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 → Every story is broken up into sections: arcs, acts, scenes, and yes,… Continue reading What is a Story Beat in a Screenplay? Definition and Story Beat Examples
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
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 The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies
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
The Western is the quintessential American film genre. From the 1930s to the 1960s, American cinemas were filled with cowboys saving towns and fending off outlaws. While the classic Western may have gone out of fashion, it didn’t disappear completely. Instead, it morphed into what we know as the Neo Western. Let’s see what separates… Continue reading The Best Modern Western Movies of All Time — Neo-Westerns Ranked
Joel and Ethan Coen are filmmakers that play by their own rules, and they seem to delight in this defiance. The plots are never straight forward — they are either slightly confusing and downright impossible. The satisfying ending you were hoping for may or may not come. Who are the Coen Brothers? And what makes… Continue reading The Best Coen Brothers Movies Ranked (and Their Desk Motifs)
Jurassic Park is one of the few movies that have set the standard among audiences’ expectations for modern blockbusters. With more recent installments such as Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom falling short of many viewers’ expectations, what exactly made the original so amazing? The answer is largely due to the Jurassic Park cinematography… Continue reading The Spielberg Oner — How to Direct a Long Take Like Steven Spielberg
Before a movie or a TV show begins, we’ve already made a critical judgment on its tone, whether we think of it at the moment or not. That’s because every visual story is prefaced with opening credits, a title card, title sequence, or both. The opening credits or title sequence of a movie have an… Continue reading Movie Opening Credits: How to Make a Great Title Sequence
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
Throughout film school, one is inundated with a list of “the masters.” Your Kubricks, your Scorseses, and your Tarantinos. And while they all have their rightful place in the pantheon of auteurs, I’ve always wondered why one name has yet to reach the list. Sex, lies, and videotape debuted 30 years ago, and ever since… Continue reading Best Steven Soderbergh Movies, Ranked for Filmmakers
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s insightful and engaging comedy/thriller became one of the most talked-about films of the year and set a new precedent for the mark a South Korean movie can leave on United States’ movie-going audiences. The film is packed with social commentary, thrilling moments, and plenty of meaty writing worthy of a full… Continue reading Parasite Movie Analysis, Synopsis and Ending Explained (Video Essay)
Director Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit was the anti-hate satire that many felt was needed at this precise point in history. Modern-day intolerance was challenged through the lens of a period piece comedy with a big heart. What is Jojo Rabbit about? We’ll start with a synopsis before jumping into our Jojo Rabbit analysis and how Waititi… Continue reading What is Jojo Rabbit About? Synopsis, Quotes, & Video Analysis
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]
By now, you’ve heard the jokes. One Netflix user timestamped The Irishman scene by scene so people could watch it as a mini-series. Others have recommended Martin Scorsese’s 209-minute epic to pass the time amidst the coronavirus outbreak: To survive months in isolation, just watch it once! We get it: The Irishman is long. Such… Continue reading The Irishman Scene Breakdown — How Martin Scorsese Opens an Epic
