David Fincher is an American director and producer of films, television, and music videos. His work has received multiple nominations in the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Born in Denver, Colorado, Fincher developed a passion for filmmaking at an early age.
There are many components that occur behind the scenes of a film that audiences don’t even realize occurs. Sometimes it’s lighting just off frame creating the glow of a fire. Sometimes it’s a giant water rig to create rain. And more often than not, audience’s have no idea that the actor doing that crazy stunt… Continue reading What is a Body Double in Film — Definition and Examples
Writing a script can be a daunting task – but there are strategies for making it an engaging and fun exercise in creative practice. We’re going to answer the essential questions involved in writing a script, with character arc and plot examples. Then we’ll explain how to use our script analysis worksheet so that you… Continue reading Script Analysis Worksheet PDF — How to Analyze a Script
What is world-building? And, more importantly, why does it matter? World-building is an integral element of storytelling that often goes overlooked and underappreciated. Good world-building might be felt rather than explicitly noticed, and a lack of it can leave a book, film, or video game feeling shallow. We’ll get started with a world-building definition, then… Continue reading What is World Building — Definition, Examples & Techniques
How an image is composed is one of the most effective ways to visually communicate what is important to a viewer. Perhaps the most direct compositional technique at doing this is filling the frame. This simple technique can deeply change what an image means to a viewer when used with intention and creativity. In this article,… Continue reading Fill the Frame Photography & Composition Techniques
One could point to any number of impressive techniques used in David Fincher movies, but perhaps one of the most important is his movie color palette. As he himself once said, “In film, we sculpt time, we sculpt behavior and we sculpt light.” That last one is what we’re focusing on today. Here are some… Continue reading How David Fincher Uses Color in Film Explained
There are a few fundamental editing techniques that every editor should know. One of the major ones is the J-cut. Just about every movie you watch has some sort of J-cut within its edit. J-cuts help move the film along in an engaging way, but can also be an incredibly effective storytelling device when used… Continue reading What is a J-Cut in Film — Editing Techniques Explained
There is a saying: the best film editing is the editing that nobody notices. Though there are exceptions, this is pretty widely accepted as truth for the most part. So if good editing purposely avoids standing out, how are the nominees and winners of the Best Film Editing Oscar picked out and decided? The editing style… Continue reading Academy Award For Best Film Editing — Top 20 Winners Ranked
What are monochromatic colors? What is a monochromatic color scheme in filmmaking? Why does it matter and how is it different from other color palettes? These are the questions we’ll be answering alongside a dive into the purpose and psychology of color in storytelling and a look at some of the best examples of monochromatic… Continue reading What is a Monochromatic Color Scheme — Definition, Examples
Movies are a visual medium first and foremost, which means making on-screen imagery as effective as possible. And if you’re making a narrative feature, you will more than likely be needing dialogue. Movies didn’t start with traditional dialogue tracks, but these days, virtually every movie in existence has it. But what is dialogue, why does… Continue reading What is Dialogue — A Writer’s Guide to Spoken Words
Since the days of silent films, music has played an essential role in cinema. Originally played by phonography or improvised by live musicians, music accompanied the narrative of a film in theatres. As technology progressed and the ability to synchronize sound to celluloid developed, the role of the film composer became integral and music was… Continue reading What is a Film Score — Movie Score vs. Soundtrack Explained
What is a background artist? It might sound like a simple question, but the answer is a bit more complex than one might expect. The term ‘background artist’ can be used to label two different professions and both of them can be found working on a film set. We will break down what those two… Continue reading Background Artist — Animation & Film Crew Position Explained
David Fincher is one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation – and he’s a director we can learn a lot from. We’re going to break down David Fincher directing tips by looking at interview clips and quotes from the man himself. Unlike other more guarded or mysterious auteurs, Fincher is very open about his… Continue reading David Fincher Interviews & Quotes on His Filmmaking Process
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) 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 Extreme close-up shots are a… Continue reading Extreme Close-Up Shots: Creative Examples That Work
When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them no, I went to films. – Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino is not just a world-class filmmaker but also a renowned film lover. He is a lifelong cinephile with an encyclopedic knowledge of the medium. Tarantino always packs his films with homages to the… Continue reading Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies of All Time — 20 Cinematic Gems
Making a short film can seem like an indomitable task. Most writers and directors struggle to get their productions off the ground, often because they lack the resources to get started. No need to worry though, we’re going to show you step-by-step how to make a short film with video guides and all the software… Continue reading How to Make a Short Film — 12 Steps from Idea to Finished Film
The Social Network is one of the all-time best, dialogue-driven scripts. It’s revered by both film-makers and film-instructors for its tight actions, clever quotes, and realistic characters. Let’s dive into The Social Network script to see what makes it so great. Continue reading The Social Network Script: Characters, Quotes, and PDF Download
2020 was a very strange year for movies. Most theaters in the United States have been closed since March in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing studios to push most of its offerings into 2021 at the earliest. While it may seem like a bare year for cinephiles, there was still plenty to enjoy. If… Continue reading The Best 2020 Movies — Bright Lights in a Dark Year
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Jan. 2021)
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 New Movies on Netflix, Filmmaker Playlist (January 2021)
The best dark comedy movies and TV shows go for the jugular. It’s not enough to just be edgy, or even malicious. You need to tap into deep, disturbing levels of discomfort… and build a summer home. We made the ultimate list of dark comedy movies and TV shows, plus a video essay that takes a… Continue reading 70 Hilarious Dark Comedy Movies & TV Shows | Dark Humor in 2022
