The Queue

And It Was All Yellow: The Color Theory of TV Graphics

By  Meg Shields 

Watch a video essay explaining why old TV shows tended to feature yellow title cards.

Earnestness and Irony: The Double-Minded Cinema of ‘Carrie’

By  Meg Shields 

New Hollywood. I might have known it would be New Hollywood.

What Makes a Cut “Feel Right”?

By  Meg Shields 

And what even is a “natural” edit, anyway?

The Art of Movie Explosions (And Why They Don’t Look Like Real Ones)

By  Meg Shields 

Fire in the hole! Or…multiple holes, safety padded with foam, and directed towards the camera.

Shadow Play: The Art and History of Cinematic Chiaroscuro

By  Meg Shields 

There’s a reason chiaroscuro lighting has been around for hundreds of years. It’s effective and dynamic, and it tells a story.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rotoscoping

By  Meg Shields 

What do a dancing walrus and a long-legged ghost have to do with jazz superstar Cab Calloway? Well, in a word: rotoscoping.

What is the Purpose of a Director’s Cut?

By  Meg Shields 

Watch a video essay explaining the idea and how it became so commonly accepted as the most authentic version of a film.

A Tale of Two Ripleys: Gender and Genre in ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’

By  Meg Shields 

What’s better, a relatable final girl or an ’80s power fantasy? Here’s a breakdown of why each Ripley, in ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens,’ is perfect for her film.

The Brilliant Sound Design of ‘Sound of Metal’

By  Meg Shields 

From the dropped frequencies to the powerful contrast, here’s how the film uses sound to convey its protagonist’s subjective experience with hearing loss.