Why I Made the Cinephile Journal

what is the cinephile journal?

The Cinephile Journal is a notebook designed to help you journal about the movies that you watch. It has an easy-to-use rating scale that breaks down the movie into different categories like cinematography and sound design. It has blank pages that can be used for jotting down notes, or for creatively expressing yourself. I like to use the blank pages for drawing and writing down quotes from the movie.

Why did I create the Cinephile Journal?

As a film critic and active participant in the world of internet fandoms on Filmstagram and Film Twitter, I found that writing movie reviews had become a chore. I struggled to find the motivation to write reviews because the task of choosing a movie to watch, paying close attention to it, and then organizing my thoughts afterward felt so daunting. I needed a way to make it fun and easy, and that’s how the Cinephile Journal was born! I wanted a fun and low-pressure way to spark creativity and enjoy writing reviews again. So I thought, what’s more fun than doodling?

I am by no means an artist, but I thought about how much fun kids have when they draw. Most of them are not good at art either, so why do I have to be good at something to enjoy it? Then I started to research the benefits of drawing and doodling. According to a study by Harvard, doodling can relieve stress and improve memory. Doodling can also help you process your emotions and improve your mood. I have found that drawing in my Cinephile Journal after watching a movie gives my brain a chance to process what I’ve just watched and when I’m done with my drawing it is easier for me to rate the movie.

Another cool part of the Cinephile Journal is the easy-to-use rating scale. For me, it’s nice to limit the amount of information that my brain is focused on at one time. Answering big questions like “What did you think of the movie?” can be hard to a place to start. Instead, the rating scale breaks it down into smaller, more manageable questions like “What would you rate the cinematography out of a scale of 1 to 5?”. This way I can quickly answer smaller questions that in turn help me answer the bigger questions and thus create a holistic review.

I also wanted the Cinephile Journal to be universally usable. Whether you’re a seasoned film critic that wants to spice up their writing routine, or you’re an 8th grader who has never learned about filmmaking, the Cinephile Journal is accessible to everyone. The rating categories are all broken down and explained and provide a great entry point for someone who has never reviewed a movie before.

Where can I get a Cinephile Journal?

If you want to spark your creativity, improve your mood and help your memory, you can get your own Cinephile Journal today on Amazon for only $11.95. If you are active on social media, please tag @thebasiccinephile in all of your Cinephile Journal posts so that we can see all of your awesome journal entries! We welcome your feedback and we would greatly appreciate it if you could leave us a review on Amazon after your purchase. I am so excited to share the Cinephile Journal with you and I hope you love it as much as I do!