We’ve all seen a film or TV show breaking the fourth wall. It’s hard to miss, and that’s why breaking the 4th wall is a really big filmmaking decision that can polarize your audience. Is your project right for this technique? If so, when should you do it? We’ve included plenty of breaking the fourth… Continue reading Breaking the Fourth Wall: Definition, Meaning and Examples
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… 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… Continue reading Directing Actors — How to Get the Best Performances
Basics 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… Continue reading Rules of Composition: How to Show Deeper Meaning in a Single Frame
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… 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… 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… Continue reading 30 Best Zombie Movies Ever (and Where to Watch Them)
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… 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… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color Palettes
