Mark Zuckerberg creates a social networking site, Facebook, with the help of his friend Eduardo Saverin. But soon, a string of lies tears their relationship apart even as Facebook connects people.
One could point to any number of impressive techniques used in David Fincher movies, but perhaps one of the most important is his movie color palette. As he himself once said, “In film, we sculpt time, we sculpt behavior and we sculpt light.” That last one is what we’re focusing on today. Here are some… Continue reading How David Fincher Uses Color in Film Explained
You’re pretty familiar with Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. He lives in Gotham City, he stops crazy villains, and he spends a lot of his time with bats. But did you also know his parents are dead!? That’s what we call backstory, something most characters in fiction have with them whenever we start their story. So… Continue reading What is a Backstory — Building a Foundation for Your Narrative
There are a few fundamental editing techniques that every editor should know. One of the major ones is the J-cut. Just about every movie you watch has some sort of J-cut within its edit. J-cuts help move the film along in an engaging way, but can also be an incredibly effective storytelling device when used… Continue reading What is a J-Cut in Film — Editing Techniques Explained
What are the best movie scripts to study as an aspiring screenwriter? Reading great screenplays is an important part of the learning process for any developing screenwriter. By looking at the work of great writers, we can explore a multitude of styles and approaches. Studying great scripts can strengthen and inform your own writing. We’ll… Continue reading Best Screenplays to Read for Aspiring Screenwriters — Top 10
There is a saying: the best film editing is the editing that nobody notices. Though there are exceptions, this is pretty widely accepted as truth for the most part. So if good editing purposely avoids standing out, how are the nominees and winners of the Best Film Editing Oscar picked out and decided? The editing style… Continue reading Academy Award For Best Film Editing — Top 20 Winners Ranked
Writing a biopic screenplay can present an enormous challenge for even the most veteran screenwriters. That’s because biopics often involve legal and circumstantial challenges that aren’t an issue with other forms. Don’t fear though: we’re going to show you how to write a biopic screenplay step-by-step. By the end, you’ll be ready to write a… Continue reading How to Write a Biopic Screenplay — Research & Writing TIps
You’ve heard of a protagonist and an antagonist. And now you can really knock the socks off your screenwriting buddies by discussing how your script’s deuteragonist impacts the plot. But what is a deuteragonist and how can you make sure yours serves a vital function in your story. You’re the hero of your filmmaking journey… Continue reading What is a Deuteragonist — Definition & Examples for Writers
Since the days of silent films, music has played an essential role in cinema. Originally played by phonography or improvised by live musicians, music accompanied the narrative of a film in theatres. As technology progressed and the ability to synchronize sound to celluloid developed, the role of the film composer became integral and music was… Continue reading What is a Film Score — Movie Score vs. Soundtrack Explained
Aaron Sorkin is one of the film industry’s most well-known and respected screenwriters. Sorkin has proven equally adept at writing for feature films, television shows, and even for the Broadway stage. His recent leap into directing his own scripts has likewise been met with major acclaim and awards attention. Sorkin has a reputation as one… Continue reading Best Aaron Sorkin Screenplays — PDF Downloads & Analyses
Metaphors in and of themselves are a powerful tool to communicating ideas and concepts efficiently to a reader. However, when multiple metaphors are used in conjunction with each other they can become confusing. This is a common reason why many advise writers to avoid mixed metaphors. However, in this article we’re going to dive into… Continue reading What is a Mixed Metaphor — Definition & Examples for Writers
Learning how to properly write a screenplay can be a challenge. Luckily, you don’t have to go at it alone. Film school and other screenplay classes are always an option but they can be expensive, time-consuming, and of questionable quality. There are plenty of educational resources to learn screenwriting online but they are not all… Continue reading Best Screenwriting Classes Online — Top Free & Paid Options
David Fincher is one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation – and he’s a director we can learn a lot from. We’re going to break down David Fincher directing tips by looking at interview clips and quotes from the man himself. Unlike other more guarded or mysterious auteurs, Fincher is very open about his… Continue reading David Fincher Interviews & Quotes on His Filmmaking Process
When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them no, I went to films. – Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino is not just a world-class filmmaker but also a renowned film lover. He is a lifelong cinephile with an encyclopedic knowledge of the medium. Tarantino always packs his films with homages to the… Continue reading Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies of All Time — 20 Cinematic Gems
The Social Network is one of the all-time best, dialogue-driven scripts. It’s revered by both film-makers and film-instructors for its tight actions, clever quotes, and realistic characters. Let’s dive into The Social Network script to see what makes it so great. Continue reading The Social Network Script: Characters, Quotes, and PDF Download
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… Continue reading How to End a Story — Different Types of Story Endings Explained
There are a lot of intricacies in scripts that present challenges to even the most veteran of screenwriters. The process of writing a script is difficult enough but the vocabulary, abbreviations, and defintions related to the job can be a bit elusive. But don’t worry, we’re going to cover a variety of screenwriting terms that… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab
The Academy Award for Best Original Score is one of the most prestigious honors a composer can be given. Over the years, some of the world’s most acclaimed composers, like John Williams and Max Steiner, have won the award. We’re going to list every Academy Award for Best Original Score winner, then rank some of… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Original Score: Top Winners Ranked
You’ve heard stories about studios paying millions of dollars for scripts. Probably prompting the deserved question, “How much do screenwriters make?” Today, we’re going to take a look at the events that got the spec market to where it is today. But we’ve got the insider’s perspective, and we’ve done the research. You’ll leave this… Continue reading Screenwriter Salary: How Much Do Screenwriters Really Make in 2022
How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list. We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can… Continue reading Best Movies on Netflix — A Playlist for Filmmakers (December 2020)
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… Continue reading 55 Best Movie Directors of All Time and Their Greatest Films
