The Origins of Film Noir
Jump into the world of Film Noir and look at how the technology and economic factors gave birth to a genre that still deeply influences the way filmmakers work today. The post The Origins of Film Noir...
View ArticleThe Journey to Modern Computer Editing
Go through the history of digital editing – from the first video tape systems to our modern non-linear editing systems. The post The Journey to Modern Computer Editing appeared first on FilmmakerIQ.com.
View ArticleThe Origins and Formatting of Modern Screenplays
Screenwriting isn’t easy. Great story telling requires craft and insight – but it all starts with getting the proper formatting. Trace the roots of how the screenplay evolved from the earliest moving...
View ArticleThe History of Aspect Ratio
Trace the evolution of the screen shape from the silent film days through the widescreen explosion of the 50s, to the aspect ratio of modern digital cameras. The post The History of Aspect Ratio...
View ArticleThe History of Greenscreen
Go inside the history of the travelling mattes (now called chromakey) and learn the history of visual trickery used by filmmakers from the earliest filmmakers through to the modern day. The post The...
View ArticleThe Science of the Slit Scan Effect in 2001: A Space Odyssey
Explore the mysterious and forgotten technique of Slit Scan for special effects and how Douglas Trumbull applied the photographic technique to Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “2001: A Space Odyssey”....
View ArticleThe History and Science of Color Film
Color is a subtle tool that can transport us from our ordinary lives to extraordinary worlds of cinema. Peel back the layers of history and look at how color was first understood and implemented in the...
View ArticleThe History of Continuity Editing
Cinema began as a novelty – projecting dancing shadows on a screen of simple every day scenes. But through the contributions of talented artists, a new cinematic language of editing emerged. Trace the...
View ArticleThe History of the Soviet Montage Theory
Building on the works of D.W. Griffith and the development of “continuity editing” in early film history, Soviet silent filmmakers would pioneer new innovative ideas about editing that moved film from...
View ArticleThe History of Horror
Dissect the history of horror, from it’s roots deep in Gothic literature, through B-movie status and director’s proving grounds to ultimate respectability as an important filmmaking genre. The post The...
View ArticleThe History of the Movie Trailer
Some people consider them the best part of the movie going experience – the Movie Trailer. Take a look at the evolution of the “coming attractions” from simple silent film splices, through the template...
View ArticleThe History of Home Theater
Trace the march of technology from nickelodeons to televisions to video tapes and how the ever changing technological environment shape our approach to consuming media. The post The History of Home...
View ArticleThe Psychology of Scary Movies
Let’s go deep in the human mind and dissect our fascination with fright – exploring 8 theories on way we are attracted to the dark. The post The Psychology of Scary Movies appeared first on...
View ArticleThe Science & History of Popcorn
For some, Popcorn and the Movies just go together. But it hasn’t always been that way. We look at the science and mechanics that make popcorn pop and trace the history of this ancient snack that...
View ArticleThe History of Sound at the Movies
The inclusion of sound at the movies was one of the most dramatic changes in all of film history. Dive into the early experiments of Edison trying to incorporate sound from film’s inception, through...
View ArticleThe History of Hollywood Censorship and the Ratings System
Take a look at the history of censorship of Hollywood from pressures from progressive groups in films infancy, through the scandal rocked silent film era, the threat of boycotts in the Great Depression...
View ArticleThe Science and Engineering of Sound
Take a closer look at the science of sound and the basics of how microphones convert sound energy into electrical signals. We will also run through the different kinds of mics used in video and film...
View ArticleThe Basics of Recording Audio for Digital Video
Dive into the details of the audio signal chain as we define the different components needed when recording on set for digital video. The post The Basics of Recording Audio for Digital Video appeared...
View ArticleThe Fundamentals of Sound in Post Production
It’s time to open up the digital audio workstation and look at the basics of common tools used in post production audio from Equalizers, Compressors, Noise Reduction, and Delay effects. The post The...
View ArticleThe Curious Copyright Case of “It’s A Wonderful Life”
It’s A Wonderful Life has become a holiday tradition bolstered by near constant plays on television as the film fell into the public domain in 1975. But in the 90s, a studio would regain control over...
View ArticleThe History of Frame Rate for Film
Explore the history of the frame rate – the engine that gives motion to the motion picture from their earliest versions in silent pictures to the frame rates of broadcast television. The post The...
View ArticleThe Origins of Auteur Theory
Auteur – it’s a favorite term of cinephiles around the world. But what exactly is Auteur Theory? In this Filmmaker IQ course we peel back pages of time and explore the origins of Auteur Theory from the...
View ArticleThe Origins of Acting and “The Method”
Trace the origins of acting technique by following the roots of theater going back all the way to the Ancient Greeks, through the Italian Renaissance and finally to the psychological approaches of the...
View ArticleHow Do We Measure an Audience?
The success of a film or video is often judged on the size of the audience – but how do we measure that audience? – It’s not always as simple as counting tickets. In this course we look at the...
View ArticleA Bit of History on Data
Digital media has become the new celluloid – but how much do you know about this medium? Watch this primer on digital data storage and get caught up on the basics of the backbone of every modern...
View ArticleThe Science of Camera Sensors
A lot goes on under the hood when you press “REC” – check out the fascinating science behind film and electronic camera sensors. The post The Science of Camera Sensors appeared first on FilmmakerIQ.com.
View ArticleThe History and Science of Lenses
No camera could be complete without a lens – the glass technology that brings the world into focus. Dive into the history of the lens from it’s early beginning as a fire starting tool to the plethora...
View ArticleThe Properties of Camera Lenses
With a grounding in science and history, we now dive into the properties of camera lenses and explain the features of the modern camera lens for photography and cinematography from, Focal Length,...
View ArticleFocusing on Depth of Field and Lens Equivalents
How much space in front of the lens will be in focus? That question defines Depth of Field – but this simple concept has lead to a staggering amount of confusion in today’s multi-format camera...
View ArticleThe Science of Rendering Photorealistic CGI
How do we get a glorified adding machine to generate a photorealistic image? Find out as we explore the processes developed over 40 years of intensive computer science research which now bring amazing...
View ArticleThe History of the Mockbuster
Where there are Blockbusters, there will be imitations trying to cash in on an a popular cultural trend. Explore the history of the mockbuster film, from the roots in studio B-pictures, to sound alike...
View ArticleWho’s Who in the Movie Credits
Have you ever sat through the end credits waiting for the post-credit teaser and wondered what exactly do all those people do? We’ll break down the positions in that sea of credits and explain who’s...
View ArticleDo Pets Watch TV the Same Way Humans Do?
When you snuggle with Fido to some Netflix does he understand what’s going on? Do television and motion picture have the same impact on our furry friends as they do on us? To answer the question we...
View ArticleThe History of the Hollywood Musical
The Hollywood Musical began right when films learned to talk. Explore the beginnings in vaudeville to the Golden Era of Studio Musicals followed by the transformation into the modern story driven Book...
View ArticleThe Science and Circuitry of DIY LEDs
It’s the latest tech in efficient lighting – but how do LEDs work? We’ll dive into the science and engineering of LEDs as well as the basic concepts on how to wire up simple DIY LED circuits which you...
View ArticleThe History of Movie Title Sequences
Not only do Title Sequences tell you the name of the film and the stars, they can also set the tone and mood and put you in the right frame of mind to experience the film or TV show to come. Explore...
View ArticleThe History and Philosophy of Copyright
Let’s dive into the history of Copyright, a legal framework that makes mass market publishing from books to movies possible. We explore perhaps the earliest example of a copyright case in Medieval...
View ArticleThe History of the Hollywood Movie Poster
The Movie Poster has been around since the beginning of the Movies – in this course we will explore the earliest history of poster making and Lithography, the monopoly of Hollywood movie poster...
View ArticleThe Science of Exposure and Metering
Let’s go deep beyond the exposure triangle and look at the pathway which light travels from the scene to the sensor. In this course we will examine the elements of scene illuminance and luminance,...
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