Paul Thomas Anderson is an American filmmaker. Born in Los Angeles, Anderson developed an interest in filmmaking from a young age. An alumnus of the Sundance Institute, Anderson made his feature film debut with Hard Eight in 1996.
When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them no, I went to films. – Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino is not just a world-class filmmaker but also a renowned film lover. He is a lifelong cinephile with an encyclopedic knowledge of the medium. Tarantino always packs his films with homages to the… Continue reading Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies of All Time — 20 Cinematic Gems
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today’s stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best… Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
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 How to Make a Short Film — 12 Steps from Idea to Finished Film
Human beings have been telling stories for as long as we have roamed this Earth. Storytelling has gone from oral tradition to a natural part of the cinematic landscape. And in-between it all, we have learned how to end a story. Throughout our years telling stories, we have learned that there are ultimately four ways… Continue reading How to End a Story — Different Types of Story Endings Explained
Cinematography Terms Screenwriting Terms Film Terms There are a lot of intricacies in scripts that present challenges to even the most veteran of screenwriters. The process of writing a script is difficult enough but the vocabulary, abbreviations, and defintions related to the job can be a bit elusive. But don’t worry, we’re going to cover… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab
Have you ever watched a movie that seemed more focused on the inner life of its central character than following a traditional plot? Plenty of movies have great characters, but how many of those same movies would have the same plot if you removed that character? This is part of what makes character studies special,… Continue reading What is a Character Study — Character vs. Plot-Driven Narratives
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 Cinematography — Top 20 Winners
90s movies may forever be my favorite movies. For whatever reason, whether comedy, drama, or horror, I feel this overwhelming sense of peace when one of my favorite 90s films is on. Is it just nostalgia or do they actually hold up? I suppose that’s always debatable. But there is a thin line between what… Continue reading Best 90s Movies of All Time — An Awesome 90s Movies List
In film, there are memorable characters and there are iconic characters. The latter is a result of great writing, directing, and acting. Auteur directors flesh out these iconic characters to create a whole person. The screen has been graced with iconic characters like Jack in The Shining, Travis in Taxi Driver, or for this article,… Continue reading Daniel Plainview: There Will Be Blood True Story Explained
The best movie directors of all time — the idea of such a list sparks immediate debate. Rather than try to impose any sort of definitive or objective best directors list, consider this more of a celebration of the entire medium. Woefully underrepresented on this list are women. While women have been an integral part… Continue reading 55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Oct 2020)
Color BasicsOpen menu What is Color Temperature Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is LUT What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Palette What is a Color Scheme Triadic Color Scheme Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color Scheme Complementary Color Scheme FREE Ebook: How to Use Color… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film like Kubrick: Mise-en-Scène Elements Explained
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 Director — Oscar Winners Ranked
EssentialsOpen menu What is Sound Design Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques What is a Sound Bridge What is The Shepard Tone How to Design a… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
Robert Pattinson’s The Batman (2021) is one of the most highly anticipated movies in the world. But although the film has generated enormous pre-release hype, the history of its production is littered with roadblocks and challenges. We’re going to break down everything we know so far about the new Batman movie by looking at the… Continue reading The Batman 2021: Cast, Set Photos, Release Date and What We Know So Far
Ah yes, we’ve arrived back at the most carnal of all storytelling devices: the sex scene. Writers, artists and filmmakers have used sex to evoke a multitude of different emotions to the audience, like love, hate, confusion, lust, among many, many more. But every one of the best movie sex scenes of all time adds… Continue reading The Best Movie Sex Scenes of All Time, Ranked from Worst to Best
The 2000s were a weird time for cinema — kind of sandwiched in between the indie 90’s scene and the blockbuster 2010’s scene. But there are so many great movies that came out between 2000 and 2009, that we thought it would be interesting to look back at what made them so great. So without… Continue reading Best Movies of the 2000s — The Entire Decade Ranked
Whip pans, swish pans, whip shot — whatever you call them, they are a great tool for creating seamless cuts and cool effects in your videos, but understanding how to build an effective whip pan is equally important. Continue reading What is a Whip Pan or Swish Pan: How to Shoot Whip Pan Transitions
How does one create a power struggle in film? What are the techniques available that will help to communicate this battle through a visual lens? Let’s look at how Paul Thomas Anderson builds a power struggle with blocking, staging, framing, set dressing, and camera control. Make sure to read through to the end for more examples of… Continue reading There Will Be Blood: Analysis of a Power Struggle — Director’s Playbook
What’s black and white and red all over? It could be a newspaper — or it could be a neo-noir film. It’s hard to tell. Neo-noir is notoriously difficult to classify. An offshoot of the historical film noir genre, it’s painted in such broad strokes that it can subvert, parody, heighten, or reimagine the prototypical stories… Continue reading Top 30 Best Neo-Noir Films, Ranked for Filmmakers
