If you’re familiar with David Fincher movies, you know they focus on serial killers, robbers, brawlers, and murderers alike. You might also know that he has a reputation for being an exacting, obsessively technical director. However, dark subjects and visual meticulousness belie Fincher’s overlooked secret weapon: his ability to connect with actors on a human level to draw out authentic and defining performances. This humanity, this messy warmth, doesn’t simply transcend Fincher’s bleakness and robot-like technical rigor: it exists because of it. That’s the genius of David Fincher films.Continue reading The Directing Style of David Fincher
The Godfather is rightfully one of the greatest films ever made. Everything works magnificently together. But one of the most overlooked aspects of the film is how well the blocking and staging are. Today for our film analysis of The Godfather, we’re examining a pivotal scene in the character development of Michael Corleone. In particular, we’re focusing on how the actors’ movements and camera direction help tell the story. Be wary of oranges, and let’s dive in!Continue reading The Godfather: Analysis of a Scene — Director’s Playbook
What do you get from a low angle shot? Does it make your character seem more powerful? Can it also signal vulnerability? Today, we cover the low angle shot, and how you can use it in your next film. Continue reading Low Angle Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
How does one create a great tracking shot in film? What strategies are available to keep the shot interesting for the audience without becoming too chaotic? With this example from Martin Scorsese’s excellent film The Wolf of Wall Street, we’ll show you how a master filmmaker uses eye lines, blocking, and framing to create a riveting long take and avoid unnecessary cuts.Make sure to read through to the end for more examples of long takes in television and film! Continue reading The Wolf of Wall Street Long Take — Director’s Playbook
The Star Wars universe has given the world so much. From backwards-talking aliens to familial plot twists, Star Wars has sparked millions of people’s imaginations. However, the films also introduced us to one of the coolest weapons ever to grace the big screen: the lightsaber.We’ve already discussed how superb cinematography can enhance any lightsaber battle. Now, we’ll look at other components that help give some Star Wars lightsaber duels more cinematic resonance than others. But don’t worry. Even if you aren’t directing a Star Wars film any time soon, you can still use these pointers to enhance fight scenes in…
Few fight scenes in cinema are as exhilarating as a lightsaber duel in the Star Wars franchise. Everyone has their own personal favorites, but one of the most well-choreographed and filmed lightsaber combat scenes put to film is the Throne Room scene in The Last Jedi. A lot of people may watch this lightsaber fight and think it’s just cool to look at, which is certainly is. However, when you really break it down, director Rian Johnson, well known for his unique directorial style, utilizes expert techniques to make the fight scene really stand out. It’s arguably one of the…
Christmas movies are a time honored tradition, and there are many that touch on the spirit of Christmas and what the holiday means to society during the time period in which it was created.In today’s post we do some film analysis on what may, or may not, be considered a classic in the genre of Christmas movies. The movie in question is none other than the 1996 laugh riot, Jingle All the Way.Continue reading Jingle All the Way — A Complete Deconstruction of the Capitalist Machine
Jay Roach has filmed some of the greatest comedies of all time with his work on the Austin Powers trilogy and Meet the Fockers. In recent years, he’s turned his attention to more politically-oriented stories like Trumbo and the upcoming Bombshell. As part of our ongoing partnership with Sundance Co//ab, Jay Roach recently sat down with us to discuss how he created a claustrophobic, tense elevator scene for Bombshell.Watch: In the Frame with Jay RoachSubscribe for more filmmaking videos like this.Directed by Jay RoachBombshell (2019)Bombshell focuses on three women who worked for Fox News and set out to expose the…
Inception is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, in large part due to the special effects. Can you build the special effects from Inception scenes with your home setup?In today's post, we’re going to show you how we recreated the VFX explosion animation in the Paris cafe scene from Inception. See how we approach lighting, sound effects, set design, and slow-motion to create a similar visual product for a fraction of the cost.Continue reading Inception Special Effects: Explosion Animation in the Paris Cafe Scene
Best Nolan MoviesNolan's Directing StyleNolan Directing Tips Nolan's CirclesNolan's Shot List Christopher Nolan films include Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, and Interstellar. His films Inception and Dunkirk received Academy Award nominations for best picture.We watched all of Christopher Nolan's movies, interviews, and documentaries to compile a list of filmmaking tips & techniques.Continue reading Christopher Nolan: A Filmmaker’s Guide to Nolan’s Directing Style
