Directors and film crews are magicians. They’re the world builders and dreamers who create to inspire.
But just how do they do it? What are the industry secrets that make a great film?
Here are some of the movie tricks that directors fool fans with every time. These techniques are utilized by everyone: from the biggest blockbuster hits to the humblest arthouse film.
Spot The Bad Guys
Want to learn a trick that will help you to figure out the villain in a film? Just pay attention to their mobile phone.
Apple has a strict product placement policy which states that their devices may only be in the hands of ‘good guys’.
Movie Companies Don’t Make Movie Trailers
It’s an odd truth: movie companies don’t make movie trailers. That duty falls to a variety of different advertising and marketing companies.
Most creators don’t come from a sales/marketing background, so production companies rely on the experts to help ensure box office success.
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Vegetables Aren’t Just For Eating
Have you ever wondered what filmmakers use to create the spine-tingling sound of bones breaking? Check the crisper in your refrigerator; it’s veggies!
Carrots and celery are supposedly the preferred choices for optimal authenticity.
They Did That On Purpose
Directors aren’t perfect. Sometimes they make mistakes. It’s called a continuity error and they’re more common than you might think.
However, this doesn’t mean the film crew is unaware. Most of the time they are just left in due to time constraints.
Let It Snow!
Believe it or not, there’s an entire company dedicated solely to creating synthetic snow for television and film.
Snow Business Hollywood has been leading the industry for nearly 40 years and they make over 200 different types of snow.
Don’t Look at the Camera!
If you are an ‘extra’ on a film set, whatever you do – do not look into the camera.
This will ruin the shot, enrage the director, and likely result in you being fired.
Chew But Don’t Swallow
If actors actually had to eat all of the food that they put in their mouths – they’d explode.
That’s why the preferred technique is to chew and spit between takes.
It’s Green For A Reason
Have you ever wondered “why do they use a green screen for CGI?” Well, it turns out that the screen has to be green . At least most of the time.
The color green creates a strong contrast; making film editing much easier.
Nothing’s What It Seems
This probably goes without saying but actors don’t actually break bottles over their heads or get thrown through plate glass windows.
What you see on screen is known as ‘sugar glass’. It’s designed to break apart instantly and is even edible.
If You Build It, They Will Come
In the days before drone technology, aerial shots were not only incredibly difficult but ridiculously expensive.
That’s why a vast number of productions opt instead to build a miniature model to scale.
Actors Don’t Smoke
In a similar vein as to why actors don’t eat, they most certainly do not smoke (except for Joaquin Phoenix).
On ABC’s Madmen , the cast was given herbal cigarettes in lieu of the real thing
Chasing The Clouds Away
Cloud creation has become an art form. Using cloud tanks, filmmakers are able to generate and replicate almost every type of atmospheric condition imaginable.
It certainly beats checking the weather reports.
Yes, 3D Movies Make You Dizzy
It turns out that 3D films do in fact instill a sense of vertigo or dizziness. Early 3D films hadn’t yet mastered the art of speeding objects.
As a result, our eyes aren’t able to focus on the pixels, causing muscle strain.
So no, you’re not crazy.
Sex Scenes Are Awkward
Love scenes can be delicate. They are practiced diligently, with care, and are almost always left until the final days of shooting.
This way, it gives the actors time to form a comfortable working relationship.
Don’t Tell The Children
The majority of horror productions choose to keep certain plot details hidden from child actors.
Danny Lloyd (Danny Torrance) from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining had no idea he was even in a horror movie until he saw the film on his 16th birthday.
