A young hobbit, Frodo, who has found the One Ring that belongs to the Dark Lord Sauron, begins his journey with eight companions to Mount Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
It is not uncommon for directors to take inspiration from previous great directors in history. Various techniques and styles are passed on through cinema like a tradition between filmmakers. The Vertigo effect is one of the most distinct examples of this. Films throughout the last sixty years have used the Vertigo effect in a variety… Continue reading What is the Vertigo Effect? The Hitchcock Zoom Explained
Continue reading 8 Character Archetypes — Examples in Literature & Movies
Hulu has really stepped up its game over the last few years, and with new competition like Disney+ and HBO Max, can you blame them? With so many streaming services, it’s hard to know where new releases go and old favorites live. But now the trouble is…how do you find anything? Well, we’ve got you… Continue reading The Best Movies on Hulu Right Now (Jan. 2021)
You’ve heard stories about studios paying millions of dollars for scripts. Probably prompting the deserved question, “How much do screenwriters make?” Today, we’re going to take a look at the events that got the spec market to where it is today. But we’ve got the insider’s perspective, and we’ve done the research. You’ll leave this… Continue reading Screenwriter Salary: How Much Do Screenwriters Really Make in 2021
You’re looking for a movie and TV genre list, maybe for inspiration, but every list you find has categories that are either too broad or so hyper-specific that it becomes overwhelming. We’ve created the perfect movie and TV genre list that will explain the various categories of film and television with their specific subgenres, and we’ll… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Movie Genres — 90+ Genre Examples for Film & TV
Hulu has really stepped up its game over the last few years, and with new competition like Disney+ and HBO Max, can you blame them? With so many streaming services, it’s hard to know where new releases go and old favorites live. But now the trouble is…how do you find anything? Well, we’ve got you… Continue reading The Best Movies on Hulu Right Now (Dec. 2020)
Believe it or not, there was a time in Hollywood when all studios wanted was a spec script. The next big thing. More Shane Black movies. Before Hollywood became the land of superheroes, reboots, and remakes, it was the land of original IP. Welcome to the ‘80s and ‘90s, when writers would write, directors would… Continue reading Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained [PDF Downloads]
In today’s cinematic landscape, very few people are unaware of what a prequel is. Whether you’re watching a new movie that’s labelled as such, or the “sequel” you’re watching actually takes place before the first film, prequels are not that uncommon in the world of entertainment. But what is a prequel exactly, and what are… Continue reading What is a Prequel? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Are practical effects still useful in modern cinema? In the battle of practical vs CGI (computer-generated images), who wins? Practical effects have a rich history in cinema, influencing generations of filmmakers and movie goers alike. Oftentimes, practical effects movies can produce a more realistic look and feel than CGI. In the article, we analyze practical… Continue reading Practical Effects in Film — How Filmmakers Do It For Real
Shot List SeriesShot SizeShot FramingCamera AnglesCamera FocusCamera GearCamera MovementCamera Lenses As cameras have become smaller over time, new technology is constantly being invented to move them in every direction possible. Understanding the effects of the different types of camera movements in film is essential for every filmmaker to understand. It not only makes them better… Continue reading Types of Camera Movements in Film Explained: Definitive Guide
What is an antagonist? The simplest explanation is that they represent the opposite of the protagonist. But there’s much more to the term than that. By understanding how these characters are used in screenwriting, we’re better equipped to handle story conflict in our own scripts. We’ll start with an antagonist definition that may surprise you… Continue reading What is an Antagonist? Definition and Examples Explained
What is a leitmotif? What makes it different from a regular motif? How is it used in cinema? These are the questions we’re going to answer as we look at the history of leitmotifs. We’re also going to show you how masterclass composers like John Williams apply leitmotifs to their films. By the end, you’ll… Continue reading What is a Leitmotif? Definition and Examples in Film
The Academy Award for Best Director is the most prestigious honor any director can receive — well, at least in theory it is. You may be shocked to find out that many of “the greatest directors of all-time,” like Alfred Hitchock, Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini never… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Director — Oscar Winners Ranked
There’s more than one way to animate a film. And one of the most innovative, albeit time-consuming, ways to bring a movie to life is through rotoscoping. But what is rotoscope animation? While it’s typically associated with modern works like the 2006 film A Scanner Darkly and the recent Amazon Prime series Undone, the technique… Continue reading What is Rotoscope Animation? The Process Explained
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… Continue reading Best Movie Sequels of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
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… Continue reading How the Dan Harmon Story Circle Can Make Your Story Better
Historically, sound effects were used as comic relief or to signify an action happening off-screen. But as cinematography has evolved, so too has sound design. Sound design has become a powerful tool and if you’re a filmmaker looking to increase the production value of your projects, these sound effect techniques can help get you there.… Continue reading Movie Sound — A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques
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… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
Introducing StudioBinder’s screenplay library — your one-stop-shop for reading, downloading, and analyzing the best movie scripts online. Our collection contains all the feature-length screenplays in our database as well as scripts that we have broken down by plot, character, ending, quotes, and more. Our hope is that screenwriters everywhere can have access to these iconic… Continue reading Explore and Read the Best Free Movie Scripts Online (with PDF Downloads)
Types of FramingOpen menu Establishing Shot Single Shot Two Shot Over the Shoulder Insert Shot POV Shot More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now You’re looking for a list of the different types of camera shot framing in film, but you also want great examples that… Continue reading Camera Framing Techniques: Frame Shots Like a Master Filmmaker
Robert Pattinson’s The Batman (2021) is one of the most highly anticipated movies in the world. But although the film has generated enormous pre-release hype, the history of its production is littered with roadblocks and challenges. We’re going to break down everything we know so far about the new Batman movie by looking at the… Continue reading The Batman 2021: Cast, Set Photos, Release Date and What We Know So Far
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now The dolly zoom is one of the most discussed cinematic techniques. You can use them in many ways, but a great director will find… Continue reading What is a Dolly Zoom (Zolly Shot) — Scene Examples of the Vertigo Effect
O dds are that if you’ve had any interest in writing a script within the past fifty years you’ve heard of the Hero’s Journey. A writer you got drinks with swore by it, a film professor suggested you read about it. Or you overheard the barista at your local coffee shop talking about how Die Hard is… Continue reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: A Better Screenplay in 17 Steps
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… Continue reading Best Movies of the 2000s — The Entire Decade Ranked
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… Continue reading What is the Wilhelm Scream? Origins and Iconic Examples
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