I spent yesterday working my way through the Every Frame a Painting series on youtube, courtesy of a recommendation from my friend Jess. If you’re interested in cinema, this is one of those things worth subscribing too – Tony Zhou pulls apart the technical aspects of film-making in terms of shot composition and editing, and it’s utterly fascinating to look at some of the minutia that separates a solid film from a great one.
If you’re primary interest is making your writing better, rather than a general interest in film, then I’d recommend his F for Fake: How to Structure a Video Essay in particular. This pulls apart the craft of creating his videos, looking at three important principles for making your point effectively. Said principles are equally applicable for fiction writers structuring a plot. Or a scene. Or the growth of a character.
It’s an incredible amount of value for four and a half minutes of your time.
