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 states like shock and mystery is essential to putting an audience on edge. In this article, we’ll take a look at the elements of suspense that distinguish it from anything else. We’ll also take a look at a few basic ways to create it in…
Сinema is riddled with great villains who served their purpose as the foe of an antagonist. However, every now and then a film presents a villain who’s characterization is so precise, intentional, and unique that they become iconic. Anton Chigurh in the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men was exactly that. Let’s dive into the characterization and choices that made one of the most iconic villains in cinema — Anton Chigurh. Continue reading Anton Chigurh — Characterization of an Iconic Villain Explained
Storyboards are an integral part of making movies. They are also a clever way to showcase an idea, whether it’s for a film project, video game, or television commercial. Even though storyboards can vary in their presentation, they must always present information for everyone in an easy to understand way, often in the form of storyboard notes. But what are storyboard notes and why should you make sure to have them?Continue reading Storyboard Notes — A Guide to Making Storyboard Annotations
Writing short films can be daunting, but it's one of the best ways to improve your screenwriting and get noticed. But many a drawer is littered with short film scripts that will never see the light of day, much less the light of a Kino.Continue reading How to Write a Short Film That Gets Noticed
What is a vignette? The term has the potential to be confusing because it means slightly different depending on which story-telling medium is the topic of discussion. Even within filmmaking, the term can also be used to describe two completely different things. We will sort through this confusion and break down each meaning of ‘vignette.’ We will also take a look at some vignette writing examples in literature and film. Learning this specific writing technique might be exactly what your next project needs. Continue reading What is a Vignette in Writing — Definition & Examples Explained
The benefits of using a wide angle camera lens can be found in the work of some of the best filmmakers from Steven Spielberg to Roman Polanski to Stanley Kubrick. What is a wide angle lens used for? The answer to that varies. Wide angle lenses can create visual and psychological effects depending on how they are used. Understanding these different effects is a great way for any filmmaker to learn how to make a scene more immersive. Before we dive into when to use a wide angle lens in film, you may be wondering “What is a wide angle…
Eyelines in film help you tell a professional visual story better than most directing techniques and film gear ever will. The very basics of crafting an effective scene begins with the eyeline match. This is a filmmaking technique that, when done correctly, should go completely unnoticed. Nonetheless, it is an incredibly important technique that all filmmakers should know and understand. A lack of attention to eyeline match can result in visible errors in an entire scene. In this article, we’ll answer, "What is eyeline match" and why it's so important. Continue reading What is an Eyeline Match? Definition & Examples…
Music plays an integral role in how a movie communicates tone. When thinking about a movie, we often recall back to a moment when the soundtrack swelled at the perfect moment, how it transported us to other worlds, or interweaved popular culture into the narrative. We can learn a lot from how filmmakers use music in their films, so without further ado, here’s our list of the best movie soundtracks of all time.Note on criteria: No orchestral scores appear on this list. Although we’re huge fans of composers like Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Joe Hisaishi, and Ennio Morricone, we thought…
When it comes to the best thriller movies of all time, there’s a lot to choose from. While great thrillers involve the protagonist in constant and terrifying danger, some are more light hearted, while still juggling with the concepts of life and death.With such a broad genre, there are many movies in the thriller genre to choose from, including horror, psychological, true crime, and black comedy. Since it can sometimes be difficult to choose good thrillers, we decided to make the job easier for you.Listed here are the best thrillers from cinema, ranging from new classics to old favorites, along…
One of the most effective ways at making a line of text in literature memorable is by creating rhythm. Writers have a few ways of creating rhythm such as rhyming and alliteration. However, both can become redundant because of their more obvious nature. A more subtle literary device that creates rhythm is assonance. What is assonance? The effects of assonance are similar, but are technically achieved in a different way. In this article, we’ll discover how by looking at the assonance definition and examples.Continue reading What is Assonance — Definition and Examples for Writers
