The Editing of MAD MAX: Fury Road
Film Editor Margaret Sixel was given over 480 hours of footage to create MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That's...
Cinematography
The Cinematography of IDA
Sometimes the composition of a static frame can overwhelm you. The power of a carefully crafted image can be staggering.The Polish film IDA was just nominated for the Best Cinematography...
THE THING – Storyboards to Film Comparison
John Carpenter's THE THING is one of my favorite movies. The story, characters, score, location and practical visual effects are some of the most memorable in film history....
4K and Beyond – Video Data Rates
Apple has released a new video codec into the filmmaking post production world. It's called ProRes 4444 XQ and it's a mother-scratching beast. At 4K (4096 x 2160) it...
THE THING – Atmospheric Anamorphic
John Carpenter's THE THING came out 32 years ago today. It is an epic horror film that has stood the test of time and plays as well today as when...
The Cobra Shot
[caption id="attachment_3683" align="aligncenter" width="1306"] DPs Caleb Deschanel and Douglas Slocombe create magical moments.[/caption] The iconic cobra shot attributed to Raiders of the Lost Ark was first seen 2 years earlier...
Splitting The Focus in De Palma’s ‘Blow Out’
[caption id="attachment_2500" align="alignleft" width="200"] Schneider Optics Split Focus Diopter[/caption] SPLIT DIOPTER A Split Focus Diopter is half convex glass that attaches in front of the camera’s main lens to...
The Ultimate Aspect Ratio Guide For Filmmakers
[caption id="attachment_1317" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Aspect ratios throughout cinema history[/caption] The boundaries of the canvas that filmmakers use can take many forms. The Aspect Ratio of the frame size...