Rafael Abreu received his M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University. He’s written reviews, scripts, and analytical essays focusing on all aspects of cinema. He can’t stop talking about aspect ratios.
Do you ever wonder what is a biopic, or what counts as a biopic? In contemporary cinema, biopic movies seem to be everywhere. Old historical figures, musicians, politicians, as well as “regular” people dealing with extraordinary events. There have been more biopic films in recent decades, but they’re nothing new. Biopics have been a staple… Continue reading What is a Biopic — Definition & Best Examples Explained
You may have seen something out of time in a period piece, like machine guns in the Middle Ages. You may have come across a story where everyone in the 22nd century is still using 20th century technology. It’s the sort of thing you may notice immediately or not at all, depending on how subtle… Continue reading What is Anachronism — Definition, Examples & Creative Uses
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 Voice Over — Definition and Examples in Film
By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Action Romantic Animation Thriller Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror Fantasy Western Musical War ResourcesOpen menu Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Write Your Script for… Continue reading Marriage Story Script PDF Download — Plot, Dialogue, & Themes
Poetry BasicsOpen menu What is a Poem What is a Stanza in a Poem What is Dissonance What is a Sonnet What is a Haiku What is Prose What is an Ode What is Repetition in Poetry What is a Stanza in a Poem How to Write a Poem Types of PoemsOpen menu Types of… Continue reading What is an Ode — Definition, Examples, and Structure Explained
Index & TimelineOpen menu Art Styles Explained Art History Timeline Renaissance (1400-1600)Open menu Renaissance Gothic Art Baroque (1600-1750)Open menu Rococo Baroque Classical (1750-1827)Open menu Classicism Neoclassicism Ukiyo-e Naturalism vs Realism Romantic (1827-1900)Open menu Romanticism Art Nouveau Kinetic Art Post Impressionism Primitivism Modern (1900-1970)Open menu Abstract Expressionism Avant Garde Bauhaus Conceptual Art Constructivism Art Cubism Dadaism… Continue reading What is Futurism — Art Movement Definition, Examples & Artists
Index & TimelineOpen menu Art Styles Explained Art History Timeline Renaissance (1400-1600)Open menu Renaissance Gothic Art Baroque (1600-1750)Open menu Rococo Baroque Classical (1750-1827)Open menu Classicism Neoclassicism Ukiyo-e Naturalism vs Realism Romantic (1827-1900)Open menu Romanticism Art Nouveau Kinetic Art Post Impressionism Primitivism Modern (1900-1970)Open menu Abstract Expressionism Avant Garde Bauhaus Conceptual Art Constructivism Art Cubism Dadaism… Continue reading What is Performance Art — Definition, Examples & History
Most movies tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Many of those narrative features tell the story of a single individual that can span a certain amount of time, ranging from a few days to a few decades. Some of those focused narrative movies are also memoirs, which can include original and adapted… Continue reading What is a Memoir — Definition, Examples in Literature & Film
Index & TimelineOpen menu Art Styles Explained Art History Timeline Renaissance (1400-1600)Open menu Renaissance Gothic Art Baroque (1600-1750)Open menu Rococo Baroque Classical (1750-1827)Open menu Classicism Neoclassicism Ukiyo-e Naturalism vs Realism Romantic (1827-1900)Open menu Romanticism Art Nouveau Kinetic Art Post Impressionism Primitivism Modern (1900-1970)Open menu Abstract Expressionism Avant Garde Bauhaus Conceptual Art Constructivism Art Cubism Dadaism… Continue reading What is Pop Art — Definition, History, Characteristics & Artists
Index & TimelineOpen menu Art Styles Explained Art History Timeline Renaissance (1400-1600)Open menu Renaissance Gothic Art Baroque (1600-1750)Open menu Rococo Baroque Classical (1750-1827)Open menu Classicism Neoclassicism Ukiyo-e Naturalism vs Realism Romantic (1827-1900)Open menu Romanticism Art Nouveau Kinetic Art Post Impressionism Primitivism Modern (1900-1970)Open menu Abstract Expressionism Avant Garde Bauhaus Conceptual Art Constructivism Art Cubism Dadaism… Continue reading What is Baroque Art — Definition, Examples and Characteristics
Art is inherently referential; everyone is influenced by something that came before. Great (and not-so-great) artists all get inspiration from somewhere and will sometimes show it in their works. If an artist makes a reference to something in their own work, that is often seen as an homage. But what is homage? Is it anything… Continue reading What is Homage — Definition & Examples in Art and Film
Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading What is a Damsel in Distress — Definition and Examples in Film
Before The Walt Disney Company owned a bunch of companies, and before other film studios and companies were being bought by other big companies, there was the classic Hollywood studio system. What is the studio system? While it would be easy to simplify it as the time when movie studios owned the theaters that would… Continue reading What is the Studio System — Hollywood’s Studio Era Explained
Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading What is a Femme Fatale — Definition, Characteristics, Examples
Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading What is a Mad Scientist — Definition, Characteristics & Examples
What is something each and every story ever told has in common? If you guessed “a setting,” you’d be correct! When your narrative involves characters and motivation, a setting is almost always a given. Sometimes a setting is massive and expansive, while other times it’s small and intimate. So what is a setting, what does… Continue reading Setting Examples — How to Use Time and Place in Film & Lit.
Index & TimelineOpen menu Art Styles Explained Art History Timeline Renaissance (1400-1600)Open menu Renaissance Gothic Art Baroque (1600-1750)Open menu Rococo Baroque Classical (1750-1827)Open menu Classicism Neoclassicism Ukiyo-e Naturalism vs Realism Romantic (1827-1900)Open menu Romanticism Art Nouveau Kinetic Art Post Impressionism Primitivism Modern (1900-1970)Open menu Abstract Expressionism Avant Garde Bauhaus Conceptual Art Constructivism Art Cubism Dadaism… Continue reading What is Expressionism Art — Definition, Examples & Artists
Storyboard EssentialsOpen menu What is a Storyboard What is a Digital Storyboard Ultimate Guide to Storyboard Rules Best Storyboard Software What is a Storyboard Artist Websites to Find a Storyboard Artist Storyboard Classes Online Storyboard Dimensions Explained Storyboard Montage Ultimate Guide to Storyboard Composition Storyboard ExamplesOpen menu Best Storyboard Examples Storyboard Ideas, Examples, and Techniques… Continue reading Animation Storyboard — Tips, Techniques and Templates
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 Smash Cut — An Editor’s Guide with Examples & Tips
Writing a script isn’t easy, and getting one approved for filming can be just as tough. However, if your script does get greenlit, that means it’ll be in the hands of producers and filmmakers so that the words on the page can come to life. But this same process can involve rewrites, tweaks, changes, omissions… Continue reading What are Script Revision Colors — A Guide for Filmmakers
