On a film set, the generator is the beating heart of the production, providing the essential power that brings every light to life. But simply plugging in lights isn’t enough. A professional gaffer’s most critical and often unseen task is balancing the generator’s load—a crucial process that ensures safety, efficiency, and the stable operation of […]
Tag Archive for: Cinematography
“I want to be a filmmaker. Where do I start? What camera should I use?” This is one of the most common questions cinematographers like Shane Hurlbut, ASC, get from aspiring storytellers. His answer is often surprising: start with the powerful cinema camera already in your pocket. Modern smartphones, especially the iPhone, have incredible imaging […]
For the thousands of California film industry professionals navigating a landscape of empty soundstages and uncertain futures, a crucial piece of news has finally arrived. On June 24, after intense negotiations and vocal advocacy from some of Hollywood’s top creators, state lawmakers approved Governor Gavin Newsom’s landmark proposal to allocate $750 million annually to the […]
After exploring the foundational colors of cinema, our Movie Color Palette series now turns to a hue defined by its compelling duality: CYAN. It is the color of life-giving serenity — think of clear ocean lagoons and icy glacial caves. Yet, in cinema, it is just as often the color of cold, sterile detachment — […]
Limitations don’t easily deter Jessica Lee Gagne. From her early days navigating the endless aisles of her father’s Quebec City video stores to her directorial debut on the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series “Severance,” Gagne has consistently demonstrated a knack for transforming constraints into compelling visual storytelling. This episode of the Finding the Frame Podcast […]
Adam Newport-Berra isn’t your typical Hollywood cinematographer. Emerging from the raw energy of Oregon skateboarding videos, his approach to visual storytelling is often described as “punk” — stripping away the excess, embracing simplicity, and fearlessly diving into the heart of the story. This ethos is on full display in the wildly popular AppleTV+ series The […]
For over a century, the name Kodak has been synonymous with the very fabric of cinema. That iconic yellow box held more than just film. As a medium through which countless stories were captured, emotions evoked, and visual worlds brought to life, it held possibilities. From the birth of the industry standard 35mm format to […]
You’ve made it to the next color in our Movie Color Palette series, a kaleidoscopic adventure full of chromatic twists and turns. We’ve journeyed through the primal power of RED and waded through the cool depths of BLUE. Then, conjured the vibrant energy of YELLOW and explored the complex nature of GREEN. All before harnessing […]
Firelight. It’s primal and evocative. It can instantly infuse a scene with unparalleled atmosphere and realism. Yet, taming its wild flicker and translating its raw beauty into a controlled, cinematic image presents a unique set of challenges for any filmmaker. How do you harness that organic glow? Or capture that dancing shadow play? All the […]
Why do some films feel immersive, pulling you directly into their world, while others feel distant or artificial? Often, the secret lies in the masterful use of depth. A flat image, where everything seems to exist on a single plane, can feel lifeless, lacking the dimensionality we experience in the real world. Conversely, an image […]
Orange — the comforting glow of a campfire, the vibrant splash of autumn, but also the stark alert of a hazard sign or the destructive force of an explosion. In our ongoing “Movie Color Palette” series, following explorations of red, blue, yellow, green, and magenta, we arrive at orange, a hue uniquely positioned between intense […]
The path of a modern cinematographer is rarely straightforward. It demands technical skill, artistic vision, relentless hustle, and often, an entrepreneurial spirit. Young, versatile DP Tucker K Anderson embodies this multifaceted approach. His work spans high-energy action sports docs, slick commercials for global brands like Sonos and Yves Saint Laurent, and the narrative depth of […]
Step into a world etched in shadow and silver. Rain slicks the asphalt, reflecting lonely neon signs. Danger whispers from darkened doorways. This is the domain of Film Noir, a cinematic movement defined by its cynical heroes, dangerous femme fatales, moral ambiguities, and, perhaps most powerfully, its distinctive visual style. Especially in its classic black-and-white […]
How do you break into the film industry? How do you move from learning the theory to actually doing the work on a professional set? It’s the classic Catch-22: you need experience to get hired, but you need to get hired to gain experience. At Filmmakers Academy, we understand this challenge deeply, which is why […]
We’ve journeyed through the primal power of red, the cool depths of blue, the vibrant energy of yellow, and the multifaceted nature of green. Now, we venture into a truly unique part of the spectrum: MAGENTA. This captivating color doesn’t exist as a single wavelength of light. It’s a perceptual creation born from the blend […]
The Brutalist is not just a film; it’s an experience played out in concrete and steel. It’s a decades-spanning epic that grapples with grand themes of legacy, identity, and the elusive nature of the American Dream. Brady Corbet’s ambitious third feature film is a work of striking visual power, an ode to the enduring allure […]
Heading to Las Vegas for the NAB Show 2025? Get ready to step beyond the endless booths and into an unforgettable educational experience! Filmmakers Academy is bringing the insights and techniques from our masterclasses directly to the show floor, featuring live, in-person demonstrations led by none other than acclaimed cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC. This is […]
As filmmakers, we’re often obsessed with the subject — the actor, the action, the key prop. We meticulously light it, frame it, focus on it. But what about the space around the subject? That seemingly “empty” area, often overlooked, is what we call negative space, and it’s one of the most powerful, yet subtle, tools […]
Green. The color of life, growth, and renewal. Of lush forests and rolling hills. But in the hands of a skilled filmmaker, green becomes so much more than a simple representation of nature. It can be a symbol of envy, greed, and decay. It can evoke feelings of tranquility, unease, or even the otherworldly. From […]
Inside HBO Max’s The Pitt: Cinematography & Production In the high-stakes world of medical dramas, authenticity is key. But how do you create a visual language that captures both the frenetic energy of an emergency room and the internal lives of the doctors and patients who inhabit it? That was the challenge facing cinematographer Johanna […]