Martin Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor, whose career spans more than 50 years. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential directors in film history.
Have you ever watched a movie with a plot twist that blew your mind and then watched that movie again and noticed signs leading to the twist? You’re not alone. So, what is foreshadowing? Is it just simply dropping clues or is it something more? Implementing foreshadowing techniques into your story can create anticipation that… Continue reading What is Foreshadowing — Definition, Examples in Film and Lit.
What is a StoryboardHow to StoryboardStoryboard ExamplesStoryboard SoftwareStoryboard TemplatesCreate Storyboard → How can you storyboard if you cannot draw? It might seem like a conundrum at first glance but, luckily, there are a number of alternatives to drawing that you can make use of and still produce high quality storyboards. In this post, we will… Continue reading How to Storyboard if You Can’t Draw — 4 Alternative Options
Ever since The Great Train Robbery introduced filmgoers to the joys of a glorious gunfight in 1903, shootouts have become a staple of cinematic spectacles. Throughout movie history, filmmakers have tried to one-up each other by creating the most titillating exchange of gunfire possible. Over a century since its inception, the shootout continues to be… Continue reading Best Movie Shootouts of All Time — Locked, Loaded & Ranked
If you are a filmmaker or even just a movie buff, odds are you’ve heard the term “narrative film.” Although it is a rather vague term thrown around quite often, it can make a lot of people wonder, “What is a narrative film?” In this article, we’ll clarify the key characteristics to narrative movies and… Continue reading What is Narrative Film — Overview & History of Narrative Cinema
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
When was the last time you shed a tear while watching a film? Can you recall the specific scene? Many describe this as a “good cry.” How can a cry be good? Many people have pent up emotions from various events in life. Art can evoke an emotional release of these emotions also known as… Continue reading What is Catharsis — Definition & Examples for Storytellers
Film has the unique ability to transport us to another place and time completely, if only for a few hours. But the way films do this can vary. Scale, spectacle, and grandiose VFX can allow us to escape into other worlds. But naturalist movies transport us by blurring the lines between film and reality. It attempts… Continue reading Naturalist Movies — Characteristics of Naturalism in Film
The list of directors Rodrigo Prieto has worked with reads like a list of the greatest directors currently working: Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Ang Lee, Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, and Alejandro Iñárritu, to name a few. The acclaimed director of photography started in the independent film scene in Mexico, and first gained international attention in… Continue reading Rodrigo Prieto Style – DP for Scorsese, Iñárritu, Ang Lee & More
Martin Scorsese is widely considered one of the finest filmmakers of his or any generation. Of his long list of masterpieces, his enduring classic Taxi Driver remains one of the most beloved. One scene in particular has permeated the zeitgeist in a way few scenes manage to do: the iconic and oft-quoted “You talking to… Continue reading You Talking to Me? — Breaking Down Taxi Driver’s Iconic Scene
S creenplay transitions in cinema have been used ever since filmmakers had the ability to edit. At first, what was a simple cue to an editor of when to cut to another shot or scene has become another tool for a filmmaker to creatively tell a story. Fades, wipes, and match cuts are a few examples… Continue reading How to Write Transitions in a Script — Tips & Formatting
Are you having trouble transitioning from one scene to the next? Maybe you feel like there’s something missing in the cut. Or maybe the cut is just far too abrupt and distracting. Sound bridges are an incredible editing technique that can be found in nearly every film you’ve seen. What is a sound bridge in… Continue reading What is a Sound Bridge in Film — Scene Transition Techniques
Music plays an integral role in how a movie communicates tone. When thinking about a movie, we often recall back to a moment when the soundtrack swelled at the perfect moment, how it transported us to other worlds, or interweaved popular culture into the narrative. We can learn a lot from how filmmakers use music… Continue reading 25 Best Movie Soundtracks That Changed the Game
The term “Plot device” has grown to be taboo in the world of writing. Most screenwriters associate the term with an inherently negative connotation, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Plot devices have existed since the inception of stories, and for good reason. So what is a plot device? In this article, we’re… Continue reading What is a Plot Device? Definitions and Examples for Screenwriters
Montages can be an incredibly useful filmmaking tool if utilized correctly. They can condense time, intertwine storylines, and be used for comedic or dramatic effect. Some montages are completely visual with no dialogue. Others may utilize voiceover from a narrator or dialogue for the film’s narrative. If your montage is the latter, stick around to… Continue reading How to Write a Voice Over Montage in Screenplay Format
Film editing is an underrated art form, and oftentimes under-appreciated. Editing is the backbone of filmmaking — it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to the craft, including developing one’s own unique editing style, and breaking the rules. Let’s examine one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and notable film editors, Thelma Schoonmaker, and discover… Continue reading Thelma Schoonmaker Editing Style & Working with Scorsese
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
For the most part, filmmakers strive to make audiences forget that they are in fact an audience watching a film. They work to make the film completely immersive. But sometimes filmmakers intentionally draw attention to the medium being used by breaking the fourth wall. While not all stories benefit from such interruptions, here are the… Continue reading 15 Movies That Break the Fourth Wall (Besides Deadpool)
Have you ever watched an old black and white movie, maybe starring Humphrey Bogart or Katherine Hepburn, and thought some of it was a bit tame? Even when the movies are great, they seem to play it safe? Most of this is a direct result of what is popularly known as the Hays Code, which… Continue reading What is the Hays Code — Hollywood Production Code Explained
Have you ever watched a movie that seemed more focused on the inner life of its central character than following a traditional plot? Plenty of movies have great characters, but how many of those same movies would have the same plot if you removed that character? This is part of what makes character studies special,… Continue reading What is a Character Study — Character vs. Plot-Driven Narratives
While cinematography has the unique ability to visually draw an audience’s eye to something specific, screenwriters also have a unique tool to draw a reader’s attention to a specific scene element within a screenplay. The slug line is one of the best tools a screenwriter has for drawing attention and incorporating visual elements into a… Continue reading What is a Slug Line? Scene Heading Screenplay Formatting
