A tip jar appreciative of any suggestions on how to stay motivated.

4 Tips for Staying Motivated in 2020

Check out the ECG team’s list of helpful tips for staying sane and productive in 2020, and reflections on the effects the pandemic and social issues have on our collective mental health.

The Future of Horror Movies after 2020

At this point, 2020 is synonymous with social and political unrest. How will future horror movies reflect the issues of today?

A laptop, mouse, phone, and plant sit on a desk ready for remote training post-pandemic.

Training Employees in a Post-Pandemic World

Life post-pandemic felt so far away but it is upon us. These formative months will change how we work. Remote training is on the rise!

Girl looks out window during coronavirus self-quarantine

What to Watch During your Self-Quarantine

Looking for the perfect video watchlist for your social distancing and self-quarantine? Let the authors and video professionals at ECG be your guide!

Why I Love Taylor Sheridan

Find out who Taylor Sheridan is and why, if you’re into movies, you should love him right now.

Natlie Portman and the other ladies of Annihilation dressed for combat

Annihilation: An ECG Movie Debate

Have you seen the Natalie Portman flick Annihilation? Did you like it? Click here to weigh in on the debate-in-progress between ECG’s staffers.

Retsuko, the main character from Aggretsuko (a Japanese anime musical comedy), sits at a desk working on a laptop.

Your Kids Are Watching Better TV Than You Are

Your kids’ television show choices are way better than yours ever were. Here’s what they should be watching and why.

The Oscar-Winning Lighting Design in Blade Runner 2049

We’re gushing over the lighting design in Blade Runner 2049. It may not be your favorite, but you’ve got to admit it did look damn good.

Coco vs The Book of Life

Where do you stand on the debate between Coco and The Book of Life? Do you have to pick side when two similar movies come out? We kind of did.

MPAA green screen message for trailers saying that the following preview has been approved for all audiences.

Trailers: A Rant From 3 Types of Film Enthusiasts

New movie trailers come out every day, but are they really adding any value for film enthusiasts? Probably not, since most people think they suck.

Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, and Carrie Fisher in a collage from The Last Jedi, with the words "The Hate" superimposed in yellow.

The Fandom Menace

How far into a movie franchise do you get before they start to disappoint you? Stop putting your expectations onto the movies and just enjoy them. Here’s how.

Crunchyroll’s “Anime Crimes Division”: Branded Content Done Right

Doing branded video content the right way can be tricky. In this blog post, we explore how and why Crunchyroll’s Anime Crimes Division strikes just the right chord.

The silhouette of a woman facing a large white background inside a spaceship.

The Art of Sound Design: Arrival (2016)

Hearing good examples of sound design will make you a better sound designer. Check out why the movie Arrival got us itching to get behind a sound board.

Hazy and snowy railroad track in woods like in scary movies and horror movies.

15 More Horror Movies You Should Watch (or Rewatch) on Halloween

15 more unique horror movies that you should watch (or rewatch) on Halloween. Read on, if you dare!

A mime showing the "silence please" sign.

Silence, The Scariest Sound: A Short Collection

What is the scariest sound in movies? A blood-curdling scream? The creak of a door opened by a knife-wielding maniac? Nope. Find out what sound really scares here.

Halloween TV - Community S2E6 Epidemiology - Zombies with Alison Brie

Halloween TV Isn’t Dead: Two Weeks of Terrifying Television

Television still scares, even though movies and online streaming services continue to top horror-lovers’ lists. Check out these TV shows that still deliver some spooks.

A spacecraft approaches a docking station.

Practical Science Fiction Effects are Timeless When Done Well

Even as special effects evolve with technology, the good ones never go out of style. Here are a few science fiction effects that you can consider timeless.

Oats Studios: Neill Blomkamp Gives The Audience What They Really Want

A breakdown of Oats Studio and why director Neill Blomkamp’s innovative reliance on fans’ influence future is helping drive creativity and fast-track projects.

A Film Geek’s Guide to Baseball

Baseball is all over the movies, so it’s possible to be both a film geek and a baseball lover, but does combining the two do the sport justice? We’re not so sure and here’s why.

Twin Peaks’ Inescapable Influence on Modern Television

Did you watch Twin Peaks when it was on TV? Have you seen reruns? If not, you’d be surprised at how major of an influence it is on today’s shows.

When your favorite show has been cancelled

That moment when your favorite TV series ends. Or even worse… is canceled.

How do you deal with the ending or cancellation of your favorite TV show? It’s not easy to cope, but this is what we do.

Should Animated Features Have Their Own Academy Award Category?

Buckle up, we’re talking Oscars. Do animated films need their own categoy? If they didn’t, would they be going toe-to-toe with live-action best picture nominees?

Are We in Too Deep with TV Shows?

TV shows are deeper and more engaging than every before. In this post, we debate whether online chatter and theories add to or subtract from the viewing experience.

Silence and Why It’s Important in Film

A Quiet Place helped moviegoers appreciate silence as a dramatic device. But really it’s about sound design! Here, we explore reasons why sometimes quiet is king.

Michael Cera from Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Content Survey Response #4: Jenn Lee

Get to know the staff at ECG. In this post, we meet colorist extraordinaire, Jenn Lee. She took time away from color grading to talk about her favorite movies and tv shows.

ghost-like image, using CGI to bring someone back from the dead

Posthumous Performance: CGI Helps the Dead Live On

CGI isn’t new to film, but now animators can replicate deceased actors. Is that okay, or is it morally bankrupt? Here’s where we stand on post-mortem post production.

Musical Themes and Why They’re Important in Film

Musical themes do a lot in film. Sure, they help establish characters, but there’s so much more to it than that. Check out these ways music makes an impact.

Content Survey Response in film Inglorious Basterds

Content Survey Response #3: Kelsey Merriam

Kelsey Merriam, one of our talented video editors, weighs in on her favorite movies and TV shows in this profile post. Can you guess what her number one film is?

Bender from the cartoon Futurama (3d xray blue transparent).

The Rise in Prominence of Animation for Adults

For those us growing up with Saturday morning cartoons, the recent boon in adult animation is awesome and nostalgic. Check out what this means for video production.

9 Studio Ghibli Moments That Give You The Feels

ECG colorist, Jenn Lee, is an anime fan’s anime fan. Her top nine list of Studio Ghibli moments will leave you ready for a Miyazaki marathon. And a box of tissues.

Woman with green blanket watches horror movies while alone on her couch.

15 Horror Movies You Should Watch (or Rewatch) on Halloween

ECG editor Kelsey lists the top 15 horror movies to get in the mood for Halloween. Or give you a good scare whenever you need, really.

old school, classic television set on stand

What Millennial Nostalgia Means for TV and Film

Marketing teams and video content producers have learned the secret to reaching millennials: nostalgia. Why are millennials so uniquely impacted by this strategy?

Harry Potter's school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts

Crossing Mediums – The World of Harry Potter

The play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, opened to huge crowds and rave reviews. Here’s our analysis of how Harry Potter handled a shift in visual medium with grace.

Arrested Development TV show, comedy, series

Content Survey Response #2: Mary Winter

As a producer at ECG, Mary Winter has strong opinions about movies. Find out her favorites in categories like best dialogue and best soundtrack in this content survey.

X-Men: Apocalypse movie stills, color grading with orange and teal

Why all Summer Blockbusters Look the Same

Do all summer blockbuster movies look the same? They might if you’re a colorist, and here’s why.

Content Survey Response #1: David Wappel

Explore a video production professional’s favorite films and tv shows. Our categories include “best action,” “guilty pleasure” and “guaranteed tears” in this post.

Tsunami Tuna Premiere Party

Having a premiere party for a tv show you worked hard to create is the best. Here’s what we did to celebrate the first episode of Tsunami Tuna. It was a party to remember.

The Great (Or At Least Pretty Good) Film & Television Survey Experiment

When you work at a video production company, everyone has an opinion about the best films. We decided to collect all the varying opinions with this unique survey.

Why Most Of The Things Your Kids Watch Suck

From sparkly visual junk food to thinly-veiled marketing campaigns, kids TV these days is bad. Don’t let the 16:9 aspect ratio fool you; modern kids shows suck! Here’s why.

Victoria Stilwell Visits ECG

Documentaries are a great platform for evoking change! Victoria Stilwell, from It’s Me or the Dog helped us out on this one for a day in our in-house greenscreen studio.

ECG PRODUCTIONS HOMELESS PETS CLUB

Get more out of your long-form video content by using it to make short content. Whether it’s a teaser, a trailer, or a mini-documentary like we made here!

IS BOX OFFICE FAILURE REALLY FAILURE? LESSONS FROM VETERAN DP MATTHEW F. LEONETTI A.S.C.

This blog explores some wisdom from legendary Director of Photography, Matthew Leonetti, A.S.C., who shot feature films like Titanic and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Hilarious Photos of Film & TV Director Jason Sirotin

All video production professionals have that awkward phase they’d rather you not see. Hilariously, though, one of our directors isn’t afraid for you to see these pics.

Movies & Television