With new productions on the horizon, some say the once-dead Western film genre seems to be making a slow comeback. Did it ever really go away? Out of all the film genres, the Western might be the most recognizable and iconic. Sometimes, all it takes to evoke the Western is a single shot of a

Looking for some inspiration? We’ve rounded up some of the best “quarantined” short film projects to really get your creative juices flowing. While communities around the world are taking steps to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers — like everyone else — are finding themselves s

In our latest roundup, we’ve collected what we consider the ten best and most inspiring podcasts for working filmmakers and videographers. One truism of the film and video world is that it’s important to never stop learning. If you sit around for too long without keeping up, the indust

In this write-up, we’ll break down the science-fiction genre for a look at how you can learn to create your own sci-fi film adventures. From its earliest iterations, art has captured humanity’s fascination with the future and the unknown. Today is no different, especially in film

Following up the highly successful X-T3, the new Fujifilm X-T4 could become the filmmaker’s flagship digital video camera. Less than two full years after Fujifilm announced the X-T3 succession of their flagship X-Series digital camera line, the brand is making waves again in the digital vide

Here’s a look into the update announcement for the much-anticipated Sigma fp 2.0, and what it could mean for your filmmaking. The continuous stream of unveiled, updated, and upgraded multi-purpose digital mirrorless cameras continues as Sigma has now officially confirmed rumors of a ma

Hold onto your hats — 2020 is looking to be another wild and crazy year of camera rumors, releases, and breakthroughs. Check out what’s new for this decade. As is our tradition here at PremiumBeat, we have plenty of news and hot rumors to present to you, for 2020, regarding the most an

Let’s dive into the ins-and-outs of the band documentary sub-genre and how to create something that looks — and sounds — awesome. As far as documentary sub-genres go, perhaps my favorite one is the rock band genre. From The Band’s famous farewell performance The Last Waltz (directed by Marti

A look into how the Good Time and Uncut Gems filmmakers — Benny and Josh Safdie — create kinetic energy and dynamic color palettes in their films. There’s something undeniably fascinating about the films created by the Safdie brothers. Born and raised in New York, Benjamin Safdie and his you

From building a crew to shooting and editing a video, here’s everything you need to know to begin your filmmaking career. For many, baptism by fire might be the best approach for learning the basics and diving into the world of filmmaking. Don’t wait for the right camera, the right cre

If you find yourself working on a documentary project that’s starting to get boring, here are some quick tricks to help you get back on track. To anyone reading this who immediately wants to point out that documentaries — by nature — are inherently boring, you’re wrong. Yes, documentar

Here are some helpful tips and tricks for shooting, directing, and editing comedy shorts to capture that magic for the world to see. Before a whole generation was ruined with aspirations of becoming Instagram, Vine, or now TikTok famous, there was a whole — slightly older — generation ruined

Let’s take a hard look at some steps, tips, and tricks for building out a solid budget for your short film or video project. When you first starting off in filmmaking, your impulse is to just grab a camera, recruit some friends, and go shoot. And while that may be the best way to truly get s

Taking lessons from Watchmen and other nonlinear classics, we deconstruct how you can harness the nonlinear style for your film projects. Long before the 2019 hit show on HBO — or the Zack Snyder faithful big screen adaptation in 2009 — the idea for Watchmen came to writer Alan Moore as a wa

Here are some insightful tips on how to pitch and sell yourself, land the best gigs, and actually get paid for documentary film work. I don’t know about you, but for all the great classes I took in film school, and all the information I learned online and from friends over the years, there n

The mystery and thrill of Alfred Hitchcock‘s MacGuffin: What it is and how it can be utilized in your next film and video project? It’s odd to think about at times, but what is the purpose of film? The earliest iterations of moving pictures, film, and cinema were just meant to entertai

At Adobe Max, the filmmakers behind Terminator: Dark Fate gave a master class in editing the mega-blockbuster movie franchise. As far as mega-blockbuster movie franchises go, there may not be a bigger brand than Terminator. The original James Cameron sci-fi action thriller first premiered to

When you’re structuring your screenplay, there are a number of options to consider if you want the strongest script possible. The backbone of every good film or video project is a solid script. And the backbone of every solid script is an even more solid structure. Structure is what ma

Learn the origin of the term cinéma vérité, the vérité tradition, and tips for creating your own cinéma vérité documentary projects. In the world of filmmaking, there’s perhaps no nobler style of film than the documentary. But, within the many sub-genres of documentary, the most pure a

Let’s examine why Pocket Film School is a great tool for your career by giving you real-world training for professional film and video production. Take my advice as a warning, please. As a graduate of a four-year Radio, TV, Film program, film school is kind of a mixed bag. I wouldn’t say it’