Screen Craft
When the Camera Learned to Move: The Early Language of the Tracking Shot
The early tracking shot turns camera movement into story: learn to distinguish a moving viewpoint from action inside…
The film shelf
All writing
Browse essays on the histories, craft and customs of cinema. Each piece takes one subject at a time, with context for readers who like to look twice.
Genres
Silent Film Intertitles or Spoken Dialogue: Two Ways to Carry a Story
Compare silent film intertitles and spoken dialogue to see how each carries story information, controls pace, and…
Film History
How the Double Feature Turned Two Films Into One Night Out
The double feature reshaped American moviegoing by pairing films into a longer program, revealing how theater…
Film Culture
The Director’s Cut Myth: Why One Film Can Have Several Versions
The director’s cut myth makes every alternate edit sound definitive. Learn how release context, creative intent, and…
Screen Craft
A Close Look at Opening Credits on a Rainy Afternoon
Use a rainy afternoon to read opening credits closely and notice how names, type, and images quietly prepare you for…
Our point of view
A film has more than one life
Cinema belongs to its stories, but also to its makers, viewers and moment in time. Looking closely can reveal how those lives meet.