Hollywood producers talk about “high concept.” A high concept refers to the central idea that drives a story. Often, it can be expressed in a single sentence, such as: “An alien, who is left behind, befriends an Earth kid.” And “An unheralded heavyweight boxer unexpectedly gets a chance to prove himself by battling the champ.” A strong concept doesn’t…
read more →Prakash Gandhi Natarajan is a Texas-based smartphone filmmaker who is the founder of Dhara Visual, an independent production company. In the following interview, Gandhi talks about combining smartphone and drone footage in the making of “Diwali & Pongal,” a mini-doc about India’s festival of lights (Diwali) and harvest festival (Pongal). The mini-doc was the co-winner of MobileMovieMaking’s…
read more →You can find thick books devoted to the art of film dialogue. Much of the advice can be summed up this way: “Less is more.” There are many ways to achieve that goal, such as omitting small talk (“How are you doing?” and making sure that your characters don’t say what the viewers can see. Peter Olsen brings that wisdom to…
read more →Ticking clocks are used so often in movies for a simple reason: they work. Just as deadlines unleash tension, fear, and adrenaline in our everyday lives, a danger with a fixed time of arrival motivates action in movies. Ranker offers a list of 25 classic movies with ticking clocks including “Back to the Future,” “Terminator 2:…
read more →While film is primarily a visual medium, the sound track’s contribution can be immense. Think of the haunting themes in movies such as “The Godfather” and “Chariots of Fire.” Or—as an experiment—watch the “Psycho” shower scene with the sound turned off. If you prefer a more current example, here is “Flying With Nature,” which won the top prize…
read more →Public Service Announcements (PSAs) often are cerebral. But as human rights lawyer Adebayo Okeowo demonstrates in “Not for Sale,” telling a story can give a message astonishing power. In this case, the short PSA, shot using an iPhone 7, dramatizes the tragedy of migration. In the first half of 2017, more than a thousand migrants perished in the Mediterranean.…
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