Cinematography and photography is naturally a two-dimensional medium. However, great cinematographers and photographers utilize light to create three-dimensional effects. One of the tools they have to do this is the rim light. A rim light can keep an image from falling flat. Rim lighting can bring out shapes, textures, and contours that make an image appear more lively. So, what is rim light and how can you use it to create beautiful images? We’ll cover all of this and more in this article. Continue reading What is a Rim Light — 3 Point Lighting Techniques Explained
In the world of movie making we have today, any digital device with video functionality can help you tell a story, from your mobile phone to your computer’s webcam. But what about celluloid film? What is celluloid film, even? We still call movies “films,” right? Celluloid film stock used to be the main and only way major movies would be filmed and distributed. But of course, times have changed, and as technology has advanced, so has the way we make movies. But that’s not to say celluloid film is down for the count. Which is why we are going to…
How is a filmmaker remembered? For their best film? For their worst? Or by their complete work of movies? The latter is known as a filmography. It is a tool used by filmmakers, critics, and fans alike to understand the work and evolution of individuals or companies within the film industry.Continue reading What is a Filmography — And Why it Matters
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 of the film industry since the beginning, the opportunity to direct was rarely given to them. That means that any list that covers the entirety of film history will be unfortunately one-sided. Thankfully, women have been making great strides in reversing this over the years…
Audiences and filmmakers alike love sequels. And we all love to rank and debate which are the “greatest.” But deciding which films belong on a “best movie sequels of all time” list can feel overwhelming. How does one choose from every film ever made? And how to rank one above the other? While such a list is by definition subjective, it doesn’t have to be arbitrary. One way of more rigorously determining if a movie is the best in a certain category is by ranking it according to aggregated scores across categories. To determine the best sequels of all time…
Shot Size Shot Framing Camera Angles Camera Focus Camera Gear Camera Movement Camera Lenses When faced with a blank canvas, a painter must first choose their brush, colors, and subject before they even make a single stroke. Similarly, a filmmaker approaches a shot by first choosing the right tools that serve their story. Some of the most impactful tools to how a shot both looks and feels are camera rigs. Camera rigs are camera support systems that help cinematographers add specific movement to a shot. However, they can also be camera gear that move a camera in a completely…
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 music in how we experience movies. These are the best movie scores of all time — some you will spot a mile away, others will raise some eyebrows, but all will get you thinking about what music you'll use in your next project.Continue reading 23…
Dof basicsShallow dofDeep dofDOF GuideTYPES OF CAMERA FOCUS Shot SizeShot FramingCamera AnglesCamera FocusCamera GearCamera MovementCamera Lenses Camera focus is more than just making sure your image is sharp and detailed. When you consider the storytelling value of shallow focus or how a rack focus can guide the eye, a whole new world opens up. Directors and cinematographers can manipulate the depth of field in film or photography for a variety of purposes. As you complete your next shot list, don't forget this vital aspect of image making. Today, we're going to review the different types of camera focus, how they…
There are three things in this life you can be certain of — death, taxes, and awesome Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Tarantino is the master of the needle drop and knows how to place an existing song perfectly within a scene. It’s tough to narrow down the best Quentin Tarantino songs in his filmography, but that’s precisely what we did so that you can learn how to incorporate needle drops into your own work.Continue reading The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies
Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the masters of cinema, wrote a book titled Sculpting in Time in which he gives insight into one of the most fundamental aspects of filmmaking — how to shape time in a story. One of the building blocks that filmmakers can manipulate to change the rhythm and perception of time in a film is a scene. The amount of scenes in a movie, how long they are, and at what pace they are edited are all ways scenes impact a film. A great way to understand these concepts is to analyze how many scenes are in a…
