Woody Allen is a writer and director who bares his emotions and neuroses on screen. It’s for this very reason that so many of his films feel so personal.
Yet, as an audience, it feels harder than ever to make sense of the complicated nature that is Allen’s catalog of work, especially in light of allegations of sexual assault that have been made against him.
But still, it’s undeniable that Allen is not only one of the most prolific filmmakers in the history of cinema, but also one of the best.
In this article, we’re going to judge Allen’s work by four movie criteria: legacy, acting, filmmaking, and story.… Keep reading
Of all of the parts of a screenplay, the opening scene is perhaps the most important – not only because it has to establish the world of the story, but because it also has to grab the attention of the script-reader. We’re going to look at a few different ways you can start your screenplay with a bang, with opening scene script examples from Chinatown, Blade Runner, and more. By the end, you’ll be equipped with a variety of new strategies to tackle screenplay opening scenes like Robert Towne and Orson Welles.
Continue reading Screenplay Opening Scene Examples — 6 Ways to Begin a Script
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 can you identify it, and what happened to it now that we have streaming services and HDTVs?
Continue reading What is Pan and Scan? Full Frame vs. Widescreen Explained
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What is the setting of a story? Is it simply the time and place of a story? Or is it something more? We’re going to look at some examples of setting in literature and film to see how writers and directors communicate time, place, and more in their works. But before we jump into some examples, let’s quickly review how setting is an integral part of every story.Â
Continue reading What is the Setting of a Story — Elements of Storytelling
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 of the film industry since the beginning, the opportunity to direct was rarely given to them. That means that any list that covers the entirety of film history will be unfortunately one-sided. Thankfully, women have been making great strides in reversing this over the years and we’ve seen some truly masterful and inspiring work from the best female directors working today.… Keep reading
