Atmosphere in Movies — How Image & Sound Create Worlds

Films possess an immense power to evoke a myriad of emotions within their viewers. From pure joy to profound sadness, from gripping fear to overwhelming love, movies have the unique ability to transport us to alternate worlds and forge deep connections with the stories being told. One element that plays a pivotal role in creating… Continue reading Atmosphere in Movies — How Image & Sound Create Worlds

Best Detective Movies of All Time — Film’s Greatest Gumshoes

A detective movie can be a lot of things: a moody noir, a screwball comedy, a sci-fi thriller. Any of these genres can follow one protagonist trying to answer a question. Detective movies follow searchers– people are not satisfied until they get to the bottom of it all. Often, the answer isn’t as simple as they’d… Continue reading Best Detective Movies of All Time — Film’s Greatest Gumshoes

What is a Cutaway Shot — Why Editors and DP’s Use it

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 Cutaway Shot — Why Editors and DP’s Use it

What is the Climax of a Story — Definition, Examples & Structure

Screenplay Structure 101Open menu Three Act Structure Freytag’s Pyramid Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Save the Cat Dan Harmon’s Story Circle 5 Stages of A StoryOpen menu Exposition Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Falling Action Denouement Write Your Script For Free → A climax in storytelling is the most intense, exciting, or emotionally charged point… Continue reading What is the Climax of a Story — Definition, Examples & Structure

Darius Khondji Cinematography — Style & Techniques Explained

Cinematography BreakdownsOpen menu Stranger Things Cinematography Better Call Saul Cinematography Euphoria Cinematography Analysis Drive Cinematography Breakdown Blade Runner 2049 Cinematography Sicario Cinematography Cinematographer StylesOpen menu Roger Deakins Style Hoyte van Hoytema Style Linus Sandgren Style Rodrigo Prieto Style Robert Yeoman Style Darius Khondji Style E-BooksOpen menu FREE Ebook: Camera Lenses Explained FREE E-Book: Exposure The… Continue reading Darius Khondji Cinematography — Style & Techniques Explained

How David Fincher Uses Color in Film Explained

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 David Fincher Uses Color in Film Explained

Ultimate Guide to Movie Genres — 90+ Genre Examples for Film & TV

You’re looking for a movie genre list, maybe for inspiration, but every list you find has too broad or hyper-specific categories that it becomes overwhelming. We’ve created the perfect movie and TV genre list that will explain the various categories of film and television with their specific subgenres, and we’ll also include helpful examples for… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Movie Genres — 90+ Genre Examples for Film & TV

55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films

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

Ultimate Guide to Camera Gear — Every Type of Camera Rig Explained

Shot SizeShot FramingCamera AnglesCamera FocusCamera GearCamera MovementCamera Lenses When faced with a blank canvas, a painter must first choose their brush, colors, and subject before they even make a single stroke. Similarly, a filmmaker approaches a shot by first choosing the right tools that serve their story. Some of the most impactful tools to how… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Camera Gear — Every Type of Camera Rig Explained

The Directing Style of David Fincher

If you’re familiar with David Fincher movies, you know they focus on serial killers, robbers, brawlers, and murderers alike. You might also know that he has a reputation for being an exacting, obsessively technical director.  However, dark subjects and visual meticulousness belie Fincher’s overlooked secret weapon: his ability to connect with actors on a human level… Continue reading The Directing Style of David Fincher

Top 30 Best Neo-Noir Films, Ranked for Filmmakers

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

The Best Movies of 2011 — The Year in Review

Best of…20102011201220132014201520162017201820192010-2019 2011 was a year where ambitious filmmakers embarked on deeply personal projects. From Terrence Malick’s ambitious chronicling of the universe in Tree of Life to Martin Scorsese’s tribute to filmmakers of the past with Hugo, there was plenty for cinephiles to chew on this year. Now that there’s been some hindsight, StudioBinder presents… Continue reading The Best Movies of 2011 — The Year in Review

Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips: 7 Steps on How To Get That Hollywood Look

Whether you’re making a short film or a feature, having an insanely low budget may seem like a road block, but it doesn’t have to be. No budget movies can also cultivate creativity, encouraging a sort of ‘Necessity is the mother of invention,’ mindset. In this mode, you can take your film to unexpected places… Continue reading Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips: 7 Steps on How To Get That Hollywood Look