Kim Leonard is a writer and director who specializes in Comedy. She has done just about every job on set, from PA to Producer.
You might think you know what a Casting Director does, but you would likely be only partially right. Casting Directors do a lot more than just find actors for film, television, and commercials. In this post we’re going to talk about all the things Casting Directors do — and don’t do. We’ll also discuss casting in… Continue reading What is a Casting Director — Job Description, Duties & Salary
If you’re the kind of person who waits through the credits of movies (and if you are, thank you for acknowledging the crew), you’ve probably asked yourself, “What is a Key Grip”? Well, in this post we’re going to tell you exactly what the Key Grip on a film crew is. We’ll explain what they do,… Continue reading What is a Key Grip — Definition & Job Description Explained
You may have heard Tom Cruise’s famous rant at some of the crew on his latest Mission: Impossible sequel. Cruise was upset that people weren’t respecting the rules the COVID-19 virus has dictated for film production. But just what are these rules anyway? In this post, we’ll talk about working in production during COVID. We’ll explain… Continue reading What is a COVID Compliance Officer — Set Protocols Explained
We’ve talked quite a bit about the amount of thought that goes into Costume Design. We’ve talked about how costumes instantly convey information about the story’s setting, and about who the characters are. The Academy Award for Best Costume Design winners add their own flavor and style to the film, in some cases even a style… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Costume Design — The Complete List
Whenever you hear someone talking about the male gaze, you may be asking yourself, “What is the male gaze?” Well, in this post we’re going to tell you. We’re going to explain what we mean by the term “the male gaze” and we’ll show you some examples from recent films. We’ll also give you some… Continue reading What is the Male Gaze? Definition and Examples in Film
You think you know what gaffer tape is, but do you really? In this post we’re going to explain everything you should know about gaffer tape: what is gaffer tape, how does it work, and why is it so bloody expensive. You’ll learn how to tear it off the roll, how to make cables safe for… Continue reading What Is Gaffer Tape Used For? A Film Set Essential Explained
The first films ever made were documentaries. Originally demonstrations of the magic of filmmaking technology, these short, seemingly insignificant projects have since served as historical records of everyday life at the turn of the 19th century. 125 years later, documentary filmmaking is still one of the most powerful ways of educating and influencing audiences, for… Continue reading 23 Best Documentaries of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers (2022)
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
The short answer to the question, “What is a Grip?” is that a Grip on a film crew is someone who moves lighting equipment around. But there’s more to being a Movie Grip than simply taking gear from one spot to another. In this post we’ll answer the questions “What is a Film Grip?” and… Continue reading What is a Grip on a Movie Set? Job Description and Duties
In filmmaking, we’re often told that the screenplay is the blueprint, but hand-in-hand with that is the script breakdown. Every show, no matter how big or small, starts with the script breakdown. Not only does the breakdown give us the first sense of what the world of the story will look like, it also informs each… Continue reading Joker Costume Design: How to Break Down a Script for Wardrobe
A lot of job titles on a film set come from other industries or traditions, and Gaffer is one of them. The Gaffer is an indispensable part of any production but what is a Gaffer? In this post we’re going to break it all down for you. We’ll talk about where the name comes from,… Continue reading What is a Gaffer? Definition and Job Description Explained
There’s an old film school thought experiment that asks about a character, “What does he have in his refrigerator?” In this post, we’re going to practice that experiment.We can learn plenty about who a character is from the things they say, as well as the things others say about them. But we also learn who… Continue reading Who is This Person? Finding a Character Using the Script Breakdown
Writing dialogue is the best part of writing a screenplay. It’s the part of the writing where you get to be an actor for a while and cast powerful magic spells, or save an innocent man from prison, or lead an army into battle – at least in your mind. But dialogue is also something… Continue reading Say What? Fundamental Approaches to Writing ‘Realistic’ Dialogue
We’ve talked quite a bit about script breakdowns. We’ve shown you how to break down a script, and how to do it with free script breakdown software. Now, we’re going to take a look at Bong Joon-ho’s script for Parasite and do a deep dive into how you would tag its characteristic set dressing in a… Continue reading Set Dressing Guide: How Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite Creates Meaning
With the last 19 Oscar ceremonies behind us, we’re now well into the 21st century. Seems like a good time to look back at the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar winners and consider how they rank. Continue reading Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Winners — 20 Great Scripts in 20 Years
You’ve thoroughly read and re-read the script, and you can perfectly visualize what your finished movie is going to look like. But how can you make sure that what audiences will see on the screen will be the same as what’s in your mind’s eye? Easy peasy! You just need a Shot List. Continue reading What’s in… Continue reading What’s in Your Shot List: How to Design and Communicate Your Vision
Cinéma vérité – literally “cinema of truth” – is a style of filmmaking you’ve probably seen more than you realize. You may even have studied it as part of your film education. As a technique, cinéma vérité has been a valuable tool for independent filmmakers for decades, not only for recording events as they happened,… Continue reading Cinéma Vérité — Filmmaking Style That Keeps It Real
Over the last century, we made some extraordinary advances in storytelling technology. We can shoot in complete darkness. We can create environments and characters from nothing more than pixels ⏤ even live, in real-time. And we can literally make an entire feature film using our phones! And, yet, stereotypes in movies still exist. The progress needle… Continue reading Stereotypes in Movies and How Filmmakers Can Avoid Them
Musicals are a special breed of filmmaking that requires a LOT of preparation and planning to pull off. There is singing, and dancing, and music. And it all has to be presented in the script in a particular way. In this post we’ll look at some of the special considerations that go into making a musical… Continue reading How to Schedule a Musical: Breaking Down La La Land
The humble film slate, scuffed and scratched and tossed casually aside between setups, is actually a very important piece of equipment that no film set should ever be without.In this post we’re going to give you the insider’s tour of the slate. We’ll show you how to use a film slate on set, including how… Continue reading The Clapperboard Explained — How to Use a Film Slate
