craft

Empire of Lies: A Case Study of a Micro-Budget Marketing and Distribution Campaign

A deep dive interview with Director Matt Hope and Distributor Jonathan Sadler into the ins-and-outs of getting Matt Hope's new NonDē spirited film…

Jun 4 • David Thomson

Interview: The Kitchen and the Recipe

Part 2 of my interview with director Andrew Chaplin. This time we shift a little more technical; discussing on coverage, editing, lighting, and the…

May 27 • David Thomson

Interview: The Subtle Art of Not Being the Funniest Person in the Room

Comedy Director Andrew Chaplin on the decade between a 600-quid sketch and a BAFTA

May 20 • David Thomson

Editing Craft #2: The In-Point

What the reorientation window tells you about where a shot really starts.

Apr 14 • David Thomson

Interview: The Last Great Train Set - An Inside Account of Shooting Eyes Wide Shut

A conversation with Rhun Francis, who was on set for one of the longest shoots in film history.

Mar 17

Autumn Thoughts | FilmStack Monthly Challenge #8

This is a game of fix it in post...

Dec 2, 2025 • David Thomson

The DVD Extra Film School Is Dead. Long Live the YouTube Obscurantism.

In the 90s you could skip film school and watch DVD extras. Now YouTube offers the same education, hidden behind tutorials on how to fix your washing…

Nov 11, 2025 • David Thomson

How To Embarrass Every Marketing Department in Hollywood

Why Mark Toia's 40:1 return on his ad spend with Monsters of Man makes a lot of entertainment marketing look like amateur hour

Sep 26, 2025 • David Thomson

Everyone Has a Script Until Production Punches You in the Face

How everything went sideways, we shot 1600:1, and I ended up loving the result anyway.

Sep 16, 2025 • David Thomson

Edit Craft #1: There Are Only Two Things You Can Do In Motion Picture Editing (And One Of Them Is Wrong)

Ideas about film editing craft. Starting at the beginning.

Aug 5, 2025 • David Thomson

Why I'm Making the Ibsen Movie No One Else Will

How to murder a psychological thriller.

Jul 29, 2025 • David Thomson

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