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
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
The Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling was a late edition to the ceremony. And the addition of hairstyling to the category came even later. After an outpouring of criticism towards the Academy for not honoring the makeup work done in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, the Academy instituted the “Best Makeup” category the… Continue reading Academy Award For Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Ranked
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, you’ve probably heard the term aspect ratio quite often. Before you shoot even a single frame of your film, you have to decide what aspect ratio would be best. This decision will affect the staging and framing of every single shot going forward. Why? What is aspect ratio, and why… Continue reading What is Aspect Ratio? A Formula for Framing Success
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today’s stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best… Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
Production design is everything that goes into making the world of a film – sets, props and more. But despite its importance, production design is a facet of filmmaking that I think many people take for granted. We often ascribe credit to the writers, directors and stars of a picture rather than the artists working… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Production Design — Winners Ranked
Some say that when the editor does their job well, the audience is not supposed to notice. This does not mean that the editor’s job is unimportant. In fact, the complete opposite is the case. Editor’s are responsible for maintaining the illusion of a film and story by hiding the mechanisms at work. The main… Continue reading What is Continuity Editing in Film? Definition and Editing Techniques
Filmmakers have attempted to portray the end of the world through film since early cinema. Throughout the years, these attempts have proven to be futile for many. The list of forgettable apocalypse movies could fill a novel. But a few filmmakers have portrayed the end of the world in wildly entertaining and unique ways. So which… Continue reading Best End of the World Movies — 15 Visions of the End Times
From movies to novels to video games, dystopian fiction is consistently one of the hottest genres in entertainment. But given its broad scope and variety of forms, the dystopian genre can sometimes be hard to categorize. What is dystopian fiction? What are its defining features and how can we account for its enduring popularity? This… Continue reading What is Dystopian Fiction? Definition and Characteristics
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now.… Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker Playlist (Jan. 2021)
One of the best-known names in horror and one of the 10 highest-grossing American authors across all genres to ever live, Stephen King’s prolific body of work has been adapted numerous times with varying degrees of success. There are 89 books to his name, and his pen name Richard Bachman, and upwards of 70 film… Continue reading Best Stephen King Movies and TV Shows — The Ultimate List
Audiences and filmmakers alike love sequels. And we all love to rank and debate which are the “greatest.” But deciding which films belong on a “best movie sequels of all time” list can feel overwhelming. How does one choose from every film ever made? And how to rank one above the other? While such a… Continue reading Best Movie Sequels of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
It’s easy to mix up the different types of camera shots and types of angles. To make a shot list, a filmmaker or video creative must know the classic types of shots based on attributes like shot size, shot framing, camera movement, camera mechanisms, and depth of field. We’ll break down all the camera shots… Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots (50+ Types of Shots and Angles in Film)
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
Being a filmmaker, it’s essential to know what diegetic sound is and how to use it. In this article, we’re going to define diegetic sound in a short and simple way. Then we’re going to look at key examples from film to show you how experts incorporate diegetic sound into their works. Continue reading What… Continue reading What is Diegetic Sound? Diegetic Definition and Examples
Every month, dozens of movies arrive on Netflix, but it can be a hassle keeping track of all the great content that comes and goes. Don’t fret though, we’re going to break down the best new movies on Netflix each month to help you decide on what to watch. These are the best of what’s… Continue reading Best New Movies on Netflix, Filmmaker Playlist (August 2020)
When audiences saw James Cameron’s Titanic for the first time in 1997, they were awed by a scale of filmmaking that the world had rarely, if at all, seen before. More recently, blockbuster movies are almost expected to match this type of scale — some have exceeded it. So, what are the highest-grossing movies of… Continue reading Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: What Makes a Blockbuster?
Shot List SeriesShot SizeShot FramingCamera AnglesCamera FocusCamera GearCamera MovementCamera Lenses You’re looking for a list of the different types of camera shots and shot sizes in film, TV, or animation, but you also want great examples that come with clear explanations of when and why to use a specific shot size? We’ll provide you with… Continue reading Guide to Camera Shots: Every Shot Size Explained
Nothing gets the blood pumping like a good, old-fashioned action flick. From incredible set pieces to beautifully-choreographed action to, of course, amazing one-liners, action is a popular film genre for a reason. And now, it’s time to rank the best action movies of all time. Popular action movies take all shapes and forms. This list has… Continue reading Best Action Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers
Learning how to write dialogue is not easy. You’ve written a pretty good script, but you know it could be GREAT. Could writing better dialogue in your screenplay be that missing piece? Want screenwriting tips that teach you how to write dialogue in a script with writing examples from movies and TV to go with each… Continue reading 22 Screenwriting Tips for Better Movie Dialogue in Your Scripts
