Who Invented the Kinetoscope?

The kinetoscope was one of the earliest motion-picture projectors created and was introduced to filmmakers a little over 100 years ago, but who invented the kinetoscope?  Released for mass use in 1893, the kinetoscope was invented a few years earlier in 1891 by two very popular scientists that are incredibly well-known even today. As we […]

What is Editing Within the Shot Space in Film?

You’ve prepared a script and you’re working on your shot list as well as preparing your production schedule. Most filmmakers take this time to make sure that they are organizing their shots, scenes and other elements in such a way that they can maximize their principal photography schedules gaining the most out of the time […]

How is Offscreen Space in Film Used?

The use of offscreen space in film represents a unique opportunity for the filmmaker to create a heightened sense of drama while engaging the audience as they become increasingly aware of something that is occurring outside the frame. Offscreen space in film is used in a number of different ways, largely depending on the narrative […]

How Do Camera Movements Function?

Cinematographers gain quite a bit of audience attention just in the way that they are able to use their cameras to create the appearance of forward momentum, energy within the space, and draw the spectator into the action, but how do camera movements function? This is a question that frequently arises in regards to the […]

Oppositional Cinemas and the Role of Oppositional Filmmaking

While there may not technically be a form of cinema that is considered opposition cinema, oppositional cinemas exist as does oppositional filmmaking which plays a significant role in guiding the socio-cultural and socio-economic contexts of various films.  Many well-known examples of oppositional cinema or oppositional filmmaking thus have criticized the traditional norms of cinema introducing […]

How to Shoot for the Edit

Learning how to shoot for the editing is a technique that will help even a beginning cinematographer to create shots and scenes that can truly amaze an audience one they’ve made their way through post production. As a professional cinematographer, you’re going to have many instances in which it makes most sense to learn how […]

What is Postmodernism in Film?

Postmodernism is a term that you might have heard before, but it’s likely that you heard it used in a manner that was potentially inconsistent or otherwise unnatural. Whenever the term postmodernism in film is used, it’s typically done so in such a way that it basically subverts mainstream conventions of narrative structure in exchange […]

What is Sequence Analysis in Film?

In film studies, sequence analysis is frequently encouraged as a means of analyzing a particular film element or production to help the student better understand particular elements of the filmmaking process, but what is sequence analysis in film and what does it mean?  What is Sequence Analysis in Film? Sequence analysis in film is a […]

What is Match on Action in Film?

Connecting scenes through editing is the primary concept behind continuity editing, but a variety of different methods are used to achieve the desired effect. In particular, matching on action represents one of the ways that matching actions can be used to create visual connection in the story and for cohesiveness, but what is match on […]

The Mind Boggling Effects of Miniature Models in Film

You might have never even realized that some of the top grossing films of our time are filmed on sets that are NOTHING like what you would expect. In fact, many take place in miniature scenes in which the mind boggling effects of miniature models in film come to life. We’re talking about the use […]