Human beings have been telling stories for as long as we have roamed this Earth. Storytelling has gone from oral tradition to a natural part of the cinematic landscape. And in-between it all, we have learned how to end a story. Throughout our years telling stories, we have learned that there are ultimately four ways to end one. We will be going over each of these four ending types and explaining their characteristics for knowing how to end your screenplay. Let’s begin at the beginnings before we end with the endings!Â
Continue reading How to End a Story — Different Types of Story Endings Explained
Have you ever watched a movie that seemed more focused on the inner life of its central character than following a traditional plot? Plenty of movies have great characters, but how many of those same movies would have the same plot if you removed that character? This is part of what makes character studies special, as these are films whose whole premise is based around the main protagonist — their trials, struggles, hopes, and dreams. So what is a character study and how do you know when you’re watching one?
Continue reading What is a Character Study — Character vs. Plot-Driven Narratives
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The Academy Award for best cinematography is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed each year at the Oscars.… Keep reading
In film, there are memorable characters and there are iconic characters. The latter is a result of great writing, directing, and acting. Auteur directors flesh out these iconic characters to create a whole person. The screen has been graced with iconic characters like Jack in The Shining, Travis in Taxi Driver, or for this article, Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. Who is Daniel Plainview?
There are many components that contributed to the creation of the character of Daniel Plainview. Research, inspiration, and casting decisions are all critical. In this article, we’ll dive into a Daniel Plainview character analysis and uncover how Paul Thomas Anderson created the flesh and blood of the Plainview in There Will Be Blood.… Keep reading
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
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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 further ado, this is our list of the best movies of the 2000s.
Continue reading Best Movies of the 2000s — The Entire Decade Ranked
How does one create a power struggle in film? What are the techniques available that will help to communicate this battle through a visual lens?
Let’s look at how Paul Thomas Anderson builds a power struggle with blocking, staging, framing, set dressing, and camera control.
Make sure to read through to the end for more examples of these techniques in the director’s work.
Continue reading There Will Be Blood: Analysis of a Power Struggle — Director’s Playbook
