As filmmakers, we have to watch out for falling into habits or blindly following rules, because that won’t take us anywhere new. But at the same time, we need to understand those tools and traditions. That’s how we can choose which ones to use, and maybe even break them in smart ways.

Composition is the intentional arrangement of elements within the frame. Everything counts—props, actors, locations, and lighting. What’s closest to the camera? What’s emphasized? The placement, size, and relationship of everything in the frame shapes how the audience sees the scene and how they feel about it.

Want a 50mm lens? No problem. But do you want a Zeiss, Canon, or Sigma? Are you looking for a photography lens or a cinema lens? You could grab a Canon 50mm stills lens for $100, or another one for $2,000. So what’s the real difference when they both say 50mm?

Most business storytelling workshops, whether at conferences or online courses, focus on the basics: character, conflict, and structure. These elements matter, but they’re not what the most successful filmmakers obsess over.

When you’re just starting out, you work with whatever lenses you can get your hands on. But as you grow as a filmmaker, you break down the story first, then you figure out your narrative perspective, and finally, you choose your focal length before you even have a location picked out.

The Knowledge Chain is firmly grounded in scientific principles. Not only did it help commanders deliver content more effectively, it also improved their own learning. The same success can be replicated in any organization, and any size team.

The secret behind successful stories isn’t just a mystery in filmmaking, it’s a mystery in business, too. Some companies launch with celebrity founders, and deep pockets, … and still collapse. Others rise from obscurity with no funding , yet somehow succeed.

Lenses are simple, but why do they have a reputation for being complex, like something only a few experts truly get? It’s like gravity. We all live with it, but those complex equations make it feel way over our heads. Still, the basic idea is familiar—we just don’t always realize that’s enough to explore deeper.

Don’t say “we’ll start wide, then go in.” Instead, try something like: “We’ll emphasize the character’s realization with a close-up, so we’ll hold off on close-ups at first and start with a wide.” Those are two very different ways to approach a scene.

Most pitches feel like a one-way monologue from a founder, following a fixed structure. But while it keeps things organized, this structure can actually make it harder for a founder to stand out, and leave a lasting impression.

Every shot in a movie has a perspective. The moment you turn on a camera, you've already chosen one, you can’t get around it. So naturally, that raises some big questions. How do we intentionally express objectivity or subjectivity? And maybe even more important—when should we use one or the other?

If we assume investors only care about returns, we’ll likely fill our pitch with charts and graphs to show the venture’s financial potential, and many pitches do exactly that. But founders who take this approach are often surprised when their message doesn’t land..

If film images are meant to communicate a deeper, subtextual message to the audience, and tools like lens choice or camera movement make up the visual language, then visual strategy is like the grammar of that language.

In both movies and photojournalism, an image’s purpose is to tell a story. But while filmmakers can read the ending of their story in a screenplay, photojournalists often discover their story as they work, requiring them to stay present.

There’s one question that never fails to make filmmakers squirm: What’s your story? It sounds simple, but the answer isn’t always obvious. In this episode of Visium, we unpack why that question is so hard to answer—and why it might be the most important one a filmmaker can ask.

The intersection of filmmaking and business leadership creates an opportunity for a clearer, more defined vision. The path to understanding vision doesn’t go through a Google Doc. It goes through storytelling techniques, like those used in movies.

Join Tal Lazar’s Exclusive Online Event on April 30 to Discover the Cinematic Impact Framework™ and Revolutionize Your Business Storytelling. With over 15 years in filmmaking and education, Lazar’s innovative approach helps organizations enhance their storytelling strategies for increased engagement and growth.