Interview with Director of Photography Vincent Wrenn
Cinematographer Vincent Wrenn has three decades and hundreds of productions to his name, including HBO’s four part series The Defiant Ones, Inside Bill’s Brain, and the documentary Spielberg by Susan Lacy. We recently connected with Vincent to learn more about his journey into film, find out what he says it takes to be a pro […]
Film Crew List
When award season comes around, you’ll hear a lot about which directors, actors, and films can expect to take home some hardware. However, when it comes to a major motion picture – or even an animated short – it takes much more than a few big names to create a work of art. Those big […]
How to make a movie on iPhone
Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh shot Unsane using only three iPhone 7 Plus mobile devices. This isn’t to say he was working without resources. The man has directed 28 feature films that have made more than two billion dollars. Working with a crew of a dozen or so, Soderbergh shot during the day and edited […]
How to make a movie on iMovie
For those of you born during the 90s, you have always been either a PC or MAC. Microsoft and Apple even had dueling commercials over their operating systems. Macs were the hip young creative kids and PCs were all business all the time. The software was specifically made for one or the other at the […]
What is a Property Master?
Hint: Being a property master has nothing to do with real estate. A property master, at least in the world of film, is the person responsible for all portable objects (props) on a set. They are someone who likes to design and build things. They’re someone who is part artist, part sculpture, part carpenter, […]
Film Connection Graduate Taylor Giddens Mixes Business And Pleasure With His Own Film Company
If you need proof of how effective on-the-job training, really is, just ask Film Connection graduate Taylor Giddens. Enrolling in the program in his late 20s, Taylor had absolutely no experience—only a dream of being a filmmaker. A few short years later, he runs his own film production company, where he not only pays the […]
How to Make a Short Film
“There are only 24 hours in a day, and my top priority is working on my films, but I love short film experiments.” -David Lynch Let’s start with why you want to make a short film. It’s doubtful you are pursuing a life-long dream of becoming a short film maker. More likely, you see the […]
How to Make a Horror Movie
Horror movies are a universe unto themselves when it comes to making movies. There’s a segment of the general audience that just loves to be scared by a movie! Additionally, horror movies are a tried and true path to launching a director’s career with the production value bar being lower than most movies (think Blair Witch Project.) […]
Production Crew Duties and Responsibilities
So, you’re a director or filmmaker about to embark on making your first film. You’ve got a good working script and you have broken things down into a shot list. That means you are in charge of three things: 1) Managing the production crew; 2) Directing the actors to give you the performance you want; […]
How to Setup High Key Lighting in Film
High key lighting uses reduced contrast lighting that is dominated by white tones and has minimal mid-range and black tones. Often the background is white or brighter than the foreground or subject. It sets a positive or upbeat tone for the scene. It is used extensively in product shots, beauty and makeup commercials, news sets, […]
Yes You Can! How to Make a Movie as a Kid
Okay, so you’re a kid. Whether you’re 12 or 17, you’re still living at home and your parents are still in charge of most of your schedule, where you go, and who you hang out with. Nevertheless, if you’re creative and are willing to put those brain cells through some work, you can make a […]
How to Create a Camera Shot List
The shot list is a pre-production step that falls in between the script breakdown/storyboards and the actual shoot. It is a full list of all the shots you want to include in each scene with lots of detail. It is based on locations and setups, which is to say it is not based on the […]
