With an increasing presence of technology in film, it is important to understand how to write text messages in a screenplay. Text messaging has become not only commonplace, but necessary in day to day communication for most people. It is only appropriate that this form of communication comes up in the lives of a story’s characters. Let’s take a look at how screenwriters write a text message in screenplay format and understand a few techniques that will help you become an expert at screenwriting text messages.Continue reading How to Write Text Messages in a Script — Formatting Explained
How do you decide film credits order? Do you always have to put the director first? Do you list in order of celebrity? Pull names from a hat?Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Film Credits Order Hierarchy (with Free Film Credits Template)
 Storyboarding is an incredibly powerful filmmaking tool that allows you to refine your ideas as well as communicate them to others. But how exactly do your storyboard visual ideas like a shot’s composition? Storyboard composition and storyboard format can be ambiguous. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to define the composition of a shot and how to storyboard this composition effectively. Continue reading Storyboard Composition — A Guide to Layout, Format, Framing
Finding a production lighting kit for an upcoming film can be a daunting task. There are many different kinds of lights you can use, and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. But understanding the different forms of film and videography lighting gives you a solid start. For today’s post we looked to great minds in the field, and professional cinematographers as well, to shine a light on the types of film and video lighting kits you need to know about. The first step to painting cinematic pictures with light is knowing the types of light. Then you can pick-and-choose…
Whether you are a producer, 1st AD, or script supervisor, breaking down a script is an incredibly daunting and tedious task. Overtime, the process of breaking down a script by color has become the only organized and efficient way of tackling the task. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to breakdown a script by script breakdown colors both by hand and using the StudioBinder script breakdown app. Continue reading Script Breakdown Colors — How Colors Work in a Breakdown
Cowboy shots are something we see all the time in film and television. Even from the name alone, an image comes to mind but when should you use one in your film? You don't have to be shooting a Western to use the iconic cowboy shot camera angle. In this post, we're going to start in the Old West but we'll look at some of the ways modern filmmakers have embraced the cowboy shot film technique. So, get your holsters ready and let's ride.Continue reading The Modern Cowboy Shot — Types of Shots in Film, Explained
On a low-budget independent film with a scaled back crew, there are not too many film crew positions to keep track of. When we start looking at larger productions, however, the amount of distinct movie roles can balloon to massive numbers. Gaining an understanding of the function of each movie crew member’s role can be a confusing and lengthy endeavor without a proper guide, so we put together the ultimate guide to film crew positions to make this task as simple and intuitive as possible.Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions (Jobs & Duties Explained)
Of all of the parts of a screenplay, the opening scene is perhaps the most important – not only because it has to establish the world of the story, but because it also has to grab the attention of the script-reader. We’re going to look at a few different ways you can start your screenplay with a bang, with opening scene script examples from Chinatown, Blade Runner, and more. By the end, you’ll be equipped with a variety of new strategies to tackle screenplay opening scenes like Robert Towne and Orson Welles.Continue reading Screenplay Opening Scene Examples — 6 Ways…
If you’re wondering how to write a film treatment, you’re not alone. Whether you’re writing a screenplay treatment for a feature film, TV show, or short, a professional treatment can help pitch your concept to studios, producers, or investors. If you’re just starting out and wondering how to write a treatment for film, this guide will walk you through each step with clarity and examples. This post will explain treatments and how you can use one to sell your concept. Producers love a person who has a clear idea for a film or television show, and nothing will help you…
Symbolism can create an indelible impression on an audience. Symbolism runs through literature, poetry, and screenwriting. But what is symbolism? In this article, we’ll define symbolism and show how symbols change over time. We’ll explore symbols by looking at common examples in literature and film.Continue reading What is Symbolism? Definition & Examples
