How to Perform Special Effects

This week Brandon demonstrates how to perform a few special effects that can improve the visual dynamics of your videos. He explains special effects such as projector feedback loop, levitation camera trick, "use the force" trick.

This four-part Adobe After Effects tutorial from Laurence Grayson shows how to take an ordinary photograph of a building (in this case, a cathedral) and turn it into a spooky looking house from hell. The majority of the work done uses the standard toolset in After Effects CS3, ...more

There are a lot of videos out there that offer instructions for creating all sorts of fake wounds. Most of them, however, focus on cuts and gashes rather than that other devious and action-packed type of wound: the burn. This three-part video features detailed instructions for ...more

Adding special effects to your video can make it look more professional and entertaining. Learn how to add Apple iMovie effects to your clips with ease.

This tutorial goes over a few of the advanced features offered in the special effects and video editing software WAX 2.0. Specifically, you'll learn how to add particle effects (like snow) and create a picture warp for transitions to add to your films and projects.

Running over someone's head or burying them alive so that they can rise from the grave are dangerous, and not worth using in filmmaking generally speaking. But yay, there are special effects! Watch this video for a guide to running over someone's head with a car or burying the ...more

If you have a DSLR, you can take some interesting photographs of Christmas trees and holiday lights this year. Here are six different ways to achieve a special effects look for your Christmas photographs by adjusting the settings on your camera.

No matter how desperate they are for work, most actors will not let you crush their heads for your film. The potential for career development afterwards would be limited. This video will teach you how to crush a head with special effects for a film and then how to use three-po ...more

In this tutorial, we learn how to make simple special effects for movies. First, you will need to set up a ladder that's tall enough to make the rail look like it's falling down naturally. Make sure the rain is hitting all around the person or you have sealed off an area. Make ...more

The Terminator— it might not seem like an obvious choose for a woman's Halloween costume, unless you're thinking of the T-X from "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines", played by Kristanna Loken. But this Halloween makeup look actually feels more like the Governator's famous por ...more

Does your low-budget film need an explosion, a fireball explosion? This video tutorial shows how to build a simple cremora (fireball) and safely use it. There are many filming techniques, you'll have to figure them out on your own though. This video is for pyrotechnic special ...more

Indy Mogul shows you four ways to create movie effects to make yourself look like a giant both with and without a green screen.

This short video is on how to use your new Eye Mold Kit from Ken Banks. It's simple and easy, and it makes a great looking acrylic eye for any special effect.

Alien invaders are a constant threat, so it is important that filmmakers continue their long tradition of making educational films like Independence Day to ensure that we know what to do when the invasion comes. If you want to make aliens films yourself, watch this video for t ...more

In this video, learn how to create a realistic looking bite mark on your skin for Halloween, film or theatre projects. This look is actually easier to do than you may think and looks completely real. So, get ready to take a bit 'ol bite outta your arm with this informative vid ...more

Want to stick a load of blood and guts in your film? Don't have a lot of money? No problem! Just go to your local butcher shop.

A quick and easy way to achieve the effect of fountains of the red stuff flowing forth from a zombie-bitten neck. Your film will look so real, for what it's worth, that nobody can deny your greatness.

Let's learn how to create some cool special effects in iMovie HD. In this video tutorial you will learn how to make night vision, old time movie, and stormy effects. The effects are really cool and easy to do too! Create special effects in iMovie HD. Click through to watch thi ...more

In this video, we learn how to use food for special effects film makeup. Using familiar ingredients you find in the kitchen, you can make a scene from a movie that looks real! Food can be made to look like really gross things in movies, using the right colors and consistencies ...more

Check this video to learn how to make DIY squib special effects for your film.

For those who want to make zero budget films with special effects, there's only one way to go these days... with a computer. They may look like crap, but they're cheap!

This video shows you how to light up a bluescreen for special effects. The bluescreen must be well lit in order for the effect to be more seamless win post production.

This tutorial tells you about most common variables and extra special effects and others to make your character better in Mugen - the custom PC game engine.

This is an interesting video that shows you how to use special effects make-up to turn a 20-year-old into an old woman. So, if you can make, or get your hands on the proper products, this video will show you how to use this cool stuff.

PhotoKey is a cheaper alternative to Photoshop if all you want to do is work with green screen effects. This tutorial shows you the basic Chroma Key functions available to editors in PhotoKey, so you can start adding your own backgrounds and special effects.

Watch to learn how to turn an ordinary photo into an interesting photo using special effects either created by you or provided by Photoshop.

John demonstrates an easy way of creating an out-of-body special effect.

This video will give you basic ideas on how you can create special effect squibs, or fake gunshot wounds, from materials such as rocket fuses, fake blood and condoms.

You've seen them at Disneyland's Fantasia. And in big budget movies like "Waterworld" and "Lord of the Rings." Spectacular, glowing fire effects that seem to ripple with the wind are a staple of action movies, and though it may seem like you need a super good video editing tea ...more

Whether you're an aspiring makeup artist or someone looking to gross out your friends on Halloween, learn how to apply a bloody injury to your hand. With makeup and product, achieve a fake exposed-knuckle injury to gross out even the strongest of stomachs! Most of the products ...more

Dr. Diana teaches you how to make fog, a gaseous, bubbly pumpkin for your Halloween Party, and well as other experiments using dry ice. The guests at your Halloween party are really going to love these effects.

Watch this visual demonstration for detailed instruction on how to airbrush Psycho Paint brand paint on rubber. This is a great technique to make toys, props, or masks.

Learn how to use make up to create a fake slit wrist for Halloween or making movies.

In this video series, our experts Grace Fraga & Brad Schecter will teach you how to do special effects makeup. They will teach you how to apply gelatin, black makeup, and red to make it look like burning and charring. They will also teach you how to make fake shards of glass a ...more

Check out this video guide on how to make a cheap special effects blood cannon. This inexpensive SFX machine not only cheap, but an effective Special FX blood cannon for any zombie movie or gunshot wound or blood splatter effect! The blood cannon shooter parts: 22mm PVC pipe ...more

This video shows you how to add some smoke and muzzle type flash effects to video footage of a gun being shot. The video says it's using After Effects, but the software is really Adobe Premiere Pro.

Use this method to make a glowing, burning flower similar to the glowing tomato. Makes a cool trick to impress your friends.

In this video tutorial series, DJ James Zabiela shows how to use effects to enhance your DJ set, utilize a feedback loop, and discover new music. In the second half of the series he shows how to alter live vocals, incorporate a few of his signature moves, and edit digital scra ...more

Get started using Adobe After Effects with the help of The New Boston! This beginner's tutorial is bound to answer the many questions you have about the popular digital motion graphics and compositing software. The main purpose of After Effects is for film and video post-produ ...more

In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial the instructor shows how to prepare pan and scan images. To prepare an image by panning and scanning is quite different than preparing an image normally for using in your video. These images should be extra sized as you would perform special ef ...more

In this Photoshop tutorial, Richard Harrington shows how to perform depth of field blurring techniques using the lens blur feature in Adobe Photoshop CS4. Creative Cow is a support community for digital video, video editing, and media production professionals in broadcasting, ...more

In this Final Cut Tutorial, Richard Harrington shows you how to clean up the Final Cut application when it starts acting up with bugs or other problems. Many times this can be caused by a corrupt preferences file or other user settings related to Final Cut Studio. These tips a ...more

In this 3ds Max tutorial, Michael Hurwicz provides an introduction to the View Cube and the Steering Wheel, new features in 3ds Max 2009 which make it easier to perform viewport navigation operations like orbit, pan and zoom. Creative Cow is a support community for digital vi ...more

In this Apple Color tutorial Richard Harrington and guest Robbie Carman will use user defined shapes to form vinettes to perform a secondary color correction. Learn about where primary and secondary color correction really occurs in Apple Color and other tips and tricks. Crea ...more

This is a 3 part tutorial. Be sure to click on Chapters 2 & 3 to get the full tutorial. In Part 1 of this 3 part Adobe Illustrator tutorial series, Vincent Rosati explains how to use the free transform tool to take the first step in creating a helix with AI. In Part 2 of thi ...more

Gambit is one of the coolest X-Men, and his kinetic energy powers are awesomely powerful. If you want to depict them using special effects in a film, this video will show you how to do it using three free pieces of digital editing software: Monkeyjam GIMP And our old friend ...more

What's a proton pack without a ghost trap? Useless, that's what. Don't pay megabucks for some fake Ghostbusters costume when you can build your own with household materials. This is a perfect movie prop for your indie Ghostbusters fan flick. Watch this video from Parker's Tut ...more

Home security is as important as having a job. You have to protect your family and your valuables. If you can't afford a high tech security system, then maybe a fake security camera will do the trick. This security camera dud is also a cheap alternative for a film prop. Watch ...more

This tutorial uses the Bloody Gouges kit put out by cosmetics and special effects company Cinema Secrets. Apply using spirit gum, and then use the Injury palette and stage blood to make it look like you're really and truly wounded.