Filmmakers are lucky. Part of becoming a better director, screenwriter, actor, etc. involves watching other movies to learn the craft. Luckily, Netflix is a fantastic resource for hundreds of titles available for you to watch instantly. Since Halloween is coming up, we made sure to include a few spooky titles on this list just for… Continue reading 10 Best Movies on Netflix — Playlist for Filmmakers (Oct. 2019)
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 3 Film Editing Techniques You Can Learn From Star Wars
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 DIY Animation: What is Stop Motion Animation & How to Try it at Home
What is Production Design What Does a Production Designer Do? Production Design Tips You’re a filmmaker who wants to get the most out of your production design, mise en scene, and scene elements, but you’re not sure how to plan and maximize your visual opportunities. In this post, we’re going to breakdown the production design, mise… Continue reading Amazon’s The Boys: Mise En Scene, Production Design, and Costumes
Best Shyamalan MoviesShyamalan’s Style ExplainedThe Return of M. Night Shyamalan I’ve been a fan of M. Night Shyamalan for years, and that includes the 9-year gap between Lady in the Water and The Visit when it was challenging for everyone involved. I don’t love every Shyamalan movie, but I don’t despise his misfires either —… Continue reading Welcome to the Shyamalan-aissance — What a Twist!
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now → W hen you’re shooting a scene there are a lot of choices to be made about what’s in the audience’s focus. If you want… Continue reading Deep Focus Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
The best martial arts fight scenes of all time each bring something unique to the table. They have to because there is a long tradition of one upsmanship with complexity and overall skill. We put together a list of the best martial arts fight scene from a filmmakers perspective, so we’ll be looking at everything from… Continue reading 14 Best Martial Arts Fight Scenes of All Time | Movie Fights Ranked List
Every single blog post or news article that follows an award show focuses on all of the snubs and surprises of the previous evening. Now this may be a silly question, but what makes an Emmy snub a snub? Nominations seem a fairer game to judge, but once a person is nominated, how can you… Continue reading What’s a True Emmy “Snub”? Best Emmy Snubs and Surprises of All Time
Sidney Lumet directed feature films and television for over 50 years. In other words, we can learn a lot from his perspective about the film business and film directing. We were lucky enough that Lumet decided to share these thoughts in book form. “Making Movies” by Sidney Lumet is an invaluable resource for any filmmaker.… Continue reading What We Can Learn from “Making Movies” by Sidney Lumet
James Gray’s new film Ad Astra is a visually stunning journey through our solar system that explores concepts like solitude, commitment, and a focus on the essential to the exclusion of all else. Precision. That’s the word that immediately comes to mind when watching this film. Both from the impressive direction from James Gray to the flawless… Continue reading “Ad Astra” Review: A Precise Exploration of Solitude
Death scenes are just… one of those things. A good death scene is totally subjective, but these are a few that really stand out. We’re going to take a look at some of the craziest and best movie death scenes from the past decade. These are scenes that are memorable either because of their impact… Continue reading Top 10 Best Movie Deaths of the Last Decade
Film blocking is arguably one of the most important things a Director must do on set. Think of it as a carefully choreographed dance where the camera and subject move together in harmony.Continue reading 3 Ways To Make Your Film Blocking More Interesting
BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur ResourcesOpen menu Essential Cinematography Books Top 100 Cinematography Films Videography Contract Template Best Cinematography Schools How to Join the Cinematographer’s Guild Best Cinematography Online Courses E-BooksOpen menu FREE E-Book: Camera Lenses Explained FREE E-Book: Exposure… Continue reading ASC Celebrates 100 Years with a Best Cinematography Films 100 List
Acting EssentialsOpen menu What is a Screen Test in Acting What is a Casting Call What is Method Acting What is SAG-AFTRA What is a Cold Reading What is a Demo Reel Acting TipsOpen menu How to Become an Actor as a Kid How to Become an Actor How to Overcome Stage Fright Types of… Continue reading How to Overcome Stage Fright — Jenny Slate & Other Comedians Share
Best Tarantino MoviesQT’s Directing StyleQT Directing Tips QT DialogueOnce Upon a Time AnalysisBasterds Breakdown Speculation about Tarantino’s last movie has now reached full tilt — but are we really ready for Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek? There is only one final film to go before we find out if QT was bluffing or not. But what… Continue reading Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek: Should This Be Tarantino’s Last Movie?
ProcessOpen menu How to Make a Short Film Short Film Schedule Tips Write a Short That Gets Noticed How to Storyboard a Short Film Phases of Short Film Pre-Production How Whiplash Went From a Short to a Feature ResourcesOpen menu Best Short Films of All Time Best Short Film Ideas Crowdfunding Movies The Ultimate Film… Continue reading 30 Ways to Brainstorm Short Film Ideas You Can Actually Produce
When I watch the Netflix series Mindhunter, I’m blown away by how accurate the production design seems to portray the time period. I think to myself, “How do they find these places?” The short answer… they don’t. They find locations that have the right skeleton, and then collaborate with a skilled VFX team to enhance scenes… Continue reading VFX in Netflix’s Mindhunter: Matte Paintings, Composites, and 3D Tracking
Cycloramas are commonplace in video production, and they make the lives of those shooting on a green screen that much easier. So what is a cyclorama? Let’s find out. Continue reading What’s a Cyclorama? How Can Cyc Walls Help My Shot?
Types of LensesOpen menu Lens Basics Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) What is a 50mm Lens Good For 35mm vs 50mm Lenses Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) Create your free shot list → How do you go about capturing cinematic footage?… Continue reading Carl Zeiss Cinema Lenses: The Best Showreels and Shorts
The best digital camera for multi-functionality on the market, the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro now has an update – the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2. Both cameras yield some beautifully cinematic footage, and this post takes a look at footage from each.Continue reading Best Footage: Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro and Its Update the Mini… Continue reading Best Footage: Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro and Its Update the Mini Pro G2
