How to Write the First Ten Pages of a Screenplay

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 → This opening paragraph is a hook to get you to keep reading.… Continue reading How to Write the First Ten Pages of a Screenplay

What is a Femme Fatale — Definition, Characteristics, Examples

Plot TropesOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring FREE Movie Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Write Your Script for Free A woman walks into your detective’s office. She might be wearing a hat or let her hair down. She lets her classy dress show off her legs… Continue reading What is a Femme Fatale — Definition, Characteristics, Examples

What Does Lynchian Mean — David Lynch’s Cinematic Style

Watch any film by David Lynch, and you’ll see that he has a singular style. The focus of his films varies — from chaotic romances to high school murders — but there are recurring themes and moods that the director evokes. Because of this, many critics and fans have begun using the term “Lynchian” to… Continue reading What Does Lynchian Mean — David Lynch’s Cinematic Style

60 Best Movie Songs Of All Time — Top Needle Drops, 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 60 Best Movie Songs Of All Time — Top Needle Drops, Ranked

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

What is Surrealism? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

What is Surrealism in film? To understand the best Surrealist films, we need to know the basics of the term. You can probably imagine what “realism” might be — strict adherence to reality. Surrealism takes the “rules” and expectations of realism and turns them on their head; logic and reason need not apply. Filmmakers have… Continue reading What is Surrealism? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers

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