There’s no doubt about it: Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest filmmaking pioneers of all time. Stanley Kubrick was, in many ways, a perfectionist. As such, his filmography isn’t as expansive as those of his contemporaries. But for what Kubrick lacked in quantity he made up for in quality: Each film he directed was a product of detailed planning and masterful execution. Here, we’re going to rank the best Stanley Kubrick films based on these four criteria: acting, filmmaking, and story.
Continue reading Best Stanley Kubrick Movies — 13 Masterpieces Ranked (and Video Essay)
From movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This article will define dystopian fiction, explain its purpose and function, and provide important examples of it from across the storytelling spectrum.
Continue reading What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics
Open menu
Open menu
What is theme? In the simplest terms, a theme is the subject of a story. But that definition actually does more harm than good in fully understanding the theme of a story. In this article, we’re going to look at some common misconceptions by breaking down how to use theme in literature and screenwriting. But before we jump into some theme examples, let’s start with a theme definition.
Continue reading What is Theme in Literature and Film?…
Keep reading
The best dark comedy movies and TV shows go for the jugular. It’s not enough to just be edgy, or even malicious. You need to tap into deep, disturbing levels of discomfort… and build a summer home.
We made the ultimate list of dark comedy movies and TV shows, plus a video essay that takes a deep dive into one dark comedy, The Lobster. Let’s jump into our list of the best dark comedy movies and TV shows.
Continue reading 70 Hilarious Dark Comedy Movies & TV Shows
Watching a scene is easy, but blocking and staging a scene effectively is a complex dance between actors and your camera. When deciding where to position your actors and your camera, you’re essentially solving a puzzle — a puzzle with more than one solution.
So, how is it done?
In this post, we’re going to show you how three of the great directors in filmmaking history stage and block their scenes in a way that is profound, interesting, and ultimately cinematic. Lezgo.
Continue reading Blocking and Staging a Scene like Spielberg, Kubrick, and Inarritu
@media (min-width: 300px){.thrv_symbol_136338 .thrv_widget_menu #m-176bb6a9dbd li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0);text-align: center;--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;--tve-text-transform: none;padding: 15px 50px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .thrv_widget_menu #m-176bb6a9dbd li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) a{font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);font-size: 14px !important;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;text-transform: var(--tve-text-transform,none) !important;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .thrv_widget_menu #m-176bb6a9dbd li:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) strong{font-weight: 500;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .tve-regular #m-176bb6a9dbd .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) li.lvl-1{max-width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);width: calc(33.3333% - 40px);margin-left: 40px;margin-top: 15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .tve-regular #m-176bb6a9dbd .tcb-mega-drop-inner:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) ul{margin-left: -40px;margin-top: -15px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .tve-regular #m-176bb6a9dbd .tcb-mega-drop-inner ul li a:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item){border: none;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: 1px;font-family: var(--tve-font-family,inherit);--tve-font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);--tve-font-family: inherit;text-align: center;--tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tve-applied---tve-color: rgb(0,0,0);--tcb-applied-color: rgb(0,0,0);box-shadow: none;--tve-applied-box-shadow: none;font-weight: var(--tve-font-weight,var(--g-bold-weight,bold) ) !important;color: var(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;font-size: 13px !important;padding-top: 26px !important;padding-bottom: 26px !important;--tve-applied-color: var$(--tve-color,rgb(0,0,0)) !important;margin-top: 0px !important;}.thrv_symbol_136338 .tve-regular #m-176bb6a9dbd .tcb-mega-drop-inner ul li a:not(.tcb-excluded-from-group-item) strong{font-weight: 500;}:not(#tve) .thrv_symbol_136338… Keep reading
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 opening scenes in movies to see how the best in the business grab the audience and never let go.
Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
Satire is one of the most useful tools writers can use to comment on the follies of humanity and the evils that exist in the world. We’re going to look at some satire examples in literature and movies to gain a better understanding of the term. By seeing how satire is used in a variety of mediums, we’ll be better prepared to apply it in our own projects. But first, let’s start by jumping through a portal to the past to see where satire began.
Continue reading Satire Examples in Literature and Movies Explained
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list.
We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can keep up with what you need to watch next.
From horror to comedy and everything in between, it’s all gathered right here. We’ll rank each film based on its acting, filmmaking, writing, and overall entertainment value for people bored on Friday night.
Of all the top Netflix movies available to stream, who knows?… Keep reading
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list.
We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can keep up with what you need to watch next.
From horror to comedy and everything in between, it’s all gathered right here. We’ll rank each film based on its acting, filmmaking, writing, and overall entertainment value for people bored on Friday night.
Of all the top Netflix movies available to stream, who knows?… Keep reading
