Toni's Film Club Season 2, Episode 3: The Extensive Process of Winning an Oscar

The Evolution of Storytelling: Computer Screen Movies

Computer screen movies are a fascinating example of creative limitation - or the idea of limiting yourself in order to drive creativity. For all their limitations however, they offer just as many opportunities for some unique storytelling.

Stories From a 100 Year Old Film Magazine

The Moving Picture World was an influential film magazine covering pretty much everything to do with the movie industry in the early 20th century. So, let's look through the pages of this original issue from exactly 100 years ago.

5 min

How Actors Cry on Command in Movies

Have you ever wondered what goes into the making of a really good and emoitonal crying scene? Well, it turns out it is not just a lot of talent, skill and practice but also - a tear stick.

Film Psychology: How Movies Trick Your Brain

Some say that up to 95% of all mental activity is processed by the subconscious mind. That is especially true when we watch movies, and not only are filmmakers aware of it, but the really good ones are using it as an advantage.

Improv Comedy: The Art of Being Creative

Improv comedy is a type of live theatre performance where everything is made up on the spot. There are two types - short form and long form, and both of those have had a massive impact on the entertainment industry as a whole.

How Movie Trailers Manipulate You

We all know how important movie trailers are. But what are some of the tricks they use to get us excited? From clever editing to rhytm and sound design, let's dive into this fascinating art form and see if it can really make anything look compelling.

The Most Iconic Film Transition, Explained

The slowly shrinking circle at the end of a movie - one of the most iconic film transitions in the history of cinema. It is commonly known as "The Iris Shot" and this is the story behind it.

Someone Sent Me Fan Mail (With Film Stuff)

The Odorama card was a gimmick accompanying the 1981 film "Polyester", written and directed by John Waters. Moviegoers could smell what they were viewing on-screen with special scratch-&-sniff cards consisting of 10 different smells, to go with 10 different scenes.

Why Those Sunglasses Appear In So Many Movies

The Ray-Ban Wayfarer is easily one of the the most iconic pair of sunglasses ever created. It's been featured in hundreds of movies and TV shows over the past few decades, and this is the story of how it became a pop-culture phenomenon.

How Barbie Took Over The World

The Barbie Movie had one of the best marketing campaigns the film industry has ever seen. Up until its premiere in July, it completely dominated the conversation. Not just on social media where it was trending all the time, but in the real world with some ingenious branding, countless partnerships and a release strategy so smart, that it snowballed into a massive event of it’s own. I spent some time looking into it, and broke down its success into the five main components that made it work: earned media, startegic partnerships, branding, barbenheimer and tone of voice.