Mise en scène. It’s a fancy looking phrase that you’ve seen floating around many film-related articles, carrying with it an immediate sense of snobbery. Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to ask “what is mise en scene?” After today, you’ll have a better sense of this concept and its fundamentals so you can apply it in your next project.
Continue reading What is Mise en Scène in Film: Definition and Examples
With so many places to debut your videos, getting the correct aspect ratio has become critical to your project’s success. But it can be tricky to understand.
Continue reading The Definitive Guide to Aspect Ratio [with FREE Aspect Ratio Calculator]
In narrative filmmaking, the relationship between the director and the actors is arguably the most important relationship on set. And yet, for many directors beginning their careers, the process of working with an actor can seem mystifying. No one director collaborates with actors the same way, and yet many of the most celebrated actors’ directors follow certain tenets. Study up, and you can help create a great performance.
Continue reading Directing Actors — How to Get the Best PerformancesBasics of CompositionOpen menu What is Composition Rules of Shot Composition Rules of Composition Scale Proportion BalanceOpen menu Asymmetrical Balance Symmetrical Balance Radial Balance Golden Ratio Foreground Elements Texture SpaceOpen menu Positive Space Negative Space Positive & Negative Space Fill the Frame Simplicity
Telling a story isn’t enough. You have to grab your audience by the eyeballs. Whether you’re a seasoned director or just learning what framing in film is, the way we see things is just as important as the things themselves. In his video essay on Drive, Tony Zhou uncovers 4 simple rules of composition that can make your shots out-of-the-box.… Keep reading
When countries are at war, every industry within them is also under attack. Or at the very least, is vulnerable to change. After WW1, German films became stranger and quite a bit darker. The control of the government banning foreign films also aided to their isolation. From there, German Expressionism was born. But what is German Expressionism in film? Let’s find out.
Continue reading What is German Expressionism in Film? Defining the Style
Werewolves predate almost every other fictional monster. So, why aren’t werewolf films very popular?
Perhaps it comes down to a practical issue. The make-up is labor intensive. The transformation sequence might take longer to shoot than the rest of the film. The most important criteria for judging werewolf movies is the creature effects. The werewolf transformation scene is the hallmark for any film in the category and these films live or die on their success. Let’s look back at the best werewolf movies and see how they turn men (and women) into monsters…
Continue reading 20 Best Werewolf Movies to Watch Right Now
From the 1930s to the modern era, zombie movies have terrified audiences. They’ve also occupied a unique position in the horror genre in that they can serve as sociopolitical allegories. But of course, there are some zombie movies that exist solely to make you laugh.
For this list, we’re ranking the 30 best zombie movies of all time. This is a list for every horror filmmaker looking to hone their craft as there are bound to be some films on this list you need to check out both for your entertainment and your studies. We’ve even thrown in a mood board and script studies for good measure.… Keep reading
You’ve probably heard the term ‘film noir’ hundreds of times. You may associate it with detectives and femme fatales running around in black and white. But what is film noir, really? Well, it turns out it’s not so clear cut, but there are some elements of the style that are fairly obvious. Let’s get into it.
Continue reading What is Film Noir? A Brief History with Examples from Cinema
A filmmaker is a visual artist. To be a great visual artist you need mastery of the color palette. Many of the greatest Directors, Cinematographers, and Production Designers have extensive backgrounds as visual artists themselves. There are many ways to use color in film. We’re going to break down the key approaches as well as offer you a free E-book. The ebook is an excellent tool for better understanding the use of the color in film, and how to master it.
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@media (min-width: 300px){.thrv_symbol_138131 [data-css="tve-u-18b3dd6b79e"] .tve_w_menu{border-bottom: none;}.thrv_symbol_138131 [data-css="tve-u-18b3dd6b79e"]{overflow: scroll;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0);text-align: center;--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;--tve-text-transform: none;padding: 15px 50px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) a{font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);font-size: 14px !important;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;text-transform: var(--tve-text-transform,none) !important;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) strong{font-weight: 500;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) li.lvl-1{max-width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);margin-left: 40px;margin-top: 15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) ul{margin-left: -40px;margin-top: -15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_138131 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner ul li a:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border: none;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: 1px;font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;text-align: center;--tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tve-applied---tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tcb-applied-color: rgb(0,0,0);box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;color: var(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;font-size: 13px !important;padding-top: 26px !important;padding-bottom: 26px !important;--tve-applied-color: var$(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;margin-top:… Keep reading
@media (min-width: 300px){.thrv_symbol_136499 [data-css="tve-u-18a66470e67"] .tve_w_menu{border-bottom: none;}.thrv_symbol_136499 [data-css="tve-u-18a66470e67"]{overflow: scroll;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0);text-align: center;--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;--tve-text-transform: none;padding: 15px 50px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) a{font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);font-size: 14px !important;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;text-transform: var(--tve-text-transform,none) !important;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .thrv_widget_menu #m-17688d19bdf li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) strong{font-weight: 500;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) li.lvl-1{max-width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);margin-left: 40px;margin-top: 15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) ul{margin-left: -40px;margin-top: -15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136499 .tve-regular #m-17688d19bdf .tcb-mega-drop-inner ul li a:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border: none;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: 1px;font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;text-align: center;--tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tve-applied---tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tcb-applied-color: rgb(0,0,0);box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;color: var(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;font-size: 13px !important;padding-top: 26px !important;padding-bottom: 26px !important;--tve-applied-color: var$(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;margin-top:… Keep reading
Before The Walt Disney Company owned a bunch of companies, and before other film studios and companies were being bought by other big companies, there was the classic Hollywood studio system. What is the studio system? While it would be easy to simplify it as the time when movie studios owned the theaters that would play their movies, there is a bit more to the Hollywood studio era.
Continue reading What is the Studio System — Hollywood’s Studio Era Explained
The best scary movies stay with you. They follow you home from the movie theater. They are right behind you as you walk alone at night. They are with you no matter how deep under the covers you go. Like the videotape in The Ring, once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.
The best scary movies find a way to capture your attention. They transport you to that house. They trap you in that basement. They lose you in the woods with no way out. This vicarious experience is why we subject ourselves to scary movies. We want the thrill of seeing ghosts without any of the consequences.… Keep reading
The Elements of Composition in Art, Photography & Film (FREE Ebook)A comprehensive and accessible guide for artists, photographers and cinematographers looking to master the elements of composition.We'll cover over a dozen elements of composition like lines, shapes, balance, and including various compositional techniques within each. Download Now
Composition in Art
With these elements of composition in your repertoire, your vision be will clearerEvery image tells a story. While writers use words, artists, photographers and cinematographers tell their stories through images. The language used to tell stories through images is composition.
This complete guide walks you through many of the major elements of composition in art, photography, and film as you learn this new language.… Keep reading
How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color PalettesLearn how to pick the right color schemes to create and memorable and meaningful visual aesthetic. Download Now
How to Use Color Ebook
Understanding color schemesIn this ebook we explore the various color techniques, and provide color scheme examples from noteworthy films that utilize color at the highest level.
You'll learn:Color theory, and 50+ examples of how they’re used in film and TVHow associative colors to represent characters & themes How discordant colors can be used to refocus viewer attentionHow transitional colors are used to represent transformationsContentsHue, Saturation, Value (HSB)
Triadic Colors
Color Psychology
Balanced Colors Schemes
Monochromatic Colors
Associative Color Schemes
Complementary Colors
Transitional Color Schemes
Analogous Colors
Discordant Color Schemes
More from Inside Book Get your free Color ebook hereEnter your email so we can send you the Color Theory book (PDF).… Keep reading
What is slapstick comedy? Is it the same thing as physical comedy? And where does the name come from? We will be answering all of these questions, plus taking a trip through the history and evolution of slapstick, and looking at a number of great slapstick comedy examples from classic and modern movies. First, let’s get started with a slapstick definition.
Continue reading What is Slapstick Comedy — Movie Genres Explained
It was not long ago that the idea of virtual reality seemed to only be realized in science fiction. But now, VR technology is becoming increasingly popular on Christmas wish lists, office spaces, and viral videos. With its increasing popularity many fear it, others embrace it, and some simply wonder, “What is virtual reality?” In this article, we’ll take a look at what defines virtual reality, how it was developed over time, and what applications it will have in the future of our society.
Continue reading What is Virtual Reality — Games, Movies & Storytelling
What is a Slasher film? The name of this popular horror sub-genre might evoke a strong mental image, but do you know the actual criteria for what constitutes a Slasher film? In this post, we’ll provide a Slasher movie definition, explore the complex history of Slasher films, and take a look at some of the most notable Slasher film examples the horror genre has to offer.
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