Have you ever wondered how to make your films look like the pros? You might feel inclined to blame your camera, your lenses, your budget, but that would be the wrong response. All of the great cinematographers study the characteristics of light. Learning how to control the fundamentals of lighting will allow you to shape light that creates images worthy of the big screen. Although we will be discussing cinematography lighting, all of these principles apply to photography lighting as well. As this series of articles on lighting techniques progress, we will go into greater detail about each of the four…
Best Nolan MoviesNolan's Directing StyleNolan Directing Tips Nolan's CirclesNolan's Shot List Understanding how Christopher Nolan approaches filmmaking is an important step to improving your own skills, but his films are complicated puzzles that are built to confuse and perplex viewers. His use of visual and narrative circles creates intricate and layered films. In this post, we’re going to find the “head of the snake” that governs the overall philosophy of Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking. Let’s jump in.Continue reading How Christopher Nolan Films use Circles to Warp Sight & Sound
Filmmakers always strive to make an audience feel a certain way when watching their films. One of the most fundamental ways is through lighting. And fill light is one of the most fundamental lighting methods to understand. It determines the contrast, shadows, and brightness of the shot. Understanding the fundamentals of light, how to shape it, and how to use it to elevate your story will make you a more well-rounded filmmaker. Once you grasp the basics of fill light and how it functions, you can create a lighting style that is unique and functional. Let’s dive into the…
One of the most, if not the most, iconic and influential directing duos of all time, the Coen Brothers have secured a place in the zeitgeist and in the annals of film history. From Blood Simple to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers’ filmography has been both eclectic and distinctive. In this post, we’ll be providing a Coen Brothers bio, taking a look at how they got their start, and exploring the Coen Brothers’ film style as a whole. Join us as we answer the question: who are the Coen Brothers?Continue reading Who Are the Coen Brothers —…
Mise en scene plays a huge role in communicating the tone of a story -- but what is mise en scene? In classical terms, mise en scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play or film. Today, mise en scene is regarded as all of the elements that go into any single shot of a production. Four of the most important aspects of mise en scene are: sets, props, costume/hair/makeup, and lighting. We’re going to show you how master filmmakers apply color to these four aspects of mise en scene with examples from films by Stanley…
You can tell a lot about a movie based on its color palettes. Color evokes mood and tone. And few directors understand this quite as idiosyncratically as Wes Anderson. In pretty much all of his films, you could take any single frame and learn so much about the characters or plot. And it all comes down to how he uses color. For this blog, we’re breaking down a single Wes Anderson color palette from each of his movies to see what we can glean across his filmography and how his use of color plays with costumes, character development, and themes.…
Shot Size Shot Framing Camera Angles Camera Focus Camera Gear Camera Movement Camera Lenses When faced with a blank canvas, a painter must first choose their brush, colors, and subject before they even make a single stroke. Similarly, a filmmaker approaches a shot by first choosing the right tools that serve their story. Some of the most impactful tools to how a shot both looks and feels are camera rigs. Camera rigs are camera support systems that help cinematographers add specific movement to a shot. However, they can also be camera gear that move a camera in a completely…
From romantic comedies to dramas, many films require a scene where the future love interests meet. There’s love in their eyes, even if one or both of them don’t realize it yet. This is the meet cute, and if you’re writing a script with a romantic plot, then you need to know how to answer, “What is a meet cute?” It's often regarded as a cliche staple of romantic genres but it can be much more than that. Let's look at some meet cute examples from movies that elevate these scenes beyond the cliche. Then we'll talk about the four…
If you know how to adjust your aperture on your digital camera, you’re much closer to mastering lighting and nailing the right exposure for your shots. Without knowing how to use aperture, and how it works with other camera settings, you could be at a real disadvantage when it comes to creating quality images and video. So what is aperture and how does it work in visual storytelling?Continue reading What is Aperture — Ultimate Guide to the Camera Aperture and Depth of Field
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 time.Continue reading Best Dinner Scenes in Movies and Why They Work
