Film Guides / How movies are made
How movies are made
Development, pre-production, the crew, cameras, lighting, sound, editing, VFX, color and music, step by step.
A feature film can take years and involve hundreds of people. Follow a movie from the first idea to the final mix and learn what every department actually does, and what the names in the end credits mean.
FilmmakingCameras and lensesFrom hand-cranked film cameras to large-sensor digital cinema cameras, and why the lens matters as much as the camera body.FilmmakingColor gradingColor grading sets the final look of a film: contrast, mood and consistency from shot to shot. Here is how colorists work and what LUTs, log and HDR mean.
FilmmakingDevelopment, where every movie beginsBefore a single camera rolls, a film needs an idea, rights, a script and money. Here is how development works and why most projects never leave it.
FilmmakingFilm editingEditing is where a film is truly written for the last time. Learn the stages of the edit, the classic cuts and the machines editors have used.
FilmmakingFilm scoringHow film music is written, recorded and placed, from live pianists in silent cinemas to full orchestras and electronic scores.
FilmmakingLighting for filmThree-point lighting, hard and soft light, color temperature and the gear on a film set, explained so you can see it on screen.
FilmmakingPre-production, planning the shootPre-production turns a greenlit script into a plan: budget, schedule, crew, cast, locations and designs, all locked before the cameras roll.
FilmmakingRoles on a film crew, explainedGaffer, key grip, best boy, script supervisor: what the jobs in the end credits really mean, department by department.
FilmmakingSound for filmProduction sound, ADR, Foley, sound effects and the final mix: how every sound in a movie is recorded, rebuilt and balanced.
FilmmakingVisual effects (VFX)From in-camera tricks and optical printers to CGI, motion capture and LED volumes, how movies show what cannot be filmed.