How an image is composed is one of the most effective ways to visually communicate what is important to a viewer. Perhaps the most direct compositional technique at doing this is filling the frame. This simple technique can deeply change what an image means to a viewer when used with intention and creativity. In this article, we’ll take a look at the effects of filling the frame and how you can use the technique in your own work. Continue reading Fill the Frame Photography & Composition Techniques
If you want to edit faster, there is one piece of sage advice that you will hear time and time again: learn the hotkeys! While it is possible to edit most projects using only the simplest tools available in Premiere Pro or by navigating through a series of menus and right-clicks, having a thorough knowledge of the program’s various keyboard shortcuts can save you massive amounts of time in the long run and improve your overall efficiency. Before we outline every single Premiere Pro hotkey, let’s first go over a primer on what exactly hotkeys are. Continue reading Adobe Premiere…
Have you ever wondered what the ‘p’ stands for in 720p? What about the ‘i’ in 1080i? They stand for progressive scan and interlaced respectively, but what do those terms actually mean? We’ll be defining both as well as weighing which is better and why. Let’s get started by comparing the definitions. Continue reading Interlaced vs Progressive Scan — All the Differences Explained
When Twilight was released in 2008, it dominated pop culture, spawning more spoofs, imitations, and vampire erotica than any one person could keep track of. The film became one entry in a five-part series of movies that only got more expensive and melodramatic with each installment. While Twilight is no Battleship Potemkin, its script provides a fascinating blueprint of how to kick off a mega-successful franchise that enraptures huge swaths of moviegoers. How do you tell a narrative about a century-old vampire falling in love with a high schooler and make it not only not garishly creepy but in fact a…
Dialogue scenes can be the most fun to write as well as the most difficult. Visual performances of dialogue in films can be powerful, emotional, and moving. However, the medium of written text has its limitations. Luckily, screenwriters have parentheticals. Parentheticals are a great way to include specific information that help a reader better understand a dialogue scene. So how do you write a parenthetical in a screenplay? Let’s take a look at screenplay parenthetical examples and to learn how they should be used. Continue reading Screenplay Parenthetical Examples (And Why They Work)
Have you ever stood next to a work of art and felt small? Whether it was a sculpture, painting, or building, odds are whoever created it aimed to make you feel that way. And they achieved this through scale. Human beings have a natural awareness of size and space. Artists often use this awareness to elicit specific responses in the viewers of their work. What is scale in art and composition? In this article, we’ll take a look at how scale is used to achieve these responses. We’ll also analyze the difference between scale and proportion and how proportion in cinema…
Historical polymath Leonardo DaVinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Simplicity, ironically, can be a complex philosophy to analyze. When it comes to art, simplicity is often subjective for both artists and those consuming the art work. What is simplicity in art and composition? How does its function change between artistic mediums? And why do so many great artists strive for simplicity in their work? Let’s find out.Continue reading What is Simplicity in Art — Composition Techniques Explained
What is flat lighting? You may have heard the term applied to a sitcom or used derisively in a critique of a film’s cinematography, but what does it actually mean? We’ll be providing a definition for flat lighting, explaining the causes and how to avoid it, and detailing when and why flat lighting might actually be the best way to light a scene. Continue reading What is Flat Lighting — Photo & Film Examples & Techniques
What is a megapixel? And for that matter, what does it mean for a phone to have a 10 megapixel camera, or for a monitor to have a 1080p resolution? We’ll be answering all of these questions and more. By the end of this post, you will know everything you need to know about megapixels. Continue reading What is a Megapixel — Art & Science of Megapixels Explained
Сhristopher Nolan’s eleventh feature film Tenet became the first major Hollywood film to release in theatres amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Nolan’s persistence for a theatrical release makes more sense upon an initial viewing of the spectacle that is Tenet. The film is a labyrinth woven of threads reminiscent of past works. The intense battle scenes of Dunkirk, sci-fi action sequences of Inception, and fragmented time of Memento are all echoed in Tenet. So, what is Tenet about? While the plot itself not only takes a bit of digesting, but possibly weeks of chewing to get even close to full comprehension,…
