I analyze the first three minutes of Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," starring Harrison Ford. This analysis is from a film critic perspective. I talk about how the shots and editing influence movie viewers. We will look at how the shots create the…
What is a cut for in movies and videos? Some students don't know, so this video will show you what they are. I also argue that movies are not inherently stories, but instead they are just a collection of images in a sequence. The story…
Close shots in movies are intense, but when and why are they used? This video gives you several of the reasons why extreme close shots are a key part of many movies. Observing extreme close shots is important for learning film grammar. Noticing them will…
Which movie images can make you feel awestruck, terrified, or both? The long shot is a crucial aspect of film. It shows you vast landscapes, vistas, horizons, and images of things that are enormous. But these shots aren't just about showing you pretty landscape pictures.…
Which shot in movies is the best for cliffhangers? One candidate is the overhead shot, also known as the birds-eye-view shot. In this video, I'll show you several examples of this kind of shot.
Many people quote the "red pill" scene from the first Matrix movie when they talk about "taking the red pill". That scene provides a powerful way of thinking about changing one's mind or waking up to a new reality. But how did it do that?…
SPOILERS within. Among the most famous movies ever, "Rashomon" is still not an easy movie to watch. It doesn't have a typical Hollywood plot structure, for example. But I'm here to help you. I'll show you some ways to watch the movie. I'll explain why…