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 What is an Antagonist in a Story — Definition & Examples
What is a protagonist? Many refer to it as the leading character in a story. But is the protagonist something more? Or something less? To understand the definition fully, we need to look at how different types of protagonists are used in screenwriting. This will help us decide which type works best for our scripts.Continue… Continue reading What is a Protagonist — Definition & Examples for Screenwriters
Storyboard EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is a Storyboard Insert Image Best Storyboard Software Insert Image What is a Storyboard Artist Insert Image Websites to Find a Storyboard Artist Insert Image What is a Digital Storyboard Insert Image Introducing Storyboard Builder Insert Image Ultimate Guide to Storyboard Rules Insert Image What is an Animatic Insert… Continue reading How to Storyboard a Fight Scene — Tips & Examples
How to Format a ScreenplayOpen menu Insert Image Formatting a Screenplay Insert Image Margins Insert Image Scene Headings Insert Image Sluglines Insert Image Action / Description Insert Image Action Breaks Insert Image Character Cues Insert Image Dialogue Insert Image Transitions Insert Image Chyrons Insert Image Flashbacks Insert Image TV Script Format 101 FREE Movie Scripts:… Continue reading How to Write Action Breaks in Dialogue — Examples & Tips
Picture this. You’re an aspiring screenwriter with a story idea, maybe even a script. You get into an elevator and see a well known movie producer. You chat, you say you’re a screenwriter, and they ask if you have anything you’re working on. You have three more floors to pitch your story idea. What do… Continue reading What is the Premise of a Story — Definition and Examples
Tall buildings, smoke filled rooms, femme fatales, people on the margins of society, late nights, bright signs….and cybernetic implants? No, it’s not film noir, it’s Cyberpunk. It’s a sub-genre that has slowly but surely integrated itself into popular media from the 1970s all the way to the 2020s. Taking inspiration from hard boiled fiction and… Continue reading What is Cyberpunk — Genre Definition, Origins & Examples
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 Exposition — You Can’t Escape It But You Can Conquer It
What does high concept mean? The term ‘high concept’ is thrown around in film circles with reckless abandon but the true meaning is often misused or misconstrued. In this post, we will define high concept, debunk many of the misconceptions around the term, and look at some examples. And we’ll let you know how you… Continue reading What is High Concept in Film — Definition and Examples
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” is one of the most well-known philosophical concepts in history. As such, it only makes sense that numerous filmmakers would try to incorporate this philosophy into their movies. But what exactly is it? And why does it work so well in the context of filmmaking? We’ll look at this concept… Continue reading Plato’s Allegory of the Cave — Summary & Meaning Explained
Ever since The Great Train Robbery introduced filmgoers to the joys of a glorious gunfight in 1903, shootouts have become a staple of cinematic spectacles. Throughout movie history, filmmakers have tried to one-up each other by creating the most titillating exchange of gunfire possible. Over a century since its inception, the shootout continues to be… Continue reading Best Movie Shootouts of All Time — Locked, Loaded & Ranked
What is overcranking? Is it just a relic of filmmaking’s past? Or is it something that we still do today? We’re going to answer those questions by exploring the history of overcranking in film – then we’ll break down some overcranking examples from movies and YouTube videos. By the end, you’ll be ready to overcrank… Continue reading What is Overcranking in Film — The Origins of Slow Motion
There is a saying: the best film editing is the editing that nobody notices. Though there are exceptions, this is pretty widely accepted as truth for the most part. So if good editing purposely avoids standing out, how are the nominees and winners of the Best Film Editing Oscar picked out and decided? The editing style… Continue reading Academy Award For Best Film Editing — Top 20 Winners Ranked
Color BasicsOpen menu Insert Image Color Grading vs. Color Correction Insert Image What is Color Space Insert Image What is Color Temperature Insert Image What is a Vectorscope Insert Image What is LUT Insert Image What is a Colorist Insert Image What is a Color Checker Insert Image What is Technicolor Insert Image First Color… Continue reading What is a Monochromatic Color Scheme — Definition, Examples
⌂ Types OF IronyVerbal IronySituational IronyDramatic Irony We encounter irony every day: in our favorite movies, TV shows, and in our own lives. Most people have a general understanding of irony but there are also a lot of misconceptions about it. For example, were you aware that there are 3 different types of irony? In this… Continue reading 3 Types of Irony Every Storyteller Should Know (with 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 a Sound Bridge in Film — Scene Transition Techniques
What does deus ex machina mean? Writers work hard to put their characters into terrible situations to find new and creative ways to get them out. It’s entertaining and it’s a sign of a great, organic story. Conflict needs to live and breathe. But conflict also demands resolution. Catharsis. But for some writers, that catharsis… Continue reading Deus ex Machina — Meaning, Definition & Examples in Movies
What is a Metaphor What is a Mixed Metaphor What is a Visual Metaphor What is an Extended Metaphor What is an Implied Metaphor What is a Dead Metaphor Every writer works from a place of passion. The ideas, concepts, stories or experiences that you pull from when you write can be crystal clear to… Continue reading What is an Extended Metaphor — Definition and Examples
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 VFX? Defining the Term and Creating Impossible Worlds
From movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This… Continue reading What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics
