Types of Camera AnglesOpen menu Low Angle Shot Eye Level Shot High Angle Shots Dutch Angle Shot Overhead Shot Aerial Shot Explore More ShotsOpen menu All Camera Shots Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List You’re looking for a list of the different camera angles in film, but you also want great examples that… Continue reading Camera Angles Explained: The Different Types of Camera Shot Angles in Film
Watching a scene is easy, but blocking and staging a scene effectively is a complex dance between actors and your camera. When deciding where to position your actors and your camera, you’re essentially solving a puzzle — a puzzle with more than one solution. So, how is it done? In this post, we’re going to show you… Continue reading Blocking and Staging a Scene like Spielberg, Kubrick, and Inarritu
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
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 Chiaroscuro in Film? Definition, Techniques, & Examples
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
We’ve all seen a film or TV show breaking the fourth wall. It’s hard to miss, and that’s why breaking the 4th wall is a really big filmmaking decision that can polarize your audience. Is your project right for this technique? If so, when should you do it? We’ve included plenty of breaking the fourth… Continue reading Breaking the Fourth Wall: Definition, Meaning and Examples
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now → Have you ever been watching a movie or TV show and noticed a subtle change in depth of field that revealed some new… Continue reading The Rack Focus: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
What is a tracking shot? They are really fun to watch, but difficult to film. We’ve put together a list of the best tracking shots of all time. Then we break down everything you’ll need to consider when blocking and planning a tracking shot in your own projects.Continue reading What is a Tracking Shot —… Continue reading What is a Tracking Shot — 25 Best Tracking Shot Examples
One of the most fundamental aspects of the medium of film is the ability to edit and rearrange images and shots to create a story. The difficulty in editing and film in general is to be both effective and efficient at the same time. This enables the audience to understand the story while also being… Continue reading What is a Montage? Definition, Examples & 6 Ways to Use Them
Mise en scène. It’s a fancy looking phrase that you’ve seen floating around many film-related articles, carrying with it an immediate sense of snobbery. Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to ask “what is mise en scene?” After today, you’ll have a better sense of this concept and its fundamentals so you can apply… Continue reading What is Mise en Scène in Film: Definition and Examples
Learn How to Shot ListOpen menu What is a Shot List How to Make a Shot List How to Make a Lined Script Shot List ExamplesOpen menu Free Shot List Template How to Design Your Shot List Shot Listing Like a Pro How to Create a Shot List Like ‘Creed’ Shot Listing Efficiently Create Shot… Continue reading How to Create a Shot List Like ‘Creed’ [Shot List Example]
With so many places to debut your videos, getting the correct aspect ratio has become critical to your project’s success. But it can be tricky to understand.Continue reading The Definitive Guide to Aspect Ratio [with FREE Aspect Ratio Calculator]
Car chase scenes are fantastic, but they are probably one of the most difficult things to capture. Even if you end up with a relatively successful experience on set, how can you be sure it will work in the edit?Continue reading How to Shoot The Best Car Chase Scene [Mad Max: Fury Road Example]
Movies and television are incredible because they can transport us into a world of wonderment. Today we’re going to go over the Kuleshov Effect and how the greatest director of all time, Steven Spielberg, put his own twist on the editing technique for his personal stamp.Continue reading The Kuleshov Effect Explained (and How Spielberg Subverts… Continue reading The Kuleshov Effect Explained (and How Spielberg Subverts it)
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 → Why do filmmakers use over-the-shoulder shots? Can they signal to the viewer that two characters are, at the very least, on… Continue reading Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Everyone loves to see a great scene transition, but how do you connect scenes on a deeper level? Consider using a match cut. Using similar colors, shapes, actions or even dialogue, match cuts add that extra level of meaning to create a more cohesive and seamless narrative. In today’s post, we’re going to break down… Continue reading Match Cuts & Creative Transitions with Examples – Editing Techniques
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) Create Free Shot List W e’ve all seen films that constantly use medium shots, but how often do you notice? Every… Continue reading Medium Shots: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now → The dolly zoom is one of the most discussed cinematic techniques. You can use them in many ways, but a great director will… Continue reading What is a Dolly Zoom — Scene Examples of the Vertigo Effect
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 → T he act of storytelling has always been with us. Anthropologist Joseph Campbell… Continue reading How the Dan Harmon Story Circle Can Make Your Story Better
Location, location, location. We all know how critical scouting is to your production, why picking the right filming locations can make or break your movie. But have you ever considered just how significant it can be to your story? Some settings matter so much to the plot, they take on a life of their own… Continue reading Filming Locations that Enhance Your Story
