You Are Studying Film Wrong…

If you are studying films to inspire your own filmmaking, that’s great. But...

Photo by David Travis on Unsplash

Word Count: 187 | Read Time: > 2 Minutes.

If you are studying films to inspire your own filmmaking, that’s great. But, if you only watch them in one way (with full sound & with full picture) then you might be doing it wrong.

WHY IT MATTERS…

Jordan Peele once said something like “take your eight favorite movies, smash those together, and make that film” (paraphrased).

This is because viewing the works of other directors and filmmakers tend to inspire us to be a better artist. It can also help us with creative problems. After all, nothing new is under the sun.

ZOOM IN…

When breaking down and studying films of other filmmakers our goal is to find nuggets of inspiration. Here are the four ways I watch a film:

• with Full Sound & with Full Picture

• with Full Sound & without Picture

• without Sound & with Full Picture

• with Director’s Commentary Sound & with Full Picture

Reviewing films I’m studying this way gives me four unique opportunities to learn techniques, tricks, and workarounds. You can see what works— easily.

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