Brent Dunham earned his B.A. from USC and an M.A. from Chapman University in Film Studies. He has taught various film courses to students from 7th grade to undergraduates.
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
Dof basicsShallow dofDeep dofDOF GuideTYPES OF CAMERA FOCUS Shot SizeShot FramingCamera AnglesCamera FocusCamera GearCamera MovementCamera Lenses Camera focus is more than just making sure your image is sharp and detailed. When you consider the storytelling value of shallow focus or how a rack focus can guide the eye, a whole new world opens up. Directors… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Camera Focus: Understanding Depth of Field
Joel and Ethan Coen are filmmakers that play by their own rules, and they seem to delight in this defiance. The plots are never straight forward — they are either slightly confusing and downright impossible. The satisfying ending you were hoping for may or may not come. Who are the Coen Brothers? And what makes… Continue reading The Best Coen Brothers Movies Ranked (and Their Desk Motifs)
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Verbal irony can take many forms, each with its own characteristics and purpose. What is understatement? Understatement is a type of verbal… Continue reading What is Understatement? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony The future is unwritten — at least that’s what they say — but the past is very much written. From a present-day… Continue reading What is Historical Irony? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Denis Villeneuve, director of such modern classics as Blade Runner 2049 and Sicario, has yet to make a bad movie. His first two features might be flawed but they are still fresh and exciting. Between his 2nd and 3rd features, Villeneuve took a nine-year break but, since he’s been back, he’s never missed the mark.… Continue reading Denis Villeneuve ⏤ Directing Style and Techniques
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Dramatic irony requires time to work effectively. And, in the best examples, dramatic irony unfolds over the course of minutes, an hour,… Continue reading What Are The Stages of Dramatic Irony? Examples for Screenwriters
Darren Aronofsky movies show us the most complex regions of the human psyche. As the Black Swan director says, “Because we are filmmakers, we can show where a person’s mind goes.” Continue reading Darren Aronofsky Movies ― Directing Style and Technique
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Socratic irony is one of the more manipulative types of irony. It’s a tricky way to get information out of someone that… Continue reading What is Socratic Irony? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list. We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix March 2020 — A Playlist for Filmmakers
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list. We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix February 2020 — A Playlist for Filmmakers
A great screenplay is worth millions (sometimes billions!) of dollars, so protect them through watermark PDFs! Are there simple steps to help increase the security of your script? YES! And they are readily available in StudioBinder. We’re going to show you how to create a watermark PDF of your script that also includes headers and footers.… Continue reading Watermark PDF: How to Protect Your Screenplays
Amazon Storywriter, Amazon Storyteller & Amazon Storybuilder were screenwriting tools for storytellers who wanted a cloud-based script writing option. Unfortunately, they’re no longer available. But don’t fret, they weren’t the only game in town — there is actually a more intuitive and powerful solution out there: StudioBinder. We’re going to walk you through what makes StudioBinder’s… Continue reading Amazon Storywriter Alternative: Screenwriting from Script to Screen
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Dramatic irony gives the audience more information than the character. It is a powerful type of irony built for suspense, but, in… Continue reading What is Tragic Irony? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
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… Continue reading The Directing Style of David Fincher
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Structural irony is born when the characters are completely unaware of the situation they are in. Often, this is due to their… Continue reading What is Structural Irony? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony Karma can be a very satisfying element in storytelling and that’s exactly what poetic justice (aka poetic irony) can provide. There is… Continue reading What is Poetic Justice? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
Dramatic IronyOpen menu Types of Irony What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony What is sarcasm? As it turns out, it isn’t exactly what most people think it is. In some cases, what we think… Continue reading What is Sarcasm? Definition and Examples in Film & TV
When you want feedback on your script or when you’re heading into production, communication is essential. This usually involves a series of emails, phone calls, or handwritten notes–all from different sources. These become difficult to organize and easy to lose. When you’re working with a project in StudioBinder, there’s no need for external apps, Word documents,… Continue reading How to Collaborate with Comments in StudioBinder
A masked killer with a signature weapon. A group of victims anchored by a Final Girl. And a structure that evenly disperses the death and mayhem. Even people who don’t watch slasher movies know the game. The look and feel of these movies have become baked into pop culture. This has happened to such a… Continue reading The Best Slasher Movies (That Aren’t Slasher Movies)
