How to Set Up Multicam Short Film Shoot?
As a newly aspiring cinematographer, you’re probably ready to advance from single camera shoots to a multicam setup. Preparing for a multi camera shoot is fun, but it certainly requires some added planning to ensure proper production. If you’re wondering how to set up a multicam short film shoot, you’ve come to the right place. […]
How to Film Stop Motion Like a Pro
Stop motion animation represents a unique style of filmmaking. In which single camera frames are captured one-by-one to visually tell a story. The process involves filming people, live-action objects, and characters which are then edited into the final story. Early uses of stop motion, like Claymation, represent the beginning of a long era. In which […]
How to Pitch Roman A Clef
There’s a reason why some of the most loved classic books and acclaimed novels in literature are Roman a clef. A French term meaning “Novel with a key,” Roman a Clef represents a story about real life that is overlaid with a facade of fiction generally including fictitious names which represent real people and the […]
Figuring Out How to Create Optical Film Sound: A History of Motion-Picture Sound Recording
The shift from silent films to an entirely new era of motion pictures in which sound-on-film recording, also known as optical sound, would prevail represents a unique point in the history of filmmaking. Early steps toward learning how to create optical film sound that was initially focused on military use. Would ultimately become the most […]
How to Film in a Soft Focus
Filming in soft focus represents a technique that can be used to capture your subject in a dreamy, relaxed sort of way that is ideal for reducing contrast and adding a bit of a glow to your subject. The soft focus technique is most common in portrait photography, but it may also be used when […]
How Have Pyrotechnics and Sounds Changed Filming?
Whether it’s the explosion of a car, the combustion of a fire in a burning building, or the typical flash of fireworks seen overhead. The use of special effects including various pyrotechnics and sounds in filmmaking has actually been prominent throughout the 1900s. With a number of different techniques and tricks being used in filmmaking […]
What Roles Does a Second Unit Director of Photography Have on Set?
The film set is an incredibly busy and powerfully efficient environment where time is money. Each individual on the set has their own roles and responsibilities. Which, together, form a highly effective and efficient work crew. The second unit director of photography represents the second camera crew for a large scale production. And actively engages […]
Understanding Vaudeville and Early Film Influences
Did the movies kill vaudeville? Some believe that vaudeville and early film are so closely connected and influenced by one another that to state that film in any way negatively-influenced vaudeville would be absurd. Others believe that the introduction of films into the entertainment industry was actually what would go on to kill this form […]
How to Create a Shot List Document for an Organized & Efficient Production
How to Create a Shot List Document for an Organized & Efficient Production Planning out your shots in pre-production represents a vital step towards organization and efficiency when you do make your way to the set for production. By focusing some time in advance on the creation of a detailed, and organized, shot list that […]
What are Still Frames in Film & How are Freeze Frames Used?
Still frames in film or the freeze-frame represents a single frame shot technique. It can be used to create emphasis or suspense within a scene. Throughout the film industry, in video production and in animation. A frame represents a single still image that is one of many which make up a moving picture. Understanding still […]