David Fincher is an American director and producer of films, television, and music videos. His work has received multiple nominations in the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Born in Denver, Colorado, Fincher developed a passion for filmmaking at an early age.
Watching a film can sometimes feel like looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. This someone else may be a particularly auteurist filmmaker, or they can be a character within a movie that a filmmaker wants us to identify with. Referred to as subjective cinema, this filmmaking technique can be incredibly powerful.Continue reading Subjective… Continue reading Subjective Cinema — Types and Techniques in Filmmaking
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading What is Color Theory — A Guide for Image Makers
Browse Film Terms A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The film production process is a multifaceted journey, transforming scripts into captivating visual stories for audiences. Numerous aspects of filmmaking converge to create the final product, with… Continue reading What is a Take in Film Production — Definition & Types
A detective movie can be a lot of things: a moody noir, a screwball comedy, a sci-fi thriller. Any of these genres can follow one protagonist trying to answer a question. Detective movies follow searchers– people are not satisfied until they get to the bottom of it all. Often, the answer isn’t as simple as they’d… Continue reading Best Detective Movies of All Time — Film’s Greatest Gumshoes
EssentialsOpen menu What is a Scene What is The Three Act Structure What is Story Structure What is a Story Beat What Is a Plot Plot vs Story What is a Non-Linear Plot What is a Plot Device What is Freytag’s Pyramid Screenplay StructureOpen menu Screenplay Structure Examples What is a Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s… Continue reading What is the Climax of a Story — Definition, Examples & Structure
BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Cinematography BreakdownsOpen menu Stranger Things Cinematography Better Call Saul Cinematography Euphoria Cinematography Analysis Drive Cinematography Breakdown Blade Runner 2049 Cinematography The Guilty Cinematography Sicario Cinematography Water Light Reflection in Blade Runner Cinematographer StylesOpen menu Roger… Continue reading Darius Khondji Cinematography — Style & Techniques Explained
The best dark comedy movies and TV shows go for the jugular. It’s not enough to just be edgy, or even malicious. You need to tap into deep, disturbing levels of discomfort… and build a summer home. We made the ultimate list of dark comedy movies and TV shows, plus a video essay that takes a… Continue reading 70 Hilarious Dark Comedy Movies & TV Shows | Dark Humor in 2023
Cinematography Terms Screenwriting Terms Film Terms Film Crew Positions In cinema, there exists a niche that often goes unnoticed by the mainstream yet holds a magnetic allure for those who discover it: the realm of cult classics. These films may not have garnered immediate acclaim or box office success, but over time, they’ve managed to… Continue reading What is a Cult Classic — The Allure of Fringe Films
Writing a script can be a daunting task – but there are strategies for making it an engaging and fun exercise in creative practice. We’re going to answer the essential questions involved in writing a script, with character arc and plot examples. Then we’ll explain how to use our script analysis worksheet so that you… Continue reading Script Analysis Worksheet PDF — How to Analyze a Script
What is world-building? And, more importantly, why does it matter? World-building is an integral element of storytelling that often goes overlooked and underappreciated. Good world-building might be felt rather than explicitly noticed, and a lack of it can leave a book, film, or video game feeling shallow. We’ll get started with a world-building definition, then… Continue reading What is World Building — Definition, Examples & Techniques
Basics of CompositionOpen menu What is Composition Rules of Shot Composition Rules of Composition SizeOpen menu Scale Proportion BalanceOpen menu Asymmetrical Balance Symmetrical Balance Radial Balance Golden Ratio Foreground Elements Texture Rhythm SpaceOpen menu Positive Space Negative Space Positive & Negative Space Fill the Frame Simplicity LinesOpen menu Leading Lines Rule of Thirds Frame Within… Continue reading Fill the Frame Photography & Composition Techniques
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading How David Fincher Uses Color in Film Explained
Editing EssentialsOpen menu What is Film Editing What Does a Film Editor Do How Does an Editor Control the Rhythm of a Film How to Become a Film Editor What is In Camera Editing What is Screen Direction in Film What is a Rough Cut in Film What is Continuity Editing in Film What is… Continue reading What is a J-Cut in Film — Editing Techniques Explained
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading What is a Monochromatic Color Scheme — Definition, Examples
EssentialsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing What is a Film Composer What is a… Continue reading What is a Film Score — Movie Score vs. Soundtrack Explained
What is a background artist? It might sound like a simple question, but the answer is a bit more complex than one might expect. The term ‘background artist’ can be used to label two different professions and both of them can be found working on a film set. We will break down what those two… Continue reading Background Artist — Animation & Film Crew Position Explained
David Fincher is one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation – and he’s a director we can learn a lot from. We’re going to break down David Fincher directing tips by looking at interview clips and quotes from the man himself. Unlike other more guarded or mysterious auteurs, Fincher is very open about his… Continue reading David Fincher Interviews & Quotes on His Filmmaking Process
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Extreme close-up shots are a… Continue reading Extreme Close-Up Shots: Creative Examples That Work
ProcessOpen menu How to Make a Short Film How to Write a Short Without Dialogue Short Film Schedule Tips Write a Short That Gets Noticed Making a Short Film How to Storyboard a Short Film Phases of Short Film Pre-Production Ari Aster Short Films How Whiplash Went From a Short to a Feature ResourcesOpen menu… Continue reading How to Make a Short Film — 12 Steps from Idea to Finished Film
2020 was a very strange year for movies. Most theaters in the United States have been closed since March in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing studios to push most of its offerings into 2021 at the earliest. While it may seem like a bare year for cinephiles, there was still plenty to enjoy. If… Continue reading The Best 2020 Movies — Bright Lights in a Dark Year
