Don Vito Corleone, head of a mafia family, decides to handover his empire to his youngest son Michael. However, his decision unintentionally puts the lives of his loved ones in grave danger.
How do you create a compelling character in the editing room? The choices an editor makes greatly impact how audiences receive a character. In moments of change or distress, we want the audience to actively engage with the thoughts and emotions that motivate our character’s decisions. By understanding their characters, editors can employ editing techniques… Continue reading The Godfather Restaurant Scene & Principles of Film Editing
Two is always better than one when it comes to Juxtaposition. Other than being the game-winning word in your next Scrabble match, what is juxtaposition? It is a frequently used term throughout the artistic world from photography to literature to film. Despite its frequent use, its meaning can be quite vague. We’ll define juxtaposition with… Continue reading What is Juxtaposition in Film? Definition and Examples
BasicsOpen 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 TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s… Continue reading What is ADR in Film — Will it Save or Ruin Your Film?
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image What is Sound Design Insert Image What Does a Sound Designer Do Insert Image Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing Insert Image What is Voice Over Insert Image What is a Foley Artist Insert Image What is Diegetic Sound Insert Image What is Non-Diegetic Sound Insert Image What is a Film Score… Continue reading Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing — What’s the Difference?
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image Antagonist Insert Image Hero Insert Image Anti Hero Insert Image Tragic Hero Insert Image Superhero Insert Image Anti-Villain Insert Image Villain Character TropesOpen menu Insert Image Common Character Types Insert Image Character Archetypes Insert Image Types of Villains Insert Image Femme Fatale Insert Image Mad Scientist Insert Image Mary Sue Insert… Continue reading Types of Villains — 10 Forms of the Villain Archetype Explained
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image What is Post-Production Insert Image What is VFX Insert Image What are Special Effects Insert Image What is Virtual Production Insert Image What is SFX Makeup Insert Image What is CGI Insert Image What is Mocap Insert Image What is Compositing Insert Image What is Matte Painting Insert Image What is… Continue reading What is SFX Makeup — The Magic of Special Effects Makeup
EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is The Three Act Structure Insert Image What is Story Structure Insert Image What is a Story Beat Insert Image What Is a Plot Insert Image What is a Non-Linear Plot Insert Image What is a Plot Device Insert Image Screenplay Structure Examples Insert Image Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Insert… Continue reading What is the Climax of a Story — Definition, Examples & Structure
BasicsOpen menu Insert Image What Does a Cinematographer Do Insert Image What is Cinematography Insert Image What is Digital Cinematography Insert Image Cinematography Terms Insert Image What is Motion Blur LightingOpen menu Insert Image Basics of Film Lighting: 4 Qualities of Light Insert Image What is Practical Lighting Insert Image 3-Point Lighting Insert Image What… Continue reading 30 Best Cinematography Techniques & Tips You Didn’t Learn in Film School
Cross Cutting and parallel editing are highly effective editing techniques that can greatly improve the quality of any film or visual work. If you’ve heard the expressions “greater than the sum of its parts,” then you already know why these techniques are used so often in filmmaking. In this post, we’re going to give you… Continue reading What is Cross Cutting and Parallel Editing in Film?
You’re looking for a list of the best crime movies of all time. Maybe you want to find action crime films, or crime thrillers, or perhaps even a crime comedy movie or a crime drama. We’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best crime movies of all-time, including American crime… Continue reading 73 Best Crime Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers (2023)
What is theme? In the simplest terms, a theme is the subject of a story. But that definition actually does more harm than good in fully understanding the theme of a story. In this article, we’re going to look at some common misconceptions by breaking down how to use theme in literature and screenwriting, with… Continue reading What is Theme in Literature and Film? Definition and Examples
No genre has influenced the public’s perception of criminals more than Gangster Movies. For more than 80 years, the best gangster movies have fascinated and allured the minds of millions; from Prohibition-era pre-code crime to 21st Century gang life. Our list of the 30 best gangster movies of all time includes films that span the… Continue reading Top 30 Best Gangster Movies of All Time, Ranked (2023)
Motion pictures have enticed and inspired artists, audiences, and critics for more than a century. Today, we’re going to explore the history of film by looking at the major movements that have defined cinema worldwide. We’re also going to explore the technical craft of filmmaking from the persistence of vision to colorization to synchronous sound.… Continue reading The History of Film Timeline — All Eras of Film History Explained
What is a period piece? If the term transports your mind to a faraway time with big, puffy dresses and flowery language, then you might be on the right track. We’ll start out by defining what exactly constitutes a period piece, then we’ll dig a little deeper before taking a look at some great examples… Continue reading What is a Period Piece — How Movies Transport Us to the Past
What is world-building? And, more importantly, why does it matter? World-building is an integral element of storytelling that often goes overlooked and underappreciated. Good world-building might be felt rather than explicitly noticed, and a lack of it can leave a book, film, or video game feeling shallow. We’ll get started with a world-building definition, then… Continue reading What is World Building — Definition, Examples & Techniques
Basics of CompositionOpen menu What is Composition Rules of Shot Composition Rules of Composition SizeOpen menu Scale Proportion BalanceOpen menu Asymmetrical Balance Symmetrical Balance Radial Balance Golden Ratio Foreground Elements Texture Rhythm SpaceOpen menu Positive Space Negative Space Positive & Negative Space Fill the Frame Simplicity LinesOpen menu Leading Lines Rule of Thirds Frame Within… Continue reading What is Simplicity in Art — Composition Techniques Explained
What is a dissolve in film? Dissolves are some of the most commonly used editing transitions in all of film. We’ve seen them used to expert effect in films like Citizen Kane, Saving Private Ryan, and more. We’re going to explain the dissolve definition in a simple and concise way. Then we’ll show you how… Continue reading What is a Dissolve in Film — Editing Transitions Explained
Over the last few years, Hollywood has tried to reinvent its definition of the “strong female protagonist” – but the result has been mixed. Although there has been a greater representation of empowered women in Hollywood films, there has also been a dissolution of nuanced characters. All of this begs the question: how do you… Continue reading Strong Female Characters in Film — With 5 Tips on Writing Them
Video transitions are used in just about every film and video – and they play an enormous role in the subliminal or liminal effects of moving from shot to shot. As such, knowing when and how to use specific types of editing transitions in film – like wipes, fades and pans – can make your… Continue reading Types of Editing Transitions in Film — The Ultimate Guide
Great performances, direction, cinematography, and even production design are all essential for creating an engaging dialogue scene. But one of the most important aspects of a great dialogue scene is effective editing. Editing can make or break a dialogue scene even if all of the other filmmaking elements fall into place. So how do you edit… Continue reading How to Edit a Dialogue Scene — Tips and Techniques for Editors
