The history of film technology traces the development of film technology from the initial development of “moving pictures” in the 19th century to the present time.
If you are a filmmaker or even just a movie buff, odds are you’ve heard the term “narrative film.” Although it is a rather vague term thrown around quite often, it can make a lot of people wonder, “What is a narrative film?” In this article, we’ll clarify the key characteristics to narrative movies and… Continue reading What is Narrative Film — Overview & History of Narrative Cinema
Hollywood has gone through a lot of different eras, but perhaps none were more influential on society than the golden age. But when was the golden age of Hollywood? What made it golden? And why did it end? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at some examples from The Maltese Falcon, Citizen Kane,… Continue reading When Was the Golden Age of Hollywood — And Why Did It End?
What is realism in film? We hear the term “realistic” all the time, but how do we know if something is realistic when realism is so subjective? Well, in storytelling, there is an objective way to tell whether or not something is realistic. We’re going to explore what realism is and how it’s used in… Continue reading What is Realism in Film? Cinematic Realism 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 What is Technicolor? Definition and History Explained
Do you remember what pan and scan is? Did you ever rent or own movies on VHS tape, or even on DVD, that filled the entirety of your 4:3 aspect ratio tube television? If the answer to all this is yes, then you experienced “pan and scan” firsthand. But what is pan and scan, how… Continue reading What is Pan and Scan? Full Frame vs. Widescreen Explained
The Robert Towne-written, Roman Polanski-directed Chinatown is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made – which begs the question: what’s so great about it? Well, as it turns out, just about everything involving Chinatown is great. The Chinatown screenplay is viewed as the Hollywood gold standard; Jack Nicholson’s performance is considered among… Continue reading Chinatown Movie Analysis — The Legacy of a Hollywood Classic
Before the 1950s, nearly every single movie was in the same 4:3 aspect ratio. But then CinemaScope from 20th Century Fox changed the landscape with widescreen imagery to get people into theaters nationwide. Pretty soon, other studios were making their own widescreen movies, including Paramount Pictures with VistaVision. What is VistaVision, you ask? Well, it… Continue reading What is VistaVision — A History of Widescreen in Hollywood
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said in his 383 U.S. 463 (1966) ruling that “censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.” And Stewart was right: censorship has reflected social culture (or the lack thereof) since the dawn of time. Cinema has not been immune to censorship. In fact, cinema has been subject… Continue reading Movie Censorship — A History of Film Censorship in America
What is blaxploitation? Blaxploitation refers to a genre, a film movement, and an important period of cinema history. In this post, we’ll define Blaxploitation, explain the historical context, look at the most important films of the movement, and even take a look at the status of this genre and style in our modern film industry.Continue… Continue reading What is Blaxploitation — An American Film Movement Explained
Have you ever watched an old black and white movie, maybe starring Humphrey Bogart or Katherine Hepburn, and thought some of it was a bit tame? Even when the movies are great, they seem to play it safe? Most of this is a direct result of what is popularly known as the Hays Code, which… Continue reading What is the Hays Code — Hollywood Production Code Explained
Queer theory is a complex, multi-faceted subject that’s difficult to cover in a single post. So we’re going to try to break it down into more digestible pieces. We’ll give you a basic overview of Queer Theory, but mainly we’ll provide some examples from films and TV shows that have been groundbreaking in terms of… Continue reading What is Queer Theory? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers
From 1929-1934, Hollywood produced some of the 20th century’s most progressive films. This period of time — and the films that were made within it — is widely known as Pre-Code Hollywood. But what is Pre-Code Hollywood? It was more than just a few years in cinema history — it was a liberal shift in… Continue reading What is Pre-Code Hollywood? The Most Risque Pre-Code Movies Explained
Imagine one day you’re writing movies or acting in a major studio’s film, and the next, you can’t find work anywhere. Such is the way of blacklisting. The practice, in one form or another, is still active today but not nearly as rampant as it once was. For an accurate Hollywood Blacklist definition, we need… Continue reading Blacklist Definition and Meaning — The Hollywood Blacklist Explained
Have you ever asked yourself, “What is CinemaScope?” It’s a widescreen lens and projection system that has become a popular choice for filmmakers and is now an industry standard. Most audiences had never seen anything like it, and it started a widescreen revolution that literally changed the shape of movies forever. So, what is CinemaScope,… Continue reading What is CinemaScope? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers
What is New Hollywood? There’s a scene in Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind that can answer that for us. It shows a group of young directors going to the home of a Hollywood Golden Age titan to express their admiration. This scene shows what the Hollywood New Wave was really about; an… Continue reading What is New Hollywood? The Revolution of 1960s and ‘70s Hollywood
Starting in the early 2000s, mumblecore helped keep independent filmmaking afloat amongst a growing slate of big-budget blockbusters. But what is mumblecore? How did it begin, and what’s the state of it now? Anyone who is a fan of the Duplass Brothers will want to keep reading because we’re diving into the history and influence… Continue reading What is Mumblecore? An American DIY Film Movement
Soviet Montage Theory is one of the most technically influential film movements of all time. In this article, we’re going to define what Soviet Montage Theory is, then break down the five different types with examples from Russian cinema history. Continue reading Soviet Montage Theory — Definition, Examples and Types of Montage
