Lighting plays a pivotal role in shaping the mood, atmosphere, and visual narrative of films and television. From the soft glow of a romantic scene to the stark shadows of a suspenseful thriller, the way light is manipulated transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Understanding the various film and TV lighting techniques is like learning the vocabulary of visual storytelling. So let's go into some of the most popular ways to light your projects. Film and TV Lighting Dictionary Basic Lighting Key Light: The primary light source focused on your subject. It determines the main directio ..read more

Ever watched a movie and been totally convinced by the hero's passionate speech, only to realize later it didn't make much logical sense? Or seen a villain's plan dismissed for being crazy when, well, they might have a point? Movies and TV shows are masters of manipulating our thinking, whether intentionally or not. Today, we're diving into the world of logical fallacies – those sneaky ways stories try to persuade us without using sound reasoning. I first learned about the fallacies from my tenth-grade English teacher, Dr. Keane. He was kind of a mad man, but beat these into our brains. And ..read more

It seems like every day I see an argument on social media about a film or TV show, and every day I see the argument is made in bad faith thanks to a basic lack of media literacy. If you want to talk competently about movies and TV shows, you need to learn media literacy, and you need to learn it today. Today, I want to go over the term, provide the definition, and teach you how to make a cogent argument that doesn't make you look like an idiot. I know this is a lot, but I truly think if you want to be a better filmmaker, you should learn this very basic idea. If for nothing else, it will all ..read more

With NAB in the distant past we’re left to re-evaluate the mirrorless and cinema camera landscapes in the wake of news from Blackmagic Design and our other favorite camera brands. It’s easy to forget for a lot of content creators and shooters, the name of the game isn’t bigger and more expensive, but rather smaller and more affordable. That’s why it’s cool to see some upstart brands trying to push the industry into a more micro-realm, as is the case with Yashica, a company with 75 years of history and products, partnering with another brand called "I’m Back", to launch what they’re calling ..read more

Written by Max Lugavere Over the past decade, the journey of bringing Little Empty Boxes to the screen has been a rollercoaster of emotions, fueled by a few pivotal moments and a profound sense of purpose. It all began with my mother's diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease, which redirected my career path toward filmmaking and advocacy. Initially drawn to documentary filmmaking during my undergraduate years at the University of Miami, I found my niche in journalism and storytelling. My stint at Al Gore's Current TV further solidified my passion for using media to effect positive change, p ..read more

Last week, I was at dinner with an executive who works at one of the three largest studios in Hollywood. I asked him about his favorite spec scripts and if he had any advice for writers who were trying to break in. He took a deep breath and said, "I wish more writers understood how important the concept of their movies is and how much they need to deliver on that promise." It was at that moment I realized we needed to have and article on that statement. I went back through all the scripts I gave notes on in the last year, and I found that almost all of them either had an underdeveloped conce ..read more

Whether you're on set and need to see picture as crystal clear as possible or in your editing bay trying to color match a shot that's driving you mad, you need a good monitor for picture. Luckily Flanders Scientific is around to help. Flanders Scientific dropped by NAB 2024 this year to show off their color critical reference monitors, specifically the XMP310 complete with true UHD and volumetric auto calibration. Check out our video from NAB on more from Flanders Scientific. NAB 2024: What's New at Flanders Scientific In our interview conducted by Cinematography for Actors we get a close l ..read more

Despite all the buzz around the Sony VENICE and BURANO gunning for the indie cinematic camera throne, ARRI is still a leading choice for filmmakers aiming for an affordable cinematic look. Considering their focus on cinema cameras, this NAB news might be surprising. At NAB 2024 this year ARRI was showing off their new LIVE attachment for the ALEXA 35. This attachment can link up to your traditional ALEXA 35 camera body, but super powers it up for live broadcast specific shoots like sporting events and concert shoots. Let's learn a little bit more with our first-hand NAB coverage in the video ..read more

Our coverage of the NAB Show in Vegas this year had to make a stop at the Creamsource booth to see how they’ve continued on their journey to tackle the complex world of color LEDs. And while the big camera and AI news might take the majority of the focus for many from this year’s conference, rest assured the coolest stuff came from the lighting and film gear brands. In a conversation with Creamsource, we got to go hands-on with the new Vortex lineup, which includes V24, V8 and V4 models. Check out our full interview and video below. Creamsource at NAB 2024 In what starts, at least, as a sit ..read more

As NAB 2024 is finally in our rearview mirror, it’s fun to look back at some of our favorite booth visits from this year’s conference in Vegas. We saw lots of cool new cameras and pieces of film tech and gear. And we made some friends along the way. One notable stop worth highlighting was our chat with the team at DoPchoice as they showcased their SNAPBAG AIRGLOW for 1x1 lights, as well as some other cool new products and features. Check it all out below. DOP Choice at NAB 2024 Speaking with our video team from Cinematography for Actors at the NAB Show this year, we got up close and persona ..read more