Kim Leonard is a writer and director who specializes in Comedy. She has done just about every job on set, from PA to Producer.
The humble film slate, scuffed and scratched and tossed casually aside between setups, is actually a very important piece of equipment that no film set should ever be without. In this post, we’re going to give you an insider’s tour of the slate, officially known as a clapperboard. We’ll show you how to use a… Continue reading The Clapperboard Explained — How to Use a Film Slate
The first films ever made were documentaries. Originally demonstrations of the magic of filmmaking technology, these short, seemingly insignificant projects have since served as historical records of everyday life at the turn of the 19th century. 125 years later, documentary filmmaking is still one of the most powerful ways of educating and influencing audiences, for… Continue reading 23 Best Documentaries of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers (2023)
Directorial DepartmentOpen menu Insert Image What Does an Assistant Director Do Insert Image What Does a 2nd Assistant Director Do Insert Image What is a Casting Director Insert Image What is a Second Unit Director Insert Image What Does a Director Do Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions You might think you know what a… Continue reading What is a Casting Director — Job Description, Duties & Salary
Camera & Lighting DepartmentOpen menu Insert Image Best Boy Insert Image Camera Operator Insert Image Director Of Photography Insert Image Focus Puller Insert Image Key Grip Insert Image Gaffer Insert Image Grip Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions If you’re the kind of person who waits through the credits of movies (and if you are,… Continue reading What is a Key Grip — Definition & Job Description Explained
You may have heard Tom Cruise’s famous rant at some of the crew on his latest Mission: Impossible sequel. Cruise was upset that people weren’t respecting the rules the COVID-19 virus has dictated for film production. But just what are these rules anyway? In this post, we’ll talk about working in production during COVID. We’ll explain… Continue reading What is a COVID Compliance Officer — Set Protocols Explained
Major Awards:Open menu Insert Image Best Picture Insert Image Best Director ActingOpen menu Insert Image Best Actress Insert Image Best Supporting Actress Insert Image Best Actor Insert Image Best Supporting Actor WritingOpen menu Insert Image Best Original Screenplay Insert Image Best Adapted Screenplay TechnicalOpen menu Insert Image Best Film Editing Insert Image Best Visual Effects… Continue reading Academy Award for Best Costume Design — The Complete List
Whenever you hear someone talking about the male gaze, you may be asking yourself, “What is the male gaze?” Well, in this post we’re going to tell you. We’re going to explain what we mean by the term “the male gaze” and we’ll show you some examples from recent films. We’ll also give you some… Continue reading What is the Male Gaze? Definition and Examples in Film
You think you know what gaffer tape is, but do you really? In this post we’re going to explain everything you should know about gaffer tape: what is gaffer tape, how does it work, and why is it so bloody expensive. You’ll learn how to tear it off the roll, how to make cables safe for… Continue reading What Is Gaffer Tape Used For? A Film Set Essential Explained
Queer theory is a complex, multi-faceted subject that’s difficult to cover in a single post. So we’re going to try to break it down into more digestible pieces. We’ll give you a basic overview of Queer Theory, but mainly we’ll provide some examples from films and TV shows that have been groundbreaking in terms of… Continue reading What is Queer Theory? Definition and Examples for Filmmakers
Camera & Lighting DepartmentOpen menu Insert Image Best Boy Insert Image Camera Operator Insert Image Director Of Photography Insert Image Focus Puller Insert Image Key Grip Insert Image Gaffer Insert Image Grip Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions The short answer to the question, “What is a Grip?” is that a Grip on a film… Continue reading What is a Grip on a Movie Set? Job Description and Duties
In filmmaking, we’re often told that the screenplay is the blueprint, but hand-in-hand with that is the script breakdown. Every show, no matter how big or small, starts with the script breakdown. Not only does the breakdown give us the first sense of what the world of the story will look like, it also informs each… Continue reading Joker Costume Design: How to Break Down a Script for Wardrobe
Camera & Lighting DepartmentOpen menu Insert Image Best Boy Insert Image Camera Operator Insert Image Director Of Photography Insert Image Focus Puller Insert Image Key Grip Insert Image Gaffer Insert Image Grip Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions A lot of job titles on a film set come from other industries or traditions, and Gaffer… Continue reading What is a Gaffer? Definition and Job Description Explained
There’s an old film school thought experiment that asks about a character, “What does he have in his refrigerator?” In this post, we’re going to practice that experiment.We can learn plenty about who a character is from the things they say, as well as the things others say about them. But we also learn who… Continue reading Who is This Person? Finding a Character Using the Script Breakdown
Writing dialogue is the best part of writing a screenplay. It’s the part of the writing where you get to be an actor for a while and cast powerful magic spells, or save an innocent man from prison, or lead an army into battle – at least in your mind. But dialogue is also something… Continue reading Say What? Fundamental Approaches to Writing ‘Realistic’ Dialogue
We’ve talked quite a bit about script breakdowns. We’ve shown you how to break down a script, and how to do it with free script breakdown software. Now, we’re going to take a look at Bong Joon-ho’s script for Parasite and do a deep dive into how you would tag its characteristic set dressing in a… Continue reading Set Dressing Guide: How Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite Creates Meaning
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read Insert… Continue reading Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Winners — 20 Great Scripts in 20 Years
Shot List EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is a Shot List? Insert Image Introducing Shot Lists Insert Image How to Make a Lined Script Insert Image How to Make a Shot List Shot List TipsOpen menu Insert Image What’s in Your Shot List Insert Image Shot Listing Like a Pro Insert Image How to Create… Continue reading What’s in Your Shot List: How to Design and Communicate Your Vision
Cinéma vérité – literally “cinema of truth” – is a style of filmmaking you’ve probably seen more than you realize. You may even have studied it as part of your film education. As a technique, cinéma vérité has been a valuable tool for independent filmmakers for decades, not only for recording events as they happened,… Continue reading Cinéma Vérité — Filmmaking Style That Keeps It Real
Over the last century, we made some extraordinary advances in storytelling technology. We can shoot in complete darkness. We can create environments and characters from nothing more than pixels ⏤ even live, in real-time. And we can literally make an entire feature film using our phones! And, yet, stereotypes in movies still exist. The progress needle… Continue reading Stereotypes in Movies and How Filmmakers Can Avoid Them
Musicals are a special breed of filmmaking that requires a LOT of preparation and planning to pull off. There is singing, and dancing, and music. And it all has to be presented in the script in a particular way. In this post we’ll look at some of the special considerations that go into making a musical… Continue reading How to Schedule a Musical: Breaking Down La La Land
