Chris Heckmann is a Professor of Media & Communication at Roger Williams University and graduate of UCLA’s Cinema & Media Studies Master of Arts program. When he’s not writing or teaching, he’s probably playing video games (or thinking about the next great Boston sports trade).
The rule of three is one of the most important rules in all of writing – but what is the rule of three? We’re going to explore this fascinating and useful rule by looking at examples in sentences, situations, and stories. This article will serve as a referential guide for you to circle back to… Continue reading What is the Rule of Three — A Literary Device for Writers
Screenlife movies have exploded in popularity in recent years. But what is screenlife? And what are screenlife movies? We’re going to answer those questions by examining the defining characteristics of screenlife, then we’ll look at some screenlife movies to see how they’re put into action. By the end, you’ll know what screenlife is, why it’s… Continue reading What are Screenlife Movies — Inside Cinema’s Modern Genre
The digital realm has fundamentally changed the way media – music, film, television, video games, and more – are distributed. But what is digital distribution? We’re going to break down digital distribution by looking at how various industries bring their content to the masses. By the end, you’ll know what digital distribution is, and where… Continue reading What is Digital Distribution — Film, Music, and Gaming
Animation BasicsOpen menu What is Animation Types of Animation What Does an Animator Do What is Cel Animation What is Anime What is Claymation ResourcesOpen menu How to Direct an Animated Movie Animation Storyboard Tips Unreleased Aladdin Animatic Best Animated Music Videos Best Animation Software Best AnimationsOpen menu Best Animated Movies of All Time Best… Continue reading What is Vector Animation — A Quick Guide for Beginners
What is agitprop? It’s a term you may have heard before, but couldn’t be blamed for forgetting. But fear not, we’re going to define agitprop by breaking down an “agitprop definition” with examples, from theater, print, and digital news. By the end, you’ll know what agitprop is, and why it’s accrued renewed popularity in the… Continue reading What is Agitprop — Definition, History, and Examples
Screenplays By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror ResourcesOpen menu FREE Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download Write Your Script for Free → National Lampoon’s Christmas… Continue reading National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Script: Quotes & Characters
Parallelism, or parallel structure, is a grammar style that ensures linguistic clarity. We’re going to explore parallelism examples from writing with the goal of better understanding parallel structure. By the end, you’ll know how parallelism works, and how to implement it in your writing. Tip: that last sentence was an example of parallelism in action!Continue… Continue reading Parallelism Examples — Writing, Speeches, Shakespeare & More
Editing EssentialsOpen menu What is Film Editing Types of Editing Transitions How to Become a Film Editor What is a Film Cut What is a Freeze Frame DownloadablesOpen menu Free Video Transitions Free Sound Effects for Video Editing Best Free Video LUTs Ding Sound Effect Download Muzzle Flash Effect Download Free Fog Overlay Templates Editing… Continue reading What is Video Bitrate — Everything You Should Know
Screenplay Structure 101Open menu Three Act Structure Freytag’s Pyramid Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Save the Cat Dan Harmon’s Story Circle 5 Stages of A StoryOpen menu Exposition Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Falling Action Denouement Write Your Script For Free → An inciting incident is an essential part of every story. But what… Continue reading What is an Inciting Incident — Definition & Script Examples
Anaphora is an important rhetorical device for emphasizing concepts and ideas. But what is anaphora? Fear not, we’re going to explain anaphora by exploring a variety of anaphora examples. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize and utilize anaphora in writing.Continue reading Anaphora Examples — Literature, Film, Music, Poetry & More
What is Point of ViewOpen menu First Person Point of View Second Person Point of View Third Person Point of View Third Person Point of ViewOpen menu Third Person Point of View Third Person Omniscient Point of View Third Person Limited Point of View What is third person limited point of view? Third person limited… Continue reading What is Third Person Limited Point of View
Have you ever cringed at a lifelike robot? Or watched a CGI movie and thought to yourself “that’s creepily real”? If you have, then you’ve stumbled upon the uncanny valley. But what is uncanny valley? And what does uncanny valley mean? We’re going to answer those questions by examining the uncanny valley effect, from its… Continue reading What is the Uncanny Valley — Explaining the Phenomenon
ConnotationOpen menu Connotation Negative Connotation Positive Connotation Denotation Connotation vs Denotation Connotation vs denotation: one is subjective, the other is objective. Can you guess which is which? Fear not, no guessing required; we’re going to explain everything there is to know about connotation vs denotation by breaking down examples from literature and film. By the… Continue reading Connotation vs Denotation — Examples & Differences Explained
Types of CharactersOpen menu Protagonist Antagonist Hero Anti Hero Tragic Hero Foil Character Character TropesOpen menu Common Character Types Types of Villains Femme Fatale Mad Scientist Mary Sue Damsel in Distress Write Your Free Script → What are the types of characters in a story? Some of us have heard terms like protagonist and antagonist… Continue reading What Are the Types of Characters in a Story
Screenplays By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror ResourcesOpen menu FREE Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download Write Your Script for Free → The Taxi Driver… Continue reading Taxi Driver Script PDF Download — Plot, Quotes, & Ending
Dialogue, or a conversation between two or more people, is something that dominates just about every work of fiction. So, why is dialogue so hard to write? We’re going to explore the nature of dialogue by breaking down a series of dialogue examples, from literature to games. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll know how a… Continue reading Dialogue Examples — Film, TV, Theatre, Fiction & Video Games
What is Deductive Reasoning What is Abductive Reasoning What is Inductive Reasoning Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning represent two polar approaches to critical reasoning. But what is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning? We’re going to break down inductive vs deductive reasoning by looking at their definitions as well as some examples. By the… Continue reading Inductive vs Deductive Reasoning — Differences & Usages
Intertextuality is an incredibly important concept for writers to understand – but what is intertextuality? We’re going to break down everything there is to know about intertextuality by looking at examples from film, television, literature, and games. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize intertextuality, and institute it in your own works.Continue reading What… Continue reading What is Intertextuality — Definition and Examples
Types of CharactersOpen menu Protagonist Antagonist Hero Anti Hero Tragic Hero Foil Character Character TropesOpen menu Common Character Types Types of Villains Femme Fatale Mad Scientist Mary Sue Damsel in Distress Write Your Free Script → What is a foil character? Is it a character who wears tin-foil on their head? Wait no, that’s Joaquin… Continue reading What is a Foil Character — Definition, Examples in Lit. & Film
No genre has influenced the public’s perception of criminals more than Gangster Movies. For more than 80 years, the best gangster movies have fascinated and allured the minds of millions; from Prohibition-era pre-code crime to 21st Century gang life. Our list of the 30 best gangster movies of all time includes films that span the… Continue reading Top 30 Best Gangster Movies of All Time, Ranked
