Why every successful video needs a great first assistant director

The first assistant director, or first AD, plays a crucial role on film and video production sets. From closely working with the director to choreograph the day's shooting schedule to being the set's safety captain, the first AD ensures the production progresses smoothly..

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Cinematography Techniques: The Different Types of Shots in Film

Cinematography is the art of visual storytelling. Anyone can set a camera on a tripod and hit record, but the artistry of cinematography comes in controlling what the viewer sees (or doesn't see) and how the image is presented. Film is a visual medium, and the best-shot films are ones where you can tell what's going on without hearing any of the dialogue. With some basic knowledge of composition and scene construction, you can plan scenes using this visual language. This eBook will teach you how different shots work together to form a clear, cohesive narrative and how to compose each shot in a way that is visually pleasing for your viewers. Understanding these simple rules will help make your films more thrilling and engaging.

In this free eBook, we'll cover:

• What is cinematography?
• The basics of cinematography
• Shot types and what they mean
• An objective vs. subjective camera
• Shooting a basic scene
• And more

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Lessons from the field

Character foils in film defined

Buzz Lightyear, Han Solo and Draco Malfoy — while these iconic characters may seem quite different, they have one major thing in common. They are all foils to their story's main character.

Character foils might seem like a straightforward concept. By placing two characters side by side, filmmakers can explore complex themes and relationships. But what exactly is a character foil? Why use one in the first place? And what are some of the most memorable foils in popular media? Read more.

Creator Handbook: This is how you loop a YouTube video

The loop feature on YouTube is a great tool that can help you focus without having to change the video when it ends.

We'll cover how to enable and disable the loop feature. We will cover how to do it on desktop and in the YouTube mobile app. Read more.

Ferdinand de Saussure: The linguist who unexpectedly helped create film theory

When we think of some of the great names in film history, most that come to mind are iconic directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Sergei Eisenstein or John Ford, or inventors, like Thomas Edison, Laurie Dickson and William Kennedy, credited as the inventors of the first motion-picture camera. However, the history of cinema runs deeper than its most iconic figures. Ferdinand de Saussure and his work has laid the foundation for 20th century linguistics and semiotics. According to American linguist Leonard Bloomfield, "he has given us the theoretical basis for a science of human speech." As such, his work has naturally influenced the way we understand and talk about cinema today. Read more.

Today's top stories

Godox revealed a new wireless microphone system. This new system is the Godox Cube-C.
More works have entered the public domain. Some of these works include the works of Walt Disney.
A leak predicts Apple's iPhone 17's display will feature a higher refresh rate. It could include "ProMotion" technology.
Godox announces its Godox V100. It's a 100 Ws fast rechargeable flash.
Zeapon unveiled the Zeapon Micro4 Slider. It's a new slider that can help you capture cinematic camera movement.