It is easy to look back at the release of James Cameron’s Titanic and see that all things led to it being a record-breaking cultural phenomenon. The film’s massive budget, insane on-set stories, and unprecedented scale gained mainstream buzz before the film was even released. The result was a film that impacted culture and cinema for… Continue reading The Making of Titanic — On the Set of James Cameron’s Epic
If you are a filmmaker or even just a movie buff, odds are you’ve heard the term “narrative film.” Although it is a rather vague term thrown around quite often, it can make a lot of people wonder, “What is a narrative film?” In this article, we’ll clarify the key characteristics to narrative movies and… Continue reading What is Narrative Film — Overview & History of Narrative Cinema
You’ve heard of a protagonist and an antagonist. And now you can really knock the socks off your screenwriting buddies by discussing how your script’s deuteragonist impacts the plot. But what is a deuteragonist and how can you make sure yours serves a vital function in your story. You’re the hero of your filmmaking journey… Continue reading What is a Deuteragonist — Definition & Examples for Writers
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 CGI? How CGI Works in Movies and Animation
Have you ever felt at a loss for words to describe what you are feeling or the point you are making? Odds are you’ve probably turned to using hyperbole. Hyperbole is used throughout common conversations, speech, rhetoric, film, and literature. What is a hyperbole? Why is it so commonly used and what is it effective… Continue reading What is a Hyperbole — Definition & Examples for Writers
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 Academy Award for Best Original Score: Top Winners Ranked
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
90s movies may forever be my favorite movies. For whatever reason, whether comedy, drama, or horror, I feel this overwhelming sense of peace when one of my favorite 90s films is on. Is it just nostalgia or do they actually hold up? I suppose that’s always debatable. But there is a thin line between what… Continue reading Best 90s Movies of All Time — An Awesome 90s Movies List
Peripeteia. Is it a synonym for ‘onomatopoeia’? A fancy potato? A lyric from Mary Poppin’s “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Excellent guesses, but no. Peripeteia isn’t written sound effects, a special tuber or delightful nonsense from the Poppinverse. So, what is peripeteia? Despite how intimidating it may appear on paper, the peripeteia definition is a simple, but crucial, story… Continue reading What is Peripeteia? A Deep Dive Into a Surprising Plot Device
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
It’s time to stop underrating James Cameron movies. He’s not perfect but he’s better than he gets credit for. Cameron is an auteur working at the highest level of the studio system, like a proto-Christopher Nolan. His budgets are record-breaking but so are the box office returns.Continue reading James Cameron Movies: Ranked with the Filmmaker… Continue reading James Cameron Movies: Ranked with the Filmmaker in Mind
The dinner scene. We’re all familiar with an awkward dinner, but some films elevate this mundane practice into pure art. Screenwriting is all about writing what you know, and these writers knew the dinner table was an ideal place for horror, dramatic irony, and comedy. These are the best dinner scenes in movies of all… Continue reading Best Dinner Scenes in Movies and Why They Work
Everyone loves to see a great scene transition, but how do you connect scenes on a deeper level? Consider using a match cut. Using similar colors, shapes, actions or even dialogue, match cuts add that extra level of meaning to create a more cohesive and seamless narrative. In today’s post, we’re going to break down… Continue reading Match Cuts & Creative Transitions with Examples – Editing Techniques
There’s more than one occasion to break out the pint of ice cream and dive into the genre of romance. Whether you are going through a breakup, looking for a romantic watch with your significant other, or searching for a rom-com to watch with roommates on movie night, finding a great romantic film can be… Continue reading Best Romantic Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
When audiences saw James Cameron’s Titanic for the first time in 1997, they were awed by a scale of filmmaking that the world had rarely, if at all, seen before. More recently, blockbuster movies are almost expected to match this type of scale — some have exceeded it. So, what are the highest-grossing movies of… Continue reading Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: What Makes a Blockbuster?
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read Insert… Continue reading Explore and Read the Best Free Movie Scripts Online (with PDF Downloads)
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read Insert… Continue reading Best Free Drama Movie Scripts Online (with PDF Downloads)
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read Insert… Continue reading Best Free Romantic 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 Why do filmmakers use over-the-shoulder shots? Can they signal to the viewer that two characters are, at the very least, on the… Continue reading Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Summarizing an entire screenplay is not an easy thing to do. Let alone in 1-2 sentences. But it is what’s required if you want to pitch your script to a producer or studio. When you send out your script too, the logline sometimes determines if someone even reads it. So, what is a logline? We’re… Continue reading What is a Logline? [with FREE Logline Formula Template]
