On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith’s Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.
What is a subgenre? If you are familiar with what a genre is, then you are already halfway there. But there might be more to subgenres than meets the eye. In this post, we will be providing a definition for “subgenre,” looking at examples, and exploring how multiple genres and subgenres can nest within each… Continue reading What is a Subgenre — Definition, Examples & How They Work
Horror movies have become subject to some of the most predictable devices and tropes in cinema. While unique filmmakers like Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and Jordan Peele continue to innovate the genre, new horror films are riddled with horror movie tropes. Although they can still be effective horror storytelling devices, they can also become unremarkable… Continue reading Horror Movie Tropes — Top 15 Tropes & Why They’re Effective
What are the best horror movies of all time? From zombies to your nextdoor neighbor, films have found fear from a wide variety of sources over the decades. In this blog, we’re providing all of you filmmakers out there with the definitive list of the best horror films ever made. We’ll discuss what makes each… Continue reading 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
The horror genre is home to many bizarre concepts and boundary-pushing ideas. From straightforward slashers to subversive, social commentary-packed allegories, horror writers and filmmakers have delivered countless memorable films. Join us in counting down 10 of the best horror movie scripts you can download that are great to read for fans of the genre and… Continue reading 10 Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download, Read & Study
What is a Slasher film? The name of this popular horror sub-genre might evoke a strong mental image, but do you know the actual criteria for what constitutes a Slasher film? In this post, we’ll provide a Slasher movie definition, explore the complex history of Slasher films, and take a look at some of the… Continue reading What is a Slasher Film — Definition, Characters, Villains & Tropes
Perhaps more than any other film genre, a great horror movie relies on a great soundtrack. An effective horror soundtrack heightens the terror in a scene exponentially, scaring an audience before there might be anything visually to be afraid of. The best horror soundtracks are memorable, but don’t overshadow the film. They become inseparable from… Continue reading Best Horror Movie Soundtracks — Top 10 Scary Good Scores
Mise en scène can seem foreign, even to filmmakers, film critics, and movie buffs. Why is it important? How do you pronounce it? And what is mise en scène anyway. Grasping mise en scène is critical for anyone who makes or seriously watches any kind of visual content. For directors and producers, mise en scène… Continue reading 20 Mise en Scène Elements Every Filmmaker Needs to Know
Types of FramingOpen menu Establishing Shot Single Shot Two Shot Over the Shoulder Insert Shot POV Shot More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now W hen you’re working on a movie or TV show, it can be hard to plant the audience inside the character’s point of… Continue reading Point of View Shots: Creative Camera Movements & Angles
The John Carpenter filmography is widespread and diverse. Although many of his peers may have matched or exceeded his output, few directors evoke as specific an aesthetic by name alone. Anyone who’s seen a few John Carpenter films would recognize his affinity for practically created monsters, rich concepts, and sick synth-rock inspired soundtracks composed by… Continue reading Best John Carpenter Movies — The Master of the Macabre
You’re looking for a movie and TV genre list, maybe for inspiration, but every list you find has categories that are either too broad or so hyper-specific that it becomes overwhelming. We’ve created the perfect movie and TV genre list that will explain the various categories of film and television with their specific subgenres, and we’ll… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Movie Genres — 90+ Genre Examples for Film & TV
In the plethora of slasher-horror films from the ’70s and ’80s, none stand out more than the Halloween (1978) script. Why does this older horror film stand the test time, both critically and with fans? Regardless of the genre, every great movie starts with a great screenplay. In this article we will break down the… Continue reading Halloween Script PDF Download: Plot, Quotes, and Analysis
It’s easy to mix up the different types of camera shots and types of angles. To make a shot list, a filmmaker or video creative must know the classic types of shots based on attributes like shot size, shot framing, camera movement, camera mechanisms, and depth of field. We’ll break down all the camera shots… Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots (50+ Types of Shots and Angles in Film)
Best Shyamalan MoviesShyamalan’s Style ExplainedThe Return of M. Night Shyamalan Love him or hate him, M. Night Shyamalan’s style is worth studying. He’s made every kind of movie: universally loved, universally loathed, and a few that will endlessly divide audiences. But before he became a punching bag on the internet, Shyamalan was making exciting and confident… Continue reading Directing Techniques: M. Night Shyamalan’s Enigmatic Style
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
The 1980s have a special place in the pop culture canon. It turns out a lot of great movies came out in this decade, which means limiting them to a list is not as easy as it sounds. While plenty of beloved films won’t be seen here, we did our very best to make sure… Continue reading Best ‘80s Movies of all Time — A Filmmaker Playlist
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)
Why are humans drawn to the horror genre? From books to film, we can’t seem to get enough of what scares us most. In this article, we will look at the definition of horror and why we enjoy the genre so much. We will also look at a brief history of American cinema and how… Continue reading What is Horror? Definition and Examples in Film
