Reality gets pretty thin these days, and it’s no surprise that filmmakers have gotten creative with the documentary format. Here are some things to remember when making your own mockumentary. Early on, you have to decide which approach you’re going…
Let’s explore the distinctions of sound design and how filmmakers can use them. As we discussed in one of our previous Think Like a Director pieces (Music Makes the Mood), a film’s soundtrack can do a lot of the heavy…
The future arrived in the ’80s, so let’s take a look at the visual aesthetics that were born there. The 1980s were a decade filled with technological innovation, Cold War paranoia, and padded shoulders. New Wave was sweeping the shores,…
The ’90s are back, so let’s look at how to capture the visual and cinematic aesthetics that defined the decade. The CD changed the music market in the mid-80s, and by the mid-90s, that same digital revolution had come to…
When building a video project, the colors you use signal the mood of your project. You can alter the emotional impact of every scene simply by altering the colors. Color has been recognized for centuries as being more than a…
Retrofuturism is the design trend that is always on the cusp of arriving but is never out of date. Here the key elements of retro-futurism. It’s always been difficult to pin down exactly when the future is going to arrive,…
2023 promises a glut of amazing films, franchises, and features. Here’s what filmmakers and cinephiles should be looking for. Let’s get ready for a new year of cinematic experiences. Here’s a rundown of what we’re looking forward to in 2023.…
There’s one thing the movies have taught us, and it’s that the holidays are much more complicated than Frank Capra would have you believe. Jimmy Stewart makes it look like all you have to do is be a little nicer,…
The global economy has been experiencing an ongoing sea change since the disruptions of 2020. What does that mean for freelancers? We’ve seen the realization across multiple industries as creative types have gone from “Hey, I can work remotely!” to…
A film’s director provides the overall “vision” for the film. Let’s look at some of the cinematic highlights of 2022 through this distinctive lens. Let’s talk about Barbarian, Zac Cregger’s indie horror film that debuted late this year and has…
Movies are more than eyeball-melting special effects, Technicolor vistas, and complicated camera work. What makes them truly memorable is the dialogue. The screenwriter’s value is often dismissed when it comes to who makes the spectacle that fills the big screen.…
Our perpetual fears were famously made real in a series of films produced by Universal Pictures. Let’s look at the old school manifestations of our night terrors. Every year, as the nights get longer, we circle around to our never-quite-forgotten…
