Choreographing a fight scene is only half the battle. If your audience can’t tell what they’re watching then all those beautiful techniques mean nothing. In the action film genre, the Jason Bourne franchise has created some controversy. You have diehard fans proclaiming that the series is on

Efficient radio communication on set keeps productions moving quickly. Here’s what you need to know to join the conversation. The efficiency of radio communication on set depends on the knowledge and discipline of the crew members using the radios. To increase productivity, crews rely

Drone footage is everywhere, so how do you capture cinematic shots to make your project stand out? Check out our favorite tips in this video tutorial. Flying a drone can be overwhelming — you’re trying to figure out how to get your shot with limited flight time, the wind is blowing, your bat

You know the lingo, you landed a gig, and you’re ready to work. So what do you need to bring with you for your first of film or video production? In a recent article, we talked about some of the basic things to know about film and video production before your first day on set. In this

What’s the difference between lossy and lossless compression? What about uncompressed? Learn the differences between each in this filmmaking guide. Data compression is an unseen force of tremendous power in the modern world. Without the myriad innovations in the field of compression, t

In this video tutorial, we’re going to step into the wonderful world of stop-motion animation with a simple paper crumple. The paper crumple is perfect for your first stop-motion project — we all have access to paper, and we can all crumple it up. A quick disclaimer: while I’ll be usin

Production incentives come in a variety of forms, depending on who’s offering them, so what are they, and what do they do? Any good film or TV buff probably has a pretty decent grasp of the bigger American states for production these days. Scripts are expanding their locales — and ther

From expansive dolly moves to intimate handheld shots, there’s a range of camera movements for every shot. But which one works best for the story? The bottom line is that camera movement should either cater to the story or get its motivation from the charters. Handheld, dolly, Steadica

There are many unspoken rules and best practices for working on a film or video set. Here’s what you need to know your first time out. Sets are crazy, chaotic places. While school and small independent productions can help prepare you for working in the real world, each production is d

So you think frame-by-frame animation is just too tedious for your film or video project? In this tutorial, we invite you to think again. Many people think animating frame by frame is tedious and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. The animated scribble technique is a perfect example

The quality of the sunlight is an important part of any outdoor shoot. Here are a few rules of thumb to make sure you optimize your footage. When it comes to filming in the great outdoors, weather and timing are crucial to capturing great footage. It’s key to remember that bad weather

Audio swells are a dynamic way to add some punch to your transitions. In this video tutorial, we cover how to work with them in your own editing suite. When it comes to editing my movies, using musical swells has become a dynamite (must use) addition to my tool belt. In this tutorial, I̵

Everybody wants full-frame, but maybe not all the time. The Canon C700 FF’s versatility in sensor size options gives you everything you’d want and more. These days, the sensor size of each camera system seems to be one of the more hotly debated aspects of each new spec sheet. The

With the MP3 gone, what audio codecs are poised to become the new standard? Let’s talk about compression, modern audio codecs, and the future of audio. In 2017 the patents for MP3, held by The Fraunhofer Institute, expired. As 2018 unfolds, more and more manufacturers are pulling suppo

Your shot may look good on camera, but is it good enough for the editing suite? Save yourself (or your editor) some frustration with the three-second rule. As an editor, the one problem that drives me up the wall is footage that wasn’t captured for the edit. These are the shots capture

Even if your viewers aren’t watching your content in 4K, there are still benefits to shooting at this resolution. Here are five things to keep in mind. Sure, not everybody watches your work in 4K, even if that’s how you intend viewers to see it. But that’s no reason to stop recor

Creating content is more democratic than ever, but it also presents new challenges. So how do you get your project seen in such a crowded field? PremiumBeat gathered creatives from three successful web series to offer some insight into getting your projects in front of the right audiences an

Nothing ruins a shot like noise. Knowing what causes it and how to recognize it can save you a lot of frustration — and some useless footage. There are few things as frustrating as noticing noise in an image while you’re shooting but being unable to identify the cause of the problem. I

Are you getting ready to record a music video? Try out any these four effects to add some style and texture to your production. Music videos are some of my favorite projects to work on. There’s so much room for creative expression, visual storytelling, and inventive camera shots. Somet

Filmmaker extraordinaire Roger Deakins often uses homemade ring lights. Here’s how to take a page from his playbook and build one yourself — for cheap. Here at PremiumBeat, we write about Roger Deakins a lot. For good reason. He’s easily one of the greatest working cinematographe