Movie Censorship — A History of Film Censorship in America

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said in his 383 U.S. 463 (1966) ruling that “censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.” And Stewart was right: censorship has reflected social culture (or the lack thereof) since the dawn of time. Cinema has not been immune to censorship. In fact, cinema has been subject… Continue reading Movie Censorship — A History of Film Censorship in America

What is a Spaghetti Western — History and Legacy Explained

Cowboys, outlaws, deserts, shanty towns, and gunslinging. These are familiar elements seen in the genre known as the Western, in both literature and cinema. But for many genre fans, it specifically refers to Spaghetti Westerns, a genre that emerged during the 1960s. Traditional Westerns they weren’t, as they were often low budget, featured violence and… Continue reading What is a Spaghetti Western — History and Legacy Explained

What is VR Film — The Future of VR Movies Explained

The goal of cinematic storytelling has always been empathy; to move the viewer as close as possible to the story. First, we used moving pictures, then color and sound, 3D, IMAX, CGI, and animation. Now filmmakers are looking towards virtual reality as a way to further immerse an audience. With this technology, the viewer moves… Continue reading What is VR Film — The Future of VR Movies Explained

What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics

From movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This… Continue reading What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics

What Happened to Every Frame a Painting? — A Eulogy

In April 2014, a YouTube channel named Every Frame a Painting was created and it changed the course of film criticism forever. Over the course of three years, Every Frame a Painting founders Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou released 28 video essays addressing everything in film from the style of Akira Kurosawa to the editing… Continue reading What Happened to Every Frame a Painting? — A Eulogy

What is Queer Theory? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

Queer theory is a complex, multi-faceted subject that’s difficult to cover in a single post. So we’re going to try to break it down into more digestible pieces. We’ll give you a basic overview of Queer Theory, but mainly we’ll provide some examples from films and TV shows that have been groundbreaking in terms of… Continue reading What is Queer Theory? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

Elements of Suspense — Building Suspense with Film Technique

Every film needs suspense. At the foundational level, a story poses a question in the beginning and answers it by the end. The suspense is the anticipation for that answer. But what are the elements of suspense films? And how do we go about building suspense with film technique? Film is the perfect medium for… Continue reading Elements of Suspense — Building Suspense with Film Technique

How Christopher Nolan Films use Circles to Warp Sight & Sound

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,… Continue reading How Christopher Nolan Films use Circles to Warp Sight & Sound

What is Pre-Code Hollywood? The Most Risque Pre-Code Movies Explained

From 1929-1934, Hollywood produced some of the 20th century’s most progressive films. This period of time — and the films that were made within it — is widely known as Pre-Code Hollywood. But what is Pre-Code Hollywood? It was more than just a few years in cinema history — it was a liberal shift in… Continue reading What is Pre-Code Hollywood? The Most Risque Pre-Code Movies Explained

What is a Motif? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

Narrative ElementsOpen menu Antagonist Catharsis Motif Plot Protagonist Theme Narrative DevicesOpen menu Deus ex Machina Foreshadowing Irony Personification Plot Twist Red Herring Write Your Script For Free → Motifs are a great way to reinforce the theme of your project. Understanding how to build motifs that work requires strong attention to detail and a clear… Continue reading What is a Motif? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

The Best Modern Western Movies of All Time — Neo-Westerns Ranked

The Western is the quintessential American film genre. From the 1930s to the 1960s, American cinemas were filled with cowboys saving towns and fending off outlaws. While the classic Western may have gone out of fashion, it didn’t disappear completely. Instead, it morphed into what we know as the Neo Western. Let’s see what separates… Continue reading The Best Modern Western Movies of All Time — Neo-Westerns Ranked

What is New Hollywood? The Revolution of 1960s and ‘70s Hollywood

What is New Hollywood? There’s a scene in Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind that can answer that for us. It shows a group of young directors going to the home of a Hollywood Golden Age titan to express their admiration. This scene shows what the Hollywood New Wave was really about; an… Continue reading What is New Hollywood? The Revolution of 1960s and ‘70s Hollywood

What is Persistence of Vision? Definition of an Optical Phenomenon

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 Persistence of Vision? Definition of an Optical Phenomenon

What is Mumblecore? An American DIY Film Movement

Starting in the early 2000s, mumblecore helped keep independent filmmaking afloat amongst a growing slate of big-budget blockbusters. But what is mumblecore? How did it begin, and what’s the state of it now? Anyone who is a fan of the Duplass Brothers will want to keep reading because we’re diving into the history and influence… Continue reading What is Mumblecore? An American DIY Film Movement

What is Bollywood — Top Examples from India’s Movie Industry

There is no film industry in the world that is more prolific than that of the Indian cinema. Each year, upwards of a thousand films are released in India. Unlike Hollywood, Indian cinema encompasses different languages from a swath of regions, the largest of which is those of the Hindi-language from what we now refer… Continue reading What is Bollywood — Top Examples from India’s Movie Industry

Dogme 95 — Rules, Manifesto and Films of a Radical Experiment

By the 1990’s, filmmakers worldwide were starting to resent the direction that cinema was going in. From Hollywood to Bollywood to nearly every other “wood” in between, big-budget movies were taking over the landscape of film. In response, Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, and Thomas Vinterberg created Dogme 95, a radical… Continue reading Dogme 95 — Rules, Manifesto and Films of a Radical Experiment