writer’s Guide
