The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections.
What is a parody? Is it a joke? Is it a mock of a famous work? We’re going to get to the bottom of those questions by breaking down the history of parodies – as well as by looking at some famous parody examples in film and literature. By the end, you’ll know what makes… Continue reading What is a Parody — Definition and Examples in Film
Over the years, Linus Sandgren has made a name for himself as one of the world’s preeminent masters of cinematography. We’re going to explore Sandgren’s exemplary work with the goal of better understanding how his different cinematographic techniques better the visual feel of their films. By the end, you’ll know some of Sandgren’s greatest works,… Continue reading Linus Sandgren Cinematography Style & Techniques Explained
What is a leitmotif? What makes it different from a theme song? How is it used in cinema? These are the questions we’re going to answer as we look at the leitmotif definition and examples. We’re also going to show you how masterclass composers like John Williams apply leitmotifs to their films. By the end,… Continue reading What is a Leitmotif? Definition and Examples in Film
The bigger the budget, the more that’s at stake. While many directors never have to worry about films costing over a few million (if that), there are some who regularly operate in the area of $200 million. It begs the question: what is the most expensive movie ever made? We’ve adjusted the budgets of various… Continue reading What is the Most Expensive Movie Ever Made — Top 25 Ranked
Few props are as inherently cinematic as firearms. For decades, creative filmmakers have been pushing past the bounds of reality to craft truly inventive and unique movie guns. Whether in the action, thriller, or sci-fi genres, there are many examples of writers and directors injecting an added dose of creativity into their shootouts by inventing… Continue reading Famous Guns in Movies — Cinema’s Most Creative Movie Guns
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
W hat is a Mary Sue? This much-maligned character type is often the subject of fierce online debate, and pinning down a precise definition requires sorting through swaths of debate and disagreement. In this post, we will be explaining everything you need to know about the Mary Sue trope. We’ll get started with a definition, then… Continue reading What is a Mary Sue — Character Types Explained
If you’ve ever heard the terms ‘second unit’ or ‘second unit director’ thrown around without knowing what they mean, then you have come to the right place. We will be breaking down what a second unit is, what it is used for, and what exactly the role of a second unit director entails. We’ll also… Continue reading What is a Second Unit Director & What Does a Second Unit Do?
James Bond movies make up one of the most successful and influential franchises in world cinema. A monument of popular culture in their own right, 007 movies have also inspired countless other flicks — not just spy movies, but also Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Asian action cinema. But which entries in the James Bond… Continue reading All James Bond Movies Ranked — The Best & Worst 007 Movies
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
Sam Mendes, director of stage and screen, may not release quite as many feature films as some of his contemporaries but one thing he has displayed in abundance is variety. With the exception of his turns in the James Bond series as the Spectre and Skyfall director, it’s rare to see Sam Mendes movies tackle… Continue reading The Best Sam Mendes Movies — American Beauty to 1917
You’re looking for a movie and TV genre list, maybe for inspiration, but every list you find has categories that are either too broad or so hyper-specific that it becomes overwhelming. We’ve created the perfect movie and TV genre list that will explain the various categories of film and television with their specific subgenres, and we’ll… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Movie Genres — 90+ Genre Examples for Film & TV
In today’s cinematic landscape, very few people are unaware of what a prequel is. Whether you’re watching a new movie that’s labelled as such, or the “sequel” you’re watching actually takes place before the first film, prequels are not that uncommon in the world of entertainment. But what is a prequel exactly, and what are… Continue reading What is a Prequel? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
With such a wealth of new movies to rent on Amazon Prime, it can be hard to keep track of and parse new movies as they are added to the platform. Here we cover the 10 new movies landing on Amazon Prime in August 2020. You can also read our list of the best overall… Continue reading Best New Movies on Amazon Prime (September 2020)
What makes a great music score? Does it need to dominate the soundtrack or can go unnoticed in the background? Should a contemporary movie always use modern music or is it blasphemy for a period piece to include pop songs? Whether you have answers to these questions or not, there’s no denying the power of… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
What is a protagonist? Many refer to a protagonist as the leading character in a story. But is the protagonist something more? Or something less? To understand the definition fully, we need to look at how different types of protagonists are used in screenwriting. This will help us decide which type of protagonist works best… Continue reading What is a Protagonist? Definition and Examples for Screenwriters
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
