Harry Potter is a British-American film series based on the eponymous novels by author J. K. Rowling. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Mise en scène can seem foreign, even to filmmakers, film critics, and movie buffs. Why is it important? How do you pronounce it? And what is mise en scène anyway. Grasping mise en scène is critical for anyone who makes or seriously watches any kind of visual content. For directors and producers, mise en scène… Continue reading 20 Mise en Scène Elements Every Filmmaker Needs to Know
BasicsOpen menu Basics of Film Lighting What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Lighting EssentialsOpen menu 3-Point Lighting What is Key Light What is Fill Light What is Backlight What is Practical Lighting When is Golden Hour E-BooksOpen menu FREE Ebook: Camera Lenses Explained… Continue reading What is Overexposure in Photography & How to Fix It
There are a lot of great kids movies to watch, whether you’re looking for something to show your children, niece/nephews, classroom, etc. – or you’re just looking to reconnect with your childhood. We’re going to rank the best kids movies of all time based on three criteria: visuals, creativity, and moral/insightful message. Note: we tried to… Continue reading Best Kids Movies of All Time — Classics Every Kid Should See
In April 2014, a YouTube channel named Every Frame a Painting was created and it changed the course of film criticism forever. Over the course of three years, Every Frame a Painting founders Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou released 28 video essays addressing everything in film from the style of Akira Kurosawa to the editing… Continue reading What Happened to Every Frame a Painting? — A Eulogy
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
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
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
By this point in time, there is a strong chance you have at least heard of IMAX. It’s often sold to potential customers as the most immersive way to watch a movie, featuring a larger-than-average screen and the highest quality imagery and sound. The ticket price is higher, too. But what is IMAX, and how… Continue reading What is IMAX and How It Changed the Way We Watch Movies
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 → Motifs are a great way to reinforce the theme of your project. Understanding how to build motifs that work requires strong attention to detail and a clear… Continue reading What is a Motif? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers
We often find ourselves mostly enveloped with the story arcs of heroes and villains. They often take center stage and become central to most stories. But there’s another character that deserves recognition for their vital role in shaping narratives and enhancing central characters — the sidekick. Continue reading What is a Sidekick — Powerful Supporting Characters
When audiences saw James Cameron’s Titanic for the first time in 1997, they were awed by a scale of filmmaking that the world had rarely, if at all, seen before. More recently, blockbuster movies are almost expected to match this type of scale — some have exceeded it. So, what are the highest-grossing movies of… Continue reading Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: What Makes a Blockbuster?
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 → What is alliteration? You may conclude comprehension because alliteration is everywhere. Always ask anyway! Question and be curious! Because alliteration words sometimes share special, specific significance not… Continue reading What is Alliteration — Definitions, Examples in Literature & Film
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 → Introducing StudioBinder’s screenplay… Continue reading Explore and Read the Best Free Movie Scripts Online (with PDF Downloads)
You’re looking for a list of the different types of camera shot framing in film, but you also want great examples that come with clear explanations of when and why to use specific shot frames. After our video detailing the main types of camera framing, we’ll provide you with downloadable shot lists that you can… Continue reading Camera Framing Techniques: Frame Shots Like a Master Filmmaker
Browse Film Terms A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Whether you’re working on your first or 100th film, there is always something new to learn. When you need to update your film terminology, this resource will… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Film Terms: The Definitive Glossary of Film Terminology
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 → O dds are that if you’ve had any interest in writing a script… Continue reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: A Better Screenplay in 17 Steps
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
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
Types of FramingOpen menu Establishing Shot Single Shot Two Shot Over the Shoulder Insert Shot POV Shot More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now → You’ve written a script or maybe you’re trying to figure out a script’s shot list. You know what the film is… Continue reading What is an Establishing Shot? Creative Examples that Set the Tone
