Screenplays are meant to tell a cinematic story. This can be difficult, however, without the advantage of visuals. Screenwriters are stuck with using words to communicate highly cinematic scenes. One of the best tools they have to do this is the parenthetical. Parentheticals allow screenwriters to fit in small, but vital information within a dialogue scene.… Continue reading What is a Parenthetical in a Script (and When to Use Them)?
How to Format a ScreenplayOpen menu Scene Headings Sluglines Action / Description Dialogue Transitions TV Script Format 101 FREE Movie Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Write Your Script for Free Screenwriting books and instructors often warn aspiring writers against writing flashbacks in their scripts. They know beginning and amateur writers often use them in a way… Continue reading How to Write a Flashback in a Script — Techniques & Format
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 American Psycho Business Card Scene — Complete Breakdown
Who doesn’t love a good coming of age film? There are a number of clearly identifiable characteristics that most, or even all, coming of age films share. Perhaps the most inherently relatable of all subgenres, coming of age films focus on young characters developing and growing across trying ordeals, or pivotal moments in their lives.… Continue reading Best Coming of Age Movies of All Time (And Why They’re Great)
The beauty behind a great edit is that sometimes the magic goes unnoticed. Using a library shot is one of those techniques that editors use that, when done correctly, slips past the audience entirely and they stay locked into the story. Library shots can save a budget, save a schedule, and quite possibly save a… Continue reading What is a Library Shot — Types of Shots in Film Explained
The Robert Towne-written, Roman Polanski-directed Chinatown is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made – which begs the question: what’s so great about it? Well, as it turns out, just about everything involving Chinatown is great. The Chinatown screenplay is viewed as the Hollywood gold standard; Jack Nicholson’s performance is considered among… Continue reading Chinatown Movie Analysis — The Legacy of a Hollywood Classic
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 → Narrative is a term that pops up everywhere, not only in relation to film and literature, but also in news stories, in college curriculums, to describe a… Continue reading What is a Narrative — Definition, Examples in Literature and Film
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 What is a Wipe Transition in Film — Editing Transitions Explained
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 How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film?
Few film endings are as iconic and impactful as the unforgettable resolution to The Graduate. Be sure to watch our video essay below for a full breakdown of The Graduate ending scene, then read on for further analysis. We’ll be digging into the four factors that culminate in the film’s ending being as effective as… Continue reading The Graduate Ending Scene — Breaking Down an Iconic Finale
Major Awards:Open menu Best Picture Best Director Best Actress Best Supporting Actress Best Actor Best Supporting Actor Writing & Visual:Open menu Best Original Screenplay Best Adapted Screenplay Best Film Editing Best Visual Effects Best Cinematography Animation & Production:Open menu Best Animated Short Film Best Animated Feature Film Best International Feature Film Best Costume Design Best… Continue reading Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress — Winners Ranked
Beginner photographers often have the misconception that to create quality portraits, you need multiple lights and complex techniques. While this is true for some portrait lighting setups, many fundamental lighting techniques are quite simplistic. The split lighting technique is perhaps the most simple and achievable of all portrait lighting setups. It is an essential technique for… Continue reading Split Lighting Photography — Examples, Patterns and Setups
In a world where digital photography has become the norm, there is still a place for those who want to use physical film stock. While digital technology has made it easier to be a photographer, physical celluloid still has a charm and texture that no digital camera can ever fully replicate. And above all else,… Continue reading What is Film Stock — Various Types of Film Stock Explained
Screenplays By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror ResourcesOpen menu FREE Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download Write Your Script for Free → You cannot capture… Continue reading Citizen Kane Screenplay PDF Download — Summary & Analysis
Film is a uniquely visual storytelling medium. Everything you see within the frames of a shot is carefully thought out by someone behind the scenes. More often than not, these details in the frame come from the art department. An art department is responsible for the larger creation of a film set as well as… Continue reading The Art Department in Film — Guide to Positions, Duties, Salary
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 → Finding the best camera lenses for your camera… Continue reading Understanding Camera Lenses & How to Choose the Right Lens
Hand-held light meters might seem like an outdated appendage. Most modern cameras come with built-in light meters, and editing software is getting better and better at offering remedies to poorly-exposed footage. But light meters continue to be invaluable: a cinematographer’s primary job is to understand and manipulate light, and you can’t do that with a built-in… Continue reading Best Light Meter — Top 8 Ranked for Photography, Film & Video
Look at your mobile device, your high-definition television, or laptop computer; what do you see? Most likely it’s a rectangular widescreen, with a lot of the video you watch on it filling the entirety of the screen. We are of course talking about the 16:9 ratio, which has been the current standard in television and… Continue reading What is 16:9 Aspect Ratio — Origins of the Widescreen Format
Years and years ago, when not every movie was a sequel, remake, or reboot, people usually left the movie theatre by the time the end credits rolled. These days, if your movie is a big deal, some people might stick around to see if there’s anything after the credits. These “after credits” scenes are popularly… Continue reading What is a Post Credit Scene — The Movie Stinger Beyond Marvel
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 What is Motion Blur, Is Motion Blur Good & Why Does it Happen?
