Category "film-techniques"

How were the zooming sequences performed?

In Limitless, one of the initial scenes features a unique zooming effect that is a rare find. How was this achieved and do these scenes serve any purpose story

How is dialog between two people filmed?

I was always wondering how dialog between two people is filmed. Suppose there are two people talking. The screen is switching between faces of the characters wh

How can a movie from 1987 be better in HD than SD?

How can a movie from 1987 be better in HD than SD? Does that apply to all movies that were recorded on old-style film?

Camera shot with close-up next to farther away standing person

While watching Final Destination 3 I noticed a very characteristic camera shot. At a scene where the main character, Wendy, sits in her room at the computer (wa

What is the first occurence of film within a film within a film?

In the Scre4m (or Scream 4) opening scene, We see two girls get killed by two ghostfaces, but it turns out to be a movie scene from Stab 6 which is being wa

What is including a sound from another movie as a tribute called?

Is there a term for when a movie intentionally includes a bit of a sound track from another movie solely as a tribute to the original movie?

How are slow motion Holi scenes shot?

I always wanted to know how holi scenes with slow motion get captured. Is it purely a slow motion or is it CGI or any other technique? Below are some screensho

Why do they always close the eyelids of dead people?

You have seen it hundreds of times in movies. Someone dies and the doctor, priest, cop or someone else, moves their hands over the dead person's eyes and the ey

Is a helicopter used to shoot such scenes?

Often in movies we see moving vehicles from above. Personally, I think they are shot using helicopters. But if so, why can't we hear the noise of the helicopter

Why do movie coroners eat while they do an autopsy?

I have seen this in movies and in TV. They are either already eating, un wrapping their lunch or offering food to the cop that wants info on the body. I would h

Why do films have more cuts than they did 20 years ago?

The "20 years" is an arbitrary figure but I have noticed that films tend to have way more cuts than they did in earlier days of film making. Sometimes there wil

Which technique is used to show the grown up Renesmee?

In the end of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Alice's vision shows the grown up Renesmee. So how this scene got achieved? How they managed to s

How did they shoot/record the One Day More scene?

In Les Miserables, I understand all music numbers (every scene, that is) were recorded live on set with the actors leading an accompanying pianist off-site. How

Breaking a whiskey glass with your bare hands: how would this have been done?

In Broken City, there's a scene where the character, Jack Valliant, breaks his whiskey glass by squeezing it with his bare hands. I'd first like to know if this

How did they film the gun spinning scene?

In "End Times" (Season 4 Episode 12) of Breaking Bad, there is a scene of Walt sitting near the pool. He places his gun on a table and spins it. The gun ends up

Why is it a common trend to pan the camera past an object then back to it?

The title might have been vague so let me clarify. I have see this in many movies and television series over the years, even cartoons. Let me create a scenario

How did they create the hole in Robert Downey Jr.'s chest for the Iron Man movie?

Don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but I'm wondering how they created the hole in Robert Downey Jr.'s chest so they can put the reactor there? H

Where did flatlining come from?

A standard sign of death on TV and film seems to be someone's heart rate machine flatlining with a long, drawn out BEEEEEEEEEEP. However, this is not what actu

Why are twins often cast for young roles?

I've seen it many times. Very young identical twins cast for the same role. Off the top of my head: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in Full House. Dylan Thomas Spro

How was the electromagnet scene filmed?

In the first episode of season 5 of Breaking Bad, a large electromagnet is rigged up in a truck, and placed next to a building. The camera shows the contents o