The Western is all about taming the Frontier. Let’s unpack this cinematic genre and discover how deeply it is rooted in our psyches. On the one hand, the Western, in its simplest expression, is one of the purest forms of…
Science fiction is one of the most popular genres across all media, but it’s commonly not labeled as such. Let’s explore what defines this critical genre. Science fiction — as an umbrella term — is any fictional narrative that has…
Horror is defined as “an apprehension or revulsion about that which is unknown.” What does that mean for filmmakers? It may seem odd to seek out something that scares you as a viable source of entertainment, but there’s a complicated…
Comedy is more than telling a few jokes. In this article, we’ll take a look at the various types of comedy you’ll find in film. One thing you’ll consistently hear about comedy is that it’s hard — timing is everything,…
In this write-up, we’ll take a look at what we mean when we talk about “action films.” Look, every story ever told is a story of conflict. Whether we’re talking about a bunch of guys showing up on a beach…
One of the often-overlooked ways that a director can manipulate the narrative is the transition. Let’s explore how they can affect your story. There are a lot of fancy names for transitioning from one scene to the next: the fade,…
A foil character is a contrast to your protagonist that highlights their stand-out qualities. Here’s how you write one. When we sketch out the shape of a story, we start with a protagonist. Well, maybe we start with an inciting…
Cinematographers use a variety of shots to tell visual stories. In this article, we explore one of the most common — the medium shot. Shooting a film is both an exercise in creating a fully realized world and lying to…
Forced perspective is a classic technique that can bring some innovation to your low-budget project. One of the first discussions in any sort of art class is about perspective, which is the relation of the viewer to the image being…
There’s a invisible wall between the audience and the story they are watching. Let’s look at the impacts that breaking this fourth wall can have on your film. Let’s talk, you and I, about how storytelling works. We’ll use some…
Let’s take a look at the history of the ratings system and explore where these ratings are today. In the early 20th century, as moving pictures became a new attraction, politicians and community leaders in larger cities became concerned about…
Every film is nothing more than a bunch of still images strung together. Let’s look at one of the oldest special effects used by directors: clay-based animation. Early cinema was nothing more than a series of images that presented the…
