What is Dolby Stereo — History of Game-Changing Sound in Film

EssentialsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound  What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing What is a Film Composer What is a… Continue reading What is Dolby Stereo — History of Game-Changing Sound in Film

Deus ex Machina — Meaning, Definition & Examples in Movies

Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading Deus ex Machina — Meaning, Definition & Examples in Movies

20 Movie Tropes and Cliches to Avoid in Your Next Screenplay

Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading 20 Movie Tropes and Cliches to Avoid in Your Next Screenplay

What is Aspect Ratio? A Formula for Framing Success

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

Screenplay Structure Examples — A Guide for Screenwriters

EssentialsOpen menu What is a Scene What is The Three Act Structure What is Story Structure What is a Story Beat What Is a Plot Plot vs Story What is a Non-Linear Plot What is a Plot Device What is Freytag’s Pyramid Screenplay StructureOpen menu Screenplay Structure Examples What is a Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s… Continue reading Screenplay Structure Examples — A Guide for Screenwriters

What is Public Domain and How is it Used? A Guide for Creators

EssentialOpen menu What is Creative Commons What is Fair Use What is Public Domain ResourcesOpen menu Creative Commons License Pros and Cons How Copyright Free Music Works How to Copyright a Script How to Find Award-Worthy Script Ideas from The Public Domain Best Public Domain Movies Does it seem like every story imaginable has already… Continue reading What is Public Domain and How is it Used? A Guide for Creators

What is a Narrative — Definition, Examples in Literature and Film

Narrative is a term that pops up everywhere, not only in relation to film and literature, but also in news stories, in college curriculums, to describe a style of podcasts, even to specify a form of psychotherapy. But what is a narrative? And why is the term used so often to describe so many seemingly… Continue reading What is a Narrative — Definition, Examples in Literature and Film

What is a Wipe Transition in Film — Editing Transitions Explained

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 What is a Wipe Transition in Film — Editing Transitions Explained

What is Lens Flare? How to Get It & How to Avoid It

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.… Continue reading What is Lens Flare? How to Get It & How to Avoid It

What is a Plot Device? Definitions and Examples for Screenwriters

Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading What is a Plot Device? Definitions and Examples for Screenwriters

What is VistaVision — A History of Widescreen in Hollywood

Before the 1950s, nearly every single movie was in the same 4:3 aspect ratio. But then CinemaScope from 20th Century Fox changed the landscape with widescreen imagery to get people into theaters nationwide. Pretty soon, other studios were making their own widescreen movies, including Paramount Pictures with VistaVision. What is VistaVision, you ask? Well, it… Continue reading What is VistaVision — A History of Widescreen in Hollywood

What is a Character Arc — Definition & Types of Character Arcs

What is a character arc and why are they so important in storytelling? A character arc is an essential part of writing a fully-fledged character. As much as we like seeing goals being achieved, it is the internal, positive change in characters that we really gravitate towards. We’re going to answer those questions with a… Continue reading What is a Character Arc — Definition & Types of Character Arcs

Academy Award for Best Production Design — Winners Ranked

What is Production Design What Does a Production Designer Do? Amazon’s The Boys Production Design Production Design Tips Academy Award for Best Production Design Production design is everything that goes into making the world of a film – sets, props and more. But despite its importance, production design is a facet of filmmaking that I… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Production Design — Winners Ranked

Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab

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 going to cover a variety of screenwriting terms that… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab

20 Mise en Scène Elements Every Filmmaker Needs to Know

Mise en scène can seem foreign, even to filmmakers, film critics, and movie buffs. Why is it important? How do you pronounce it? And what is mise en scène anyway. Grasping mise en scène is critical for anyone who makes or seriously watches any kind of visual content. For directors and producers, mise en scène… Continue reading 20 Mise en Scène Elements Every Filmmaker Needs to Know

Best Kids Movies of All Time — Classics Every Kid Should See

There are a lot of great kids movies to watch, whether you’re looking for something to show your children, niece/nephews, classroom, etc. – or you’re just looking to reconnect with your childhood. We’re going to rank the best kids movies of all time based on three criteria: visuals, creativity, and moral/insightful message.  Note: we tried to… Continue reading Best Kids Movies of All Time — Classics Every Kid Should See