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… Continue reading What is Suspense — The Elements of Suspense Explained
There are certain compositional techniques that make a shot visually beautiful. There are other compositional techniques that are effective at visually telling a story. The frame within a frame does both. And any compositional technique that can tell a better story while simultaneously creating a more cinematic shot is worth learning about. What is a… Continue reading What is a Frame Within a Frame — Composition Techniques
Have you ever watched a movie with a plot twist that blew your mind and then watched that movie again and noticed signs leading to the twist? You’re not alone. So, what is foreshadowing? Is it just simply dropping clues or is it something more? Implementing foreshadowing techniques into your story can create anticipation that… Continue reading What is Foreshadowing — Definition, Examples in Film and Lit.
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… Continue reading Anton Chigurh — Characterization of an Iconic Villain Explained
Ever since The Great Train Robbery introduced filmgoers to the joys of a glorious gunfight in 1903, shootouts have become a staple of cinematic spectacles. Throughout movie history, filmmakers have tried to one-up each other by creating the most titillating exchange of gunfire possible. Over a century since its inception, the shootout continues to be… Continue reading Best Movie Shootouts of All Time — Locked, Loaded & Ranked
What are the best movie scripts to study as an aspiring screenwriter? Reading great screenplays is an important part of the learning process for any developing screenwriter. By looking at the work of great writers, we can explore a multitude of styles and approaches. Studying great scripts can strengthen and inform your own writing. We’ll… Continue reading Best Screenplays to Read for Aspiring Screenwriters — Top 10
Whether you are a cinematographer or photographer, you are very likely to come across a project that will require the use of hard light. High contrast photography, Chiaroscuro lighting, and dramatic images in general are all created with some type of hard light. What is hard light and how does it differ from soft light? We’ll… Continue reading What is Hard Light — Examples and Techniques in Film & Photo
Roger Deakins movies include Fargo, Skyfall, Sicario, No Country for Old Men, and recently he won the Academy Award in Cinematography for Blade Runner 2049 and 1917. But these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the best Roger Deakins movies. We watched every one of them to see which films… Continue reading Roger Deakins Movies — His 16 Best Ranked for Filmmakers
Sometimes, a hero is only as good as their villain. Whether they’re a charismatic villain that you love to hate or pure, unadulterated evil, these villains will stick in your mind for years to come. Be sure to check out our How to Write a Villain video essay below for a breakdown of three villainous… Continue reading The Best Villains of All Time — 23 Vile and Vicious Evildoers
When you think of some of the most iconic films in cinema history, quite a few also have an iconic prop. The Godfather and the horse head, The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s shoes, and of course Star Wars and the lightsaber. All of these props differ greatly from each other in how they look and… Continue reading What is a Movie Prop — Types of Film Props & Why They Matter
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… Continue reading What is Assonance — Definition and Examples for Writers
If you ever took any type of film editing class or read a book on film editing, L cuts might have been among the first techniques you learned. This is because it is one of the most effective techniques at creating a natural flow of a film. Nearly every single movie you watch will have… Continue reading What is an L Cut in Film — Editing Transitions Explained
The Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars is often one of the most crowded and competitive fields in the entire Academy Award ceremony. Supporting actor roles tend to be some of the juiciest parts penned by screenwriters and often provide the perfect opportunities for talented actors to sink their teeth in and disappear into… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor — Top 20 Winners
Dialogue scenes can be great, but they can easily fall short if they solely focus on the character doing the talking. Reaction shots have the ability to elevate a dialogue scene in a completely nonverbal way. Sometimes the physical reactions of a character can say a whole lot more than words. Let’s find out how.Continue… Continue reading The Reaction Shot — Much More Than Essential Film Grammar
A crucial part of filmmaking lies in preparation during pre-production. Developing an idea of what a film will look and feel like takes some deep thinking. Creating a film lookbook is a great way to compile all of these thoughts into one place for your benefit and the benefit of the entire film crew. In this… Continue reading Film Lookbook Examples & How to Make a Lookbook for Film
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
Every writer works from a place of passion. The ideas, concepts, stories or experiences that you pull from when you write can be crystal clear to you, but communicating those ideas to a larger audience may pose a challenge. One of the best tools for communicating abstract ideas in an engaging way is the extended… Continue reading What is an Extended Metaphor — Definition and Examples
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)
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
You’re looking for a list of the best crime movies of all time. Maybe you want to find action crime films, or crime thrillers, or perhaps even a crime comedy movie or a crime drama. We’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best crime movies of all-time, including American crime… Continue reading 73 Best Crime Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers (2022)
