What is New Hollywood? There’s a scene in Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind that can answer that for us. It shows a group of young directors going to the home of a Hollywood Golden Age titan to express their admiration. This scene shows what the Hollywood New Wave was really about; an unwavering appreciation for Film that inspired these filmmakers to take it in a new direction. Essentially, New Hollywood was American cinema reborn by the Film School Generation.Continue reading What is New Hollywood? The Revolution of 1960s and ‘70s Hollywood
There are plenty of great shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but HBO still reigns king in the world of TV streaming. Since 1972, the ‘Home Box Office’, better known as HBO has produced dozens upon dozens of top-tier TV shows. We’re going to rank the best shows on HBO, from ‘72 to 2020 so that you can find a new series or a forgotten classic that is 100% worth viewing.Continue reading The Best Shows on HBO Right Now (May 2020)
The future is unwritten — at least that's what they say — but the past is very much written. From a present-day perspective, we can learn about what was done and whether or not it worked. In storytelling, historical irony gives your characters perspective. It is a very specific type of situational irony so let's talk about how it can be used effectively with examples from David Fincher, George Lucas, and Guillermo del Toro.Continue reading What is Historical Irony? Definition & Examples
The 2000s were a weird time for cinema -- kind of sandwiched in between the indie 90’s scene and the blockbuster 2010’s scene. But there are so many great movies that came out between 2000 and 2009, that we thought it would be interesting to look back at what made them so great. So without further ado, this is our list of the best movies of the 2000s.Continue reading Best Movies of the 2000s — The Entire Decade Ranked
Although he didn’t know it in 1977, George Lucas’ script for Star Wars would go on to become the blueprint for the way modern movies are made, seen, and marketed.We’re going to break down the essential aspects of the Star Wars script, and how George Lucas made a science-fiction classic.Buckle up, we’re going into hyperdrive...Continue reading Star Wars: A New Hope Script — Screenplay Analysis and PDF Download
How does one create a power struggle in film? What are the techniques available that will help to communicate this battle through a visual lens?Let's look at how Paul Thomas Anderson builds a power struggle with blocking, staging, framing, set dressing, and camera control.Make sure to read through to the end for more examples of these techniques in the director's work.Continue reading There Will Be Blood: Analysis of a Power Struggle — Director’s Playbook
The Star Wars universe has given the world so much. From backwards-talking aliens to familial plot twists, Star Wars has sparked millions of people’s imaginations. However, the films also introduced us to one of the coolest weapons ever to grace the big screen: the lightsaber.We’ve already discussed how superb cinematography can enhance any lightsaber battle. Now, we’ll look at other components that help give some Star Wars lightsaber duels more cinematic resonance than others. But don’t worry. Even if you aren’t directing a Star Wars film any time soon, you can still use these pointers to enhance fight scenes in…
Pastiche is a term thrown around a lot in filmmaking, but what exactly qualifies as pastiche? Pastiche can be both a boon and a pitfall to your creative process, so it’s important to know what it is, what it isn’t, and how to use it effectively in your own work. In this post, we’re going to explain what pastiche is and how it differs from other storytelling devices it’s often confused with. We’ll also take a look at how prolific filmmakers utilize pastiche in their work, and how when done right, pastiche can help define their personal style and voice.…
Human beings in the real world are multi-faceted, each with unique traits, strengths, desires, and flaws. Honest, compelling characters in storytelling, therefore, must also be complex beings. One of the unique tools writers have in making characters more complex and more interesting is character flaws. Continue reading The Ultimate Character Flaws List — A Writer’s Guide
Few fight scenes in cinema are as exhilarating as a lightsaber duel in the Star Wars franchise. Everyone has their own personal favorites, but one of the most well-choreographed and filmed lightsaber combat scenes put to film is the Throne Room scene in The Last Jedi. A lot of people may watch this lightsaber fight and think it’s just cool to look at, which is certainly is. However, when you really break it down, director Rian Johnson, well known for his unique directorial style, utilizes expert techniques to make the fight scene really stand out. It’s arguably one of the…
