Paul Thomas Anderson is an American filmmaker. Born in Los Angeles, Anderson developed an interest in filmmaking from a young age. An alumnus of the Sundance Institute, Anderson made his feature film debut with Hard Eight in 1996.
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, you’ve probably heard the term aspect ratio quite often. Before you shoot even a single frame of your film, you have to decide what aspect ratio would be best. This decision will affect the staging and framing of every single shot going forward. Why? What is aspect ratio, and why… Continue reading What is Aspect Ratio? A Formula for Framing Success
Editing EssentialsOpen menu What is Film Editing What Does a Film Editor Do How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film How to Become a Film Editor What is In Camera Editing What is Screen Direction in Film What is a Rough Cut in Film What is Continuity Editing in Film What is… Continue reading How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film?
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
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
ProcessOpen menu How to Make a Short Film How to Write a Short Without Dialogue Short Film Schedule Tips Write a Short That Gets Noticed Making a Short Film How to Storyboard a Short Film Phases of Short Film Pre-Production Ari Aster Short Films How Whiplash Went From a Short to a Feature ResourcesOpen menu… Continue reading How to Make a Short Film — 12 Steps from Idea to Finished Film
Human beings have been telling stories for as long as we have roamed this Earth. Storytelling has gone from oral tradition to a natural part of the cinematic landscape. And in-between it all, we have learned how to end a story. Throughout our years telling stories, we have learned that there are ultimately four ways… Continue reading How to End a Story — Different Types of Story Endings Explained
Cinematography Terms Screenwriting Terms Film Terms Film Crew Positions There are a lot of intricacies in scripts that present challenges to even the most veteran of screenwriters. The process of writing a script is difficult enough but the vocabulary, abbreviations, and defintions related to the job can be a bit elusive. But don’t worry, we’re… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab
Have you ever watched a movie that seemed more focused on the inner life of its central character than following a traditional plot? Plenty of movies have great characters, but how many of those same movies would have the same plot if you removed that character? This is part of what makes character studies special,… Continue reading What is a Character Study — Character vs. Plot-Driven Narratives
Major Awards:Open menu Best Picture Best Director ActingOpen menu Best Actress Best Supporting Actress Best Actor Best Supporting Actor WritingOpen menu Best Original Screenplay Best Adapted Screenplay TechnicalOpen menu Best Film Editing Best Visual Effects Best Cinematography Animated & InternationalOpen menu Best Animated Short Film Best Animated Feature Film Best International Feature Film MusicOpen menu… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Cinematography — Top 20 Winners
90s movies may forever be my favorite movies. For whatever reason, whether comedy, drama, or horror, I feel this overwhelming sense of peace when one of my favorite 90s films is on. Is it just nostalgia or do they actually hold up? I suppose that’s always debatable. But there is a thin line between what… Continue reading Best 90s Movies of All Time — An Awesome 90s Movies List
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (December 2020)
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 (Dec. 2020)
In film, there are memorable characters and there are iconic characters. The latter is a result of great writing, directing, and acting. Auteur directors flesh out these iconic characters to create a whole person. The screen has been graced with iconic characters like Jack in The Shining, Travis in Taxi Driver, or for this article,… Continue reading Daniel Plainview: There Will Be Blood True Story Explained
The best movie directors of all time — the idea of such a list sparks immediate debate. Rather than try to impose any sort of definitive or objective best directors list, consider this more of a celebration of the entire medium. Woefully underrepresented on this list are women. While women have been an integral part… Continue reading 55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films
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 (Nov. 2020)
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (November 2020)
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 (Oct 2020)
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the… Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (October 2020)
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film like Kubrick: Mise-en-Scène Elements Explained
Major Awards:Open menu Best Picture Best Director ActingOpen menu Best Actress Best Supporting Actress Best Actor Best Supporting Actor WritingOpen menu Best Original Screenplay Best Adapted Screenplay TechnicalOpen menu Best Film Editing Best Visual Effects Best Cinematography Animated & InternationalOpen menu Best Animated Short Film Best Animated Feature Film Best International Feature Film MusicOpen menu… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Director — Oscar Winners Ranked
