The movies, explained from the first flicker to the latest premium screen
Free film guides from Moviella: how cinema was invented, how movies are made today, what IMAX, Dolby Atmos and 4DX actually do, and how the great film movements, awards and festivals of the world work.
Read a guide before your next screening, then book the right seat in the right format.
Film history
From magic lanterns and the Lumiere brothers to sound, color, widescreen, blockbusters and streaming.
HistoryBefore cinema: magic lanterns and moving picturesLong before the first film screening, people projected painted glass slides, spun optical toys and photographed galloping horses. Here is how those inventions led straight to the movies.
HistoryGeorges Melies, the magician who invented movie magicA Paris stage magician turned the new Cinematographe into a machine for fantasy, inventing many of the first special effects and the famous rocket in the eye of the moon.
HistoryNew Hollywood: when directors took control (1967 to 1980)As the old studio system collapsed, a generation of young directors made personal, daring films that reshaped American cinema. Here is what New Hollywood was, who led it and how it ended.
HistoryTechnicolor and the arrival of colorFilms were colored by hand, stencil and dye long before Technicolor's famous three-strip camera. Here is how movie color evolved from painted frames to digital grading.
HistoryThe Lumiere brothers and the first film screeningsIn December 1895 Auguste and Louis Lumiere charged admission to watch projected films in a Paris cafe basement. Here is how their Cinematographe worked and why it changed everything.
HistoryThe blockbuster era: summer hits, franchises and global box officeSince the mid-1970s, the movie business has revolved around huge event films released everywhere at once. Here is how the blockbuster model works and how it grew from Jaws to global franchises.World cinema
The great film movements and industries beyond Hollywood, from Rome and Paris to Mumbai, Lagos, Seoul, Cairo and Riyadh.
World cinemaBollywood and Indian cinemaIndia makes more films than any other country, in many languages. Bollywood, the Hindi-language industry based in Mumbai, is the best known, but it is only part of the story.
World cinemaCinema in Saudi ArabiaPublic cinemas in Saudi Arabia reopened in April 2018 after about 35 years. Here is the history, how the market has grown, and the Saudi films and filmmakers to know.
World cinemaEgyptian and Arab cinemaFor decades Cairo was the film capital of the Arab world. Discover the golden age of Egyptian cinema, Studio Misr, and the rich film traditions of the wider region.
World cinemaItalian neorealismAfter 1945, Italian filmmakers took cameras into real streets with real people and changed how the whole world thought about realism on screen.
World cinemaNollywoodNigeria's film industry grew from straight-to-video dramas in the early 1990s into one of the most prolific film industries on Earth, now reaching cinemas and global streaming services.
World cinemaThe French New WaveIn the late 1950s a group of young Paris critics picked up lightweight cameras and broke nearly every rule of filmmaking. Here is what they did and why it still matters.How movies are made
Development, pre-production, the crew, cameras, lighting, sound, editing, VFX, color and music, step by step.
FilmmakingCameras and lensesFrom hand-cranked film cameras to large-sensor digital cinema cameras, and why the lens matters as much as the camera body.FilmmakingColor gradingColor grading sets the final look of a film: contrast, mood and consistency from shot to shot. Here is how colorists work and what LUTs, log and HDR mean.
FilmmakingDevelopment, where every movie beginsBefore a single camera rolls, a film needs an idea, rights, a script and money. Here is how development works and why most projects never leave it.
FilmmakingFilm editingEditing is where a film is truly written for the last time. Learn the stages of the edit, the classic cuts and the machines editors have used.
FilmmakingFilm scoringHow film music is written, recorded and placed, from live pianists in silent cinemas to full orchestras and electronic scores.
FilmmakingLighting for filmThree-point lighting, hard and soft light, color temperature and the gear on a film set, explained so you can see it on screen.Film formats and cinema tech
35mm and 70mm, IMAX, Dolby Atmos, 3D, 4DX, ScreenX, projection, frame rates and aspect ratios.
Cinema tech35mm and 70mm film explainedWhat the numbers mean, why 35mm became the world standard for a century, and why 70mm screenings still sell out.
Cinema tech3D, 4DX, ScreenX and premium formats comparedHow 3D glasses work, what 4DX motion seats and ScreenX side screens add, and a side-by-side table of every premium cinema format.Cinema techAspect ratios explainedWhat 1.85:1, 2.39:1, 1.43:1 and 16:9 mean, how the shape of the screen changed through film history, and why some movies have black bars at home.Cinema techDolby Atmos and cinema soundHow cinema sound grew from mono to surround to object-based audio, and what Dolby Atmos and Dolby Cinema actually add to a screening.Cinema techFrame rates explainedWhy movies run at 24 frames per second, what silent films really ran at, how TV differs, and what high frame rate releases at 48 and 120 frames per second change on screen.
Cinema techHow cinema projection worksFrom carbon arcs and film reels to DCPs, encryption keys and laser projectors, here is how a film gets from the distributor to the screen.Genres explained
What makes a western a western or a thriller a thriller: the defining traits of the major film genres.
GenreA guide to film genresWhat a genre is, why it matters to audiences and studios, the major genres side by side, and how hybrids and subgenres keep cinema fresh.GenreAction and adventureHow action and adventure films deliver spectacle, from silent-era stunts to modern chase sequences, the craft of stunt work and choreography, and the subgenres audiences love.GenreComedy and dramaThe two oldest dramatic traditions on film. Learn the main types of film comedy and drama, how timing and performance work, and landmark titles from Chaplin to modern award winners.GenreHorror and thrillerHow horror and thrillers create fear and suspense, the main subgenres, the techniques directors use, and landmark films from the silent era to today.GenreScience fiction and fantasyWhat separates science fiction from fantasy, the major subgenres, how visual effects shaped both, and landmark films from A Trip to the Moon to modern epics.
Awards and festivals
How the Oscars, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and the Red Sea International Film Festival actually work.
AwardsThe Berlin International Film Festival explainedThe Berlinale is the big European festival that ordinary film fans can actually attend. Learn its sections, the Golden and Silver Bears, and how it compares with Cannes and Venice.
AwardsThe Cannes Film Festival explainedCannes is the world's most prestigious film festival. Learn how films are selected, what the Palme d'Or is, how the sections differ and whether ordinary film fans can attend.
AwardsThe Oscars explainedWho votes for the Academy Awards, how a film qualifies, how Best Picture is counted and why the ceremony moves the box office.
AwardsThe Red Sea International Film Festival explainedHeld in Jeddah's historic Al Balad district, the Red Sea International Film Festival is the leading film festival in Saudi Arabia. Here is its history, its Yusr awards and how it supports new filmmakers.
AwardsThe Venice Film Festival explainedVenice is the oldest film festival in the world. Here is how it works, what the Golden Lion and Volpi Cup are, and why its late-summer premieres so often lead to awards season success.Watching smarter
Cinema etiquette, choosing seats and formats, how the box office works, a film glossary, a starter checklist and FAQ.
WatchingChoosing seats and formatsWhere to sit for the best picture and sound, which premium format suits which kind of film, and how to decide whether IMAX, Dolby, 4DX or a standard screen is worth the extra cost.WatchingCinema etiquetteThe unwritten rules that make a screening great for everyone, from phones and talking to snacks, seats and kids, plus how to handle problems politely.WatchingCinephile starter checklistA tickable list of landmark films from different eras, countries and genres, plus cinema experiences every film lover should try. Your progress is saved in your browser.WatchingFilm glossaryOver 70 film, filmmaking and cinema terms explained in one plain-English line each, from anamorphic and auteur to wide release and zoom.WatchingHow the box office worksWhat box office numbers really mean, how ticket money is split between cinemas and studios, why a film can gross millions and still lose money, and how to read the weekend charts.WatchingMovie lover's FAQQuick answers to common questions about cinemas and films, from why films are 24 frames per second and why trailers run so long to ratings, credits scenes and subtitles.
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