Star Wars is an American epic space-opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.
An inciting incident is an essential part of every story. But what is an inciting incident and why is it so essential? We’re going to get to the bottom of those questions by defining the term and by looking at examples from Star Wars, La La Land, and more. By the end, you’ll know the inciting incident meaning and how to implement it in your own works.Continue reading What is an Inciting Incident — Definition & Script Examples
What does tank-warfare and the aspect ratio of movies have in common? Anamorphic lenses! These technological marvels are legendary in the world of cinematography. Over the past 100 years, Hollywood has constantly experimented with various innovations, seeking not just to push creativity but to increase profit. A brief journey through history will help us appreciate the anamorphic format and its unlikely invention and popularity. And if you're a filmmaker looking to get that "anamorphic lens look," we'll go over all the visual characteristics that will get the job done. Continue reading What is an Anamorphic Lens? How to Get that Cinematic…
Storyboarding is almost always a good idea. This is true when shooting a movie or television show, but it’s also true for weddings, ads, and anything that might require a camera. In this post, we’ll break down how to storyboard videography of all sorts, plus give you a video storyboard template.Continue reading How to Storyboard Videography — Weddings, Ads & More
What is a Mary Sue? This much-maligned character type is often the subject of fierce online debate, and pinning down a precise definition requires sorting through swaths of debate and disagreement. In this post, we will be explaining everything you need to know about the Mary Sue trope. We’ll get started with a definition, then examine why this type of character is so derided, look at some examples, and attempt to end things on a positive note by searching for a silver lining.Continue reading What is a Mary Sue — Character Types Explained
What is lens flare? It’s probably appeared on some of your photos or footage. Sometimes it ruins images, and sometimes it surprises you and makes you feel like you are the greatest photographer in all the land. If you’re an aspiring photographer or filmmaker, though, you’ll probably want and need more control over your images. So, once we determine what is lens flare, we’ll provide some suggestions for how to avoid it and how to capture it.Continue reading What is Lens Flare? How to Get It & How to Avoid It
By this point in time, there is a strong chance you have at least heard of IMAX. It’s often sold to potential customers as the most immersive way to watch a movie, featuring a larger-than-average screen and the highest quality imagery and sound. The ticket price is higher, too. But what is IMAX, and how did it go from a speciality format often seen in museums to a common option found at many multiplexes?Continue reading What is IMAX and How It Changed the Way We Watch Movies
T he act of storytelling has always been with us. Anthropologist Joseph Campbell took stories from around the world and found they all shared the same basic structure. Campbell's Hero's Journey laid out each of the fundamental steps in this story structure. A few decades later, Dan Harmon took this same idea and created the Story Circle. In Dan Harmon's Story Circle, there are 8 essential steps that can guide almost any story from Fade In to Fade Out. Let's walk through each step with examples so you can apply this foolproof structure to your next great idea.Continue reading Storytelling Guide:…
Whether you searched them out yourself, or whether someone recommended you “work on structure,” all writers have come across a screenplay structure in their day. Some swear by it, others liken it to creative cancer. The truth is, whether you like them or not, there is value in understanding what the formulas are and how they are used. Today, we’ll learn the screenplay structures you need to know, how they work, and run a few scripts through them.Continue reading Screenplay Structure Examples — A Guide for Screenwriters
What are some of the most iconic sounds in cinema history? Sure two lightsabers clashing or even the suspenseful score of Jaws make that list. However, one sound effect has been used throughout movies of all genres for over fifty years. It is none other than the iconic Wilhelm Scream. You may have heard it and asked yourself “What is that same scream in all movies?” What is the Wilhelm Scream and where did the original Wilhelm Scream come from? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at one of the most iconic sounds in film and how filmmakers…
Screenplay transitions in cinema have been used ever since filmmakers had the ability to edit. At first, what was a simple cue to an editor of when to cut to another shot or scene has become another tool for a filmmaker to creatively tell a story. Fades, wipes, and match cuts are a few examples of how the transition has evolved to more creative uses. It is important for any screenwriter to understand the format and use of transitions in a screenplay to make them a more well-rounded writer. Let’s dive into how to write transitions in a script and…
