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5 Films You Didn’t Know Gave Vancouver Film Students Jobs
Is there a better place to shoot a movie than Vancouver? With its versatile cityscape, beautiful forestry and mountain surrounds, and temperate climate, the city provides the perfect backdrop for almost any story you want to tell. Filmmakers…

Five Films That Used Visual Effects In Super Subtle Ways
By Victor van der Merwe
The world of visual effects is becoming an ever more crucial part of the film industry. CGI and 3D modelling is not just for monster movies and aliens anymore and as movies evolve, it is amazing to see what the…

Five Tips for Scouting the Perfect Location
By: Ryan Uytdewilligen
What’s the motivation for your movie’s location?
If you are going make your on-screen dream a reality, you’ll need actors, props, a screenplay, and a crew. But you can’t forget the most important physical…

3 Essential Skills Famous Directors Learned in Film School
Acclaimed director and film school graduate Ang Lee said: "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can never learn enough." That is especially true when it comes to film.
The benefits of a formal filmmaking education cannot be…

Film School: Is It Right For Me?
Written by Ryan Uytdewilligen
To film school or not to film school, that is the question! The budding filmmakers of tomorrow are faced with this weighty choice – rush out into the world and make movies on their own or take…

Five Ways to Fund Your Film Project!
Written by Victor van der Merwe
The one thing all filmmakers have in common is the problem of finding money for a project. Steven Spielberg has that problem, David Lynch has that problem and yes, first time filmmakers have…

How to Adapt A Short Story Into a Feature Film
Written by Felicity Flesher
Adaptations have become a forefront in cinema. Feature films today are based on all kinds of intellectual property including video games, comic books and literature. Writing an adaptation is a great…

The Art of Production Design: Who, Why, & How
Written by Johnny Papan
The art department is in charge of the decorative, tangible visual aesthetic of cinema. It’s responsible for how a character dresses, why they dress that way, what their house looks like, what their…

BRING YOUR 3D CHARACTER TO LIFE IN FIVE SIMPLE STEPS
By Johnny Papan
https://youtu.be/YLsAP8jMIr0
The word animation derives from the Latin word aminare which means “to give life to.” This is exactly what animation is about, giving life to something that once did not have…

How to Work with Animals in Film
Who doesn't love animals in film? Whether to delight or to scare, animals have played some of the most iconic roles. Where would we be without Lassie or Airbud? Or the nameless horde in Birds?
So let’s say your script…

The Top 5 Must-Know Women Filmmakers
by Petar Petrov
When people think of successful women in the film industry, the first image that comes to mind is probably something along the lines of a talented actress which is like a robust tool in the hands of a master…

OSCARS 2018: Comparing The Top 3 Writer-Directors Nominated This Season
By Johnny Papan
The Academy Awards were created to recognize excellence in the hard-working world of cinema. Embarking on its record 90th ceremony this year, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California will be hosting the movie…

How To Work With Child Actors On Set
by Julia Courtenay
Child actors deliver some of the most riveting and moving performances on screen, as we've seen from Harry Potter to Matilda. Currently, the young cast of Stranger Things has charmed millions of viewers…

The Invisible World of the Foley Artist
by Julia Courtenay
Foley—the addition of sound effects in post-production—is probably one of the most under-appreciated arts in film production.
The sound effects designed by Foley Artists are often as mundane…

Tips & Tricks for Setting Background
By Julia Courtenay
Part of the job of the Assistant Directors is setting Background (the non-speaking performers who create the atmosphere, a.k.a. “extras”). Background is as essential to the scene as any other element.…

5 Low-Budget Filmmaking Lessons You Can Learn from Paranormal Activity
By Christopher McKittrick
Budget is always an issue for film students, so finding ways to stretch your limited funds on your student films is just as important of a skill as basic camera techniques. It’s not just about finding…

Thought & Action: How to Make a Book-to-Film Adaptation Not Suck
by Henry Kulick
Film adaptations aren’t easy, but they do accelerate a major step in the creative process—crafting a completely unique story.
With a written work to rely on, the outlines of the screenplay already…
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