Why You Should Start Using Movie Stills As References

When you’re making an illustration from imagination, it can be hard to come up with something new. Next time you’re stuck for ideas, break away from the blank page—and get some inspiration from movie stills.

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Why movies? Well, video games and films have a lot of similarities. They contain characters and a story, and they’re trying to convey a mood. This is why movies can be a really cool source of visual inspiration for games illustrators, and help you approach a brief in a totally new way ✨

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In order to help you get the most out of movie references, we’re going to talk a little bit about cinematography—i.e. how these scenes are curated. Once you understand some of the decision-making that goes into film shots, you can start applying these tricks to your own illustrations.

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All the stills below were sourced from Screenmusings or Filmgrab, which are free to use. You can also pay for sites like Shotdeck, for better range and quality.

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Aaand, action! 🎬

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Playing director 🎬

When you’re planning your next illustration, pretend you’re a movie director. When a director composes a shot, they’re actually making similar decisions to visual artists. You have a rectangular frame in which to tell your story—how will you place your characters within it? How will you convey what’s going on? And how will you make your audience feel a certain way?

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Just by switching up the composition, camera angle, or lighting of a scene, you can drastically change the entire narrative. Illustrators don’t have to become expert filmmakers to borrow cinematography tricks! Using just a couple of them can make your art way more impactful and unique.

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Making focal points 👁️

Having clear focal points is at the heart of effective storytelling, and is crucial in both film and illustration. Your audience should look exactly where you want them to look, and see all the details that you want to be noticed. Light and value are some of the most important ways to pull focus, but you can also use composition, depth of field, color, and contrast.

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In the above shot from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the characters would blend in with their surroundings, were it not for the light that highlights them. The halo of light around one character’s head draws your attention to him, whilst symbolizing goodness and hope.

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In this shot from The Shape of Water, the character in the foreground is lit from above, so you can clearly see her hand signal. Then on the right, the other character is brought into focus, with a soft light surrounding his face. This moves focus from one character to the next, mirroring their wordless conversation. The green-blue colors in this film reflect the aquatic theme, too!

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Manipulating the mood 🌩️

In film, cinematographers (or animators) will use all kinds of techniques to convey a certain mood. Bright light versus dark, warm colors versus cold, symmetry versus asymmetry—the possibilities are endless. When looking at movie stills, consider how they feel, and why. Every decision was made for a reason!

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In the above still from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the soft yellow light feels safe and homely. Symmetry is used to create a sense of harmony and stillness, and the lines draw the eye to the character in the middle. Although the character looks unhappy, the mood of the scene is cozy and gentle.

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The above scene from Oldboy is similar in some ways—a single character, sadly sitting alone. But in this shot, the dim lighting has an unsettling green tinge. The character is sitting to one side, with the center conspicuously occupied by an empty space. This creates feelings of anticipation and loneliness, with the strong sense that someone should be there.

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Using camera angles 🎥

Camera angles can be a really effective way to enhance storytelling, particularly to hint at a character’s mental state or relationships. Of course, in illustration, you don’t actually have a camera. But you should always make sure that the viewer is placed within a perspective grid—and you can achieve different effects by moving the ‘camera’ around.

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For example, an excellent way to make a character appear more confident and powerful is with a low-angle shot, like in the above scene from Hero. By looking at the subject from below, the viewer is placed in a position of weakness, with the character appearing bigger and more dominant. The smaller character on the right immediately becomes a less important presence, too.

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On the flipside, you can shoot your character from above with a high-angle shot, which will make them appear weaker. In this scene from The Matrix, this frightened character is trying to hide. The camera angle puts the viewer in a more powerful position, thus diminishing the character.

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Something you often see in action shots (and illustrations) is a ‘Dutch angle’, where the camera is tilted. This makes the viewer feel off-kilter, and is used to convey a sense of movement and dynamism—or confusion and anxiety. In this shot from Monkey Man, this character is deep in enemy territory. The Dutch angle reflects his unease and paranoia.

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Enhancing immersion ☔

And finally, post-production effects aren’t just for the big screen! Adding particles, fog, blur, or lens flare to your art can create that cinematic feeling, and make your viewer feel like they’re stepping into a scene. In these shots from Skyfall (above) and Guardians of the Galaxy (below), flying particles help enhance that feeling of immersion.

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Strengthen your storytelling 🧑‍🎨

Feeling inspired? The next time you plan an illustration, add some movie shots to your reference board—and think about how a cinematographer might set the scene. This is a great way to bring freshness to game illustrations, helping you make your art more memorable, immersive, and emotionally compelling.

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Take the above piece Mooncolony Lead Artist Gabriel Rubio made for the RPG Wayfinder—it feels like a scene from a movie. Gabriel is known for creating cinematic illustrations that capture the imagination. See how he uses light, camera angle and color to create a dark and dangerous mood. The blurred flames and sparks—plus the flying bodies—add movement and immersion.

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Get Gabriel’s course 💪

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For games illustrators, clarity of storytelling is an essential skill. In Gabriel’s Lunar Academy course, Storytelling in Illustration, you’ll learn all kinds of techniques—including many from cinematography—to create stronger narratives in your work.
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If your illustrations lack clarity and impact, and you want to start making this type of cinematic art, we highly recommend joining Gabriel in this course. Learn more here.