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
Learn how to make a professional looking movie using a budget camcorder and a laptop. Watch Dan Chung and film-maker Pinny Grylls present a master class in video making. For a host of helpful tips and techniques on giving your own video work telltale professional touches, take ...more
Learn how Jerad creates the 300 Movie Effect in Photoshop Camera Raw.
Spice up your next movie project with new and interesting camera angles. In this tutorial, learn all about the different options for aiming your camera that you can use to convey new moods or effects. These instructions are easy to follow and are great for first time filmmaker ...more
At its default setting, a Flip video camera will not take video in a format compatible with Windows Movie Maker, which makes it difficult if you wanted to turn your film into a clip or slideshow. This tutorial shows you how to convert content taken with a Flip camera to a Wind ...more
The perfect promotion for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu has finally come to fruition as Niantic has added some movie-related perks to Pokémon GO. Starting Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern time and continuing until the same time on May 17, Pokémon GO players taking photos with the enhan ...more
Ever wonder how people make those wonderful and awe-inspiring time-lapse films? Well, this video shows you the bare basics of creating a time-lapsed movie. First, you'll need to set your digital camera on a tripod and set it to take stills at your desired intervals. Then, you' ...more
A new augmented reality framework from Disney Research could make it possible for fans to take selfies with an augmented reality Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader, or Iron Man that mimic the user's poses. Called AR Poser, the prototype experience relies on image recognition to anchor ...more
As someone who's dependent on glasses to see on an everyday basis, losing or misplacing them is obviously a bad thing. I can't even see clearly enough to find the glasses that I just lost, so I'm pretty much blind now. Without your prescription eyewear, the world is a blur. P ...more
My JO was watching The Simpsons on FOX the other day, like she wholeheartedly does every evening, and I joined her, much like I always do— though I must admit, I'm not as obsessed with the cartoon family as much as she is. Just like she isn't as obsessed with SCRABBLE as I am. ...more
Movies take us places we've never been before, and a big tool that has contributed to that age-old phrase "movie magic" is the camera jib arm. Kind of like a camera extendeder, the jib arm is like a rotating crane that you can place your camera on top of. It allows you to sho ...more
Remember KODACHROME? That color reversal film from Kodak? The film that was the inspiration for Paul Simon? The only brand of film to have a state park named after it? Soon, that's all you'll be able to do— remember it— because today is the last day that any kind of Kodak Kod ...more
You can use the Canon EOS 7D to shoot digital video at a variety of frame rates and resolutions up to full HD. In this video, see the basics of movie mode and how to use it. This is the best digital SLR camera to film video with. Movie Mode Basics: • Activation of EOS Movie M ...more
The easiest way to make a movie is with magic iMovie. Magic iMovie imports clips from your video camera, inserts a title and transitions, and sets the music, so you can create a movie with the click of a button.
If you shot a video sideways with your digital camera, you may need to rotate it in order to get your video to appear right side up. Here's how to rotate that video using Windows Movie Maker
Watch this video to learn how to make a radio controlled camera rig that can tilt and pan like an expensive security camera. This is an amazing tool for movie making! Stick to your budget.
Ready to edit your footage in Windows Live Movie Maker? First, you'll need to move the individual clips from your camera to your computer. This installment in Vimeo's excellent Video 101 series of covers all of the basics—connecting your camera, copying the files over and, fin ...more
Sure you can go and make something cheap and unauthentic with a cardboard blade, or, you can REALLY live your dream of being Ezio, or Altair, by checking out this awesome video from IndyMogul on how to make a spring loaded hidden arm blade that will ALL of your friends squeali ...more
CCTV's (closed-circuit televisions) are more common than ever before, and have become more and more popular to depict in films and in video games like Manhunt. This video will teach you how to create a CCTV monitor effect akin to what a security guard would see on their camera ...more
Did you just buy a $1,000 camera, upload your first video to YouTube, and find it looking like you used your cell phone to shoot the movie? Well, worry no more...this episode of Indy Mogul's Weekend Extra will help you get the best quality for your video before uploading it to ...more
In this week's episode of Backyard FX, Erik visits the Indy Kung Fu Masters of West Haven Brook to learn some awesome tips for movie fight scenes. They talk about the counting, sound effects, pull backs and camera movement necessary for orchestrating a great fight scene.
If you need a dolly for your movie masterpiece, you don't need to go with a professional dolly system. You can save that money for your expensive actors and actresses by building your own DIY camera dolly on the cheap. You'll need some nuts and bolts, PVC pipes, scrap wood, dr ...more
In video shooting, it's always best to select manual focusing on the Canon OES 7D digital SLR camera. If you need to adjust focus during filming, then you can manually refocus when needed, but there are also powerful autofocus options available. Watch this to see how to change ...more
If you have ever wondered about the functionality of slating during a film shoot, what a shooting script or line script is and how to keep a shot log, then this may be the perfect video tutorial for you, in two parts. We’ll walk through some quick tips and tricks for getting ...more
Check out this video tutorial on how to make a cheap multi-touch pad like in the MacBook Air. Yes, that's right... you can make your very own multitouch, finger-sensitive touch pad for your computer. This is definitely the cheap way to go to make a Multitouch Mini (MTmini), wi ...more
This video will show you how to make a stop motion film using an editing program called Windows Movie Maker. Find a place to film your stop motion movie. Preferably a well lit area where the light source is constant. Set your camera on a tripod and position at the angle you pr ...more
Snake cams have become the epitome of high-tech gadgets on television and in movies. In 24, Jack Bauer is always using a snake camera to check for terrorists on the other side of the door. The video game Splinter Cell has made the snake cam an integral part to Sam Fisher's ars ...more
A green screen lets you add any sort of background to your movie in post-production. Part of a successful green screen shot is properly lighting your set so you can easily add the special effects later. Teach your camera crew these tips for your next film!
Adding narration or voiceover to your movie is an excellent way to enhance your story. You can use the built-in microphone on your Mac, the built-in microphone from a connected iSight camera, or an external microphone connected to your Mac.
One of the best features of Apple's Final Cut Studio is the graphics interface feature Motion. With its ability to create and edit motion graphics, you can easily create title sequences for your indie film, or maybe even a professional movie, with 2D or 3D visual effects compo ...more
Magic iMovie is designed to import a movie from your camera and create a movie file with an opening title and other options. Learn how to use Magic iMovie.
Born in 1975, the world's first digital camera used a standard cassette tape to record images, rather than today's standard data cards. Vintage 1975 portable all electronic still camera. Via Kodak, Steve Sasson, the inventor of the digital camera, describes it's inception: "I ...more
Filmmakers beware... or more importantly, cinematographers beware... boring setups and unpleasing camera tricks can ruin a movie. Check out this helpful video tip from Focal Point Technologies on how to use zoom and dolly effects in your film. Whether you're a cinematographer ...more
Charades is a word-guessing game that's acted out in pantomime by players at parties or other gatherings. Step 1 Review common charades gestures. Cranking an old-time movie camera means the answer will be a film title. Making a rectangle with your thumbs and index fingers ind ...more
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills. Submit your best shot to our weekly competition for a chance to win an awes ...more
Makeup needs to be perfect for the lights and camera of a movie set or TV studio. Learn how to apply movie makeup with expert tips from a makeup artist in this free cosmeticsvideo series. Part 1 of 15 - How to Apply TV and movie makeup. Apply TV and movie makeup - Part 2 of 15 ...more
Trying to get that perfect ground shot done, but just can't seem to make it work? This is the tutorial for you! This video covers a few techniques any cinematographer can use to pull off a stunning movie shot with a low camera angle.
WonderHowTo loves paper artillery. More sophisticated in construction than Box Wars, plus tense on-camera drama to boot, Cardboard Warfare is a tight homage to the paper gun. Not completely sold on the acting, but I'm really digging the mise-en-scène. Says creator Clinton Jone ...more
If shaky home videos are making your audience seasick, it's time to steady your hand. Watch this video to learn how to make a camcorder stabilizer. Step 1. Begin building bottom Attach two 45-degree elbow connectors to either end of a 6-inch PVC pipe. This will be the bottom ...more
Make your own 3D movie with this easy camera hack: record with two cameras simultaneously. Next, use video software to overlap the images, making it viewable through 3D glasses. Very clever (and cheap) concept by Ron and AmyJo Proctor. Check out their site for more details. T ...more
Expressing the camera: animating along a path. Rick Gerard presents a five minute tutorial movie as the second in a series that teaches basic After Effects Camera animation. In this example you'll learn how to simplify animating a camera over a still image and how to orient th ...more
Don Schechter explains how to capture your footage from your camera to your computer and log it for easy access later on. You can use Adobe Premiere to capture your movie, but you can not forget to put your tape in your camera.
Animating a Camera: Tracking to a Null Object. Rick Gerard presents a five minute tutorial movie as the first in a series that teaches basic After Effects Camera animation. In this first example you'll learn how to simplify animating a camera over a still image and how to cont ...more
Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to create, shoot and edit a time freeze effect for your homemade film. Stopping time is no joke, but doing it with a little camera skills and a little editing skills makes ...more
Box of Shadows is a nice little movie we made on a thrifty budget and shot on the RED camera with Mauro Borelli directing and Domiziano Arcangeli Executive Producing with Ford Austin Co-Executive Producing. http://www.boxofshadowsthemovie.com/
How to make that cardboard hood to assist you in making your own custom bokeh when shooting images. Bokeh meaning "blurred or fuzzy" is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field.[ ...more
There are several ways to do time lapse photography, my favorite involves using a digital still camera and a controller. Once the photos are taken, I demonstrate how to to stitch the photos together into a finished movie. You could also use a digital video camera with controll ...more
You don't need a ten-figure budget to make a great movie! With nothing more than iMovie, a camera, and your imagination you can make a stop motion animation. With stop motion, you can bring anything to life. This is a really fun project for aspiring directors of all ages.
Feeling a bit like Bonnie or Clyde, without the reckless disregard for human life? This mini machine gun is a great prop for Halloween or a homemade action movie. You will need a joystick, pipe, cardboard, a small box, PVC pipe, a cylindrical box, a hot glue gun, a sharp knife ...more
What's cuter than a puppy? Not much, especially when you omit all the peeing, barking and furniture chewing, as Remedie Studio did with this sweet time-lapse homage to their beloved pup. Below, watch Dunder the German Shepherd grow from 8 weeks old to 1 year in 40 seconds. Ins ...more
Whether you were inspired by the movie "300" or just want to add to your costume or prop collection, you can make a replica of a Spartan helmet out of papier-mache. This won't stand up to heavy abuse, but it will still look awesome!
This video tutorial from Magix presents how to burn (S)VCDs and DVDs using Magix Movie Edit Pro 15 application.First you need to group videos you want to burn.If you want to play movies using remote control you have to place chapter markers. You can set markers manually or cho ...more
This German video is amazing. A joyously analog interpretation and deconstruction of the digital gaming experience. Malte Jehmlich is as primitive and inspiring as the the Vanuatu natives who devoted themselves to cargo worship after World War II! Try to imagine. It's 2010 an ...more
This video gives a ten minute tutorial on how to achieve the superimposition effect for web videos with a little props and software. You will need to get Wax, a free nonlinear editing system for Windows that includes the chroma key effect. You will also want to get the codecs ...more
A breakaway chair is one of the best pranks, or one of the easiest effects for your indie film project. A breakable chair can be made out of simple household items, and is very cheap. The biggest material needed is cardboard. So basically, you'll make a cardboard chair, that b ...more
When it comes to filming a great movie, having a great creative vision is just as important as more practical aspects of cinema, like how to employ film editing programs for the perfect widescreen shot or a camera jamb arm for stunning overhead shots. Check out this video to ...more
Mike from thesubstream's "Film Lab" have some tips regarding a few in-camera trick shots, specifically... the dolly zoom. Learn how to do the dolly zoom in-camera effect shot. This is something every director, cinematographer, or filmmaker should know if they're interest ...more
Update: New Trailer (7/9/10) In July of 2008, Fawaz Al-Matrouk, director of "To Rest In Peace", brought me on to shoot his USC graduate thesis film. Two years, 3 cameras, and over 15,000 miles later, the film is in its last week of post, having completed our final color correc ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to create the visual effect of being hit by a car, using Adobe After Effects. Adobe After Effects is a digital motion graphics and compositing software. This is not recommended for beginners. This video will show viewers how to ma ...more
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" have some tips regarding a few in-camera trick shots, specifically... the dolly zoom. Learn how to do the dolly zoom in-camera effect shot. This is something every director, cinematographer, or filmmaker should know if they're interested i ...more