Walter White, a chemistry teacher, discovers that he has cancer and decides to get into the meth-making business to repay his medical debts. His priorities begin to change when he partners with Jesse.
What is a character trope? In screenwriting, a trope is a common element of a story. In other words, a trope is something we see a lot. In a character sense, it’s a type of character we see a lot. The term trope is derived from the Greek (tropos) for “turn, direction, or way” and… Continue reading Character Tropes — 15 Common Character Types Explained
Star Wars is the second highest grossing film franchise in the world – second only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past 40+ years, nine directors have worked on theatrical Star Wars films, including George Lucas, J. J. Abrams, Ron Howard and more. We’re going to explore the careers of every Star Wars film… Continue reading Every Star Wars Director — How Each Helped Shape a Franchise
Have you ever started a new show and changed the channel or switched to another show within the first few minutes? The show probably didn’t do enough to grab your attention. Cold opens can make or break an episode of a TV show. But what is a cold open and why do TV writers use… Continue reading What is a Cold Open in TV — Dissecting the Best Cold Opens
If you love TV, then you’ve probably heard of a bottle episode before. Some of the best shows ever from Breaking Bad to Community have used this formula to mixed results. They tend to be some of the most divisive episodes with some fans hating the unique structure while others love what’s made possible through… Continue reading What is a Bottle Episode — Best Examples & How to Write One
The most striking characters in film have detailed, complicated character traits. On occasion, our heroes succumb to the power of their most wicked flaws. Hamartia is a timeless term that describes this failure. If you haven’t heard of hamartia before, don’t sweat it. We’ll unpack how to spot hamartia and utilize it in your own… Continue reading What is Hamartia — Examples of Tragic Characters in Lit. & Film
Motifs are a great way to imbue a project with extra layers of meaning and substance. Through the use of intentionally placed visual or audio cues, a filmmaker can make any character, object, location, or sound into something much more than the sum of their parts. They become ideas representative of a greater theme and… Continue reading Breaking Bad Symbolism — The Right Way to Use Symbols
Even if you do not know exactly what a time lapse video is, there’s a good chance you have seen at least one before in a film, television show, or documentary. Despite their highly specific nature, time lapses find frequent use across all forms of video entertainment. Read on to learn the precise meaning of… Continue reading What is Time Lapse? Photography and Film Definitions
What is a character arc and why are they so important in storytelling? A character arc is an essential part of writing a fully-fledged character. As much as we like seeing goals being achieved, it is the internal, positive change in characters that we really gravitate towards. We’re going to answer those questions with a… Continue reading What is a Character Arc — Definition & Types of Character Arcs
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (January 2021)
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (December 2020)
What is an anti hero? We’ve all heard that characters like Walter White and Thomas Shelby are anti heroes, but we don’t hear why. Perhaps the better question is: what are the anti hero characteristics define them? We’re going to explore that question by looking at some anti hero examples from literature, film, and television.… Continue reading What is an Anti Hero? Definition, Examples in Film & Literature
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (November 2020)
How do you make a time lapse video? There is more than one way to create a time lapse video and even more ways to finetune the time lapse process. Creating great time lapse videos can be daunting as it is an incredibly technical feat with a number of settings, tools, and variables that all… Continue reading How to Make a Time Lapse Video in 5 Simple Steps
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (October 2020)
Symbolism can create an indelible impression on an audience. Symbolism runs through literature, poetry, and especially screenwriting, where visuals are paramount. But what is symbolism? In this article, we’ll define symbolism and show how symbols change over time. We’ll explore this topic by looking at common symbolism examples in literature and film. Pertinently, we’ll explore… Continue reading What is Symbolism? Definition, Examples in Literature & Film
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now, Ranked for Filmmakers (September 2020)
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now, Ranked for Filmmakers (August 2020)
A filmmaker is a visual artist. To be a great visual artist you need mastery of the color palette. Many of the greatest Directors, Cinematographers, and Production Designers have extensive backgrounds as visual artists themselves. There are many ways to use color in film. We’re going to break down the key approaches as well as… Continue reading How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color Palettes
Netflix has garnered a reputation in recent years for being the go-to destination for TV streaming. That’s because the service has a little something for everyone — dramas, comedies, documentaries, mockumentaries, and anything else you might think up. But finding the next great show to watch on Netflix can be difficult. Don’t worry though, we’ve… Continue reading Best Shows on Netflix Right Now, Ranked for Filmmakers (July 2020)
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
