Use Film

The ability to see through clothing has been pursued by voyeurs for millenia, and today with the help of cheap video cameras we are closer than ever. This video will show you how to use a piece of blank developed film and IR to see through different types of shirts and other c ...more

This tutorial builds the RED ONE camera from scratch into a traditional film style camera, complete with matte box and follow focus. Thanks to Indie Rentals - http://indierentals.com/

Finding a film projector for those who still shoot film, or those who still house film can be tough. They're either sparce or extremely expensive. In this six part tutorial, learn how to make your own DIY homemade film projector for your home without shelling out tons of cash. ...more

Using the Digi Effects plugin "Aged Film" in After Effects, learn how to take your digital footage and turn it into a Super 8mm looking reel. Author Oliver Mellan, shows step-by-step how to create that faux grainy look to make your 21st century film look as deep & rich as any ...more

Film and television cinematographers love sliding camera shots, especially since ER made them a standard device for television dramas. A professional sliding camera setup is expensive though. Why not make one yourself? This video will show you how to turn $20 into a high-quali ...more

In this video tutorial, Wess does some research and builds a steady-cam for under fourteen bucks. Hooray for no more motion sickness! Steadycams (or camera stabilizers) are attachments used to capture smooth looking video even when the camera and camera operator are in motion ...more

Measure twice cut once applies to filmmaking as well as construction or any other complex process really, and that's why preproduction is they key to actually finishing your film on time and budget. This video will help you with several preproduction tasks, including storyboar ...more

Give a new look to your photographs! Use coffee! This video tutorial will show you how to develop film with coffee and washing soda, along with a little vitamin C. Developing photos with this so-called "Caffenol" developing, produces pictures lovely, soft-contrast, black-and- ...more

Making fake scars, abrasions, lacerations, and other wounds is one of the most entertaining parts of special effects and makeup work. This video help you get started, teaching you how to make a really gross, festering, fresh-looking fake arm wound that will scare the pants off ...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

Film burn was really annoying all those years ago when we used to have actual film and it used to actually burn. Now its acquired chic status, and people want it to add it to their digital films. This video will teach you how to create film burn effects using the Adobe Premier ...more

There are a lot of ways to hurt people, and almost as many ways to make them look like they've been hurt without doing any damage. This video is about the latter. It will teach you how to create some really scary fake zombie flesh wounds, either for a Halloween costume or film ...more

Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to fake shooting a person with a gun for your homemade film. If you really want to make it look real, get the most real prop gun you can get, but don't use a real handgun. ...more

A light meter can prove to be an invaluable tool on any film set, allowing you to quickly and efficiently set lights and know the correct exposure values of those lights. Light meters were initially designed for still photographers and cinematographers can easily calibrate the ...more

Create and animate a stop motion LEGO brickfilm! Yes, that's right... you can make your very own animated brickfilm, but wait... what exactly is a brickfilm? Brickfilms are animated films using LEGO, Mega Bloks, or other plastic construction building block toys. Most are stop ...more

In this Film & Theater video tutorial you will learn how to make a documentary film step-by-step. The various steps involved in making a documentary are defining the documentary, stylizing the genre, shooting and finally editing. A documentary is a movie that documents reality ...more

Check out this video from Chemical Reaction Tutorials (CRTutorials). If you love filmmaking, prop making, editing and everything else that goes along with making movies, then you'll want to see what Adam has to say about axes. Adam explains how to create a simple axe film pro ...more

For various reasons — ranging from lens type to the frame rate to the storage medium —, footage shot with a camcorder doesn't really look anything like what one would see in a Hollywood film. However, with a little bit of work and a touch of post-production, you can make your ...more

Kevin Hnatiuk (the Digital Dad) shows you how to convert your old Super 8 film reels to DVD, easily at home. Knatiuk goes over how to get started, what you need, and what to expect when digitaizing your super 8mm movies.

Do you have old super 8, or 8mm film lying around? In this video, learn how to transfer that film to your computer without spending loads of cash. You Will Need: • A smooth, white wall or piece of white paper • A flat, raised surface or table • A super 8mm projector • A r ...more

Backyard FX shows how to build a real lightsaber. Erik Beck unearths the original lightsaber blueprints from the special effects creator for Star Wars, and show you how to buy parts to a real lightsaber so you can have your own custom Star Wars weapon. In the test film you'll ...more

Make a homemade airsoft machine gun with Kipkay! You will need a basic ball point pen, a film canister or medicine bottle, and an assortment of Airsoft pellets (6 mm size pellets work the best). You'll also need access to a drill, and a hot glue gun.

What makes a good movie good is that it is both aesthetically pleasing and has an interesting point/plot. This video runs you through how to make it visually effective, stressing how you frame and compose a shot. While the Rule of Thirds is forever a great way to make shots in ...more

Jennifer demonstrates an in car video camera techniques by showing different ways to shoot video from a moving vehicle.

It's not a dead cat on a pole, it's a boom microphone. The primary component is the boom pole, which is attached to the microphone. This sound and film making video tutorial will teach you to properly use a boom mic as well as support a boom pole.

Start with a Sony Handi-Cam (or any other camera that allows you to film using night vision) and then add in a special infrared filter and a little extra hardware. Now you can film completely in infrared and film in X-ray vision!

If you remember in the Hangover, there was an incredibly funny scene where the guys were stuck getting out of going to prison by helping the officers demonstrate a police tazer in front of a group of kids on a school field trip. If you've ever wanted to make your own prop poli ...more

CGI and live action shots get together in almost every big-budget Hollywood movie these days, but combining them in one shot can be challenging for the uninitiated. This video will teach you all about using CGI in live action films, including the use of 3D Studio Max, Blender, ...more

This video provides tips on better shooting at night for amateur film making.

Bring a little life to your films, or maybe a little "light". Watch this video to see how to make your own 400-watt video light for film or photography. You can make this video light with mere parts from the local hardware store, such as plastic paneling (which is cheap, easy ...more

Applying makeup for television and film hopes to reduce shine and oil and achieve a symmetrical, natural look for the face. Learn to apply makeup for television and film in this free cosmetics video with a movie makeup artist. Part 1 of 19 - How to Apply makeup for TV and film ...more

Make sure and watch this episode as we tackle another heavily requested effect... making someone look blown in half! Jam packed with cheap special effects, Frisbee fun, and a Test Film guest directed by Maniacal Rage!

Super heros' secret identities are their most guarded secrets. Many choose to protect them with masks, but how to make your mask if you're a new superhero or a filmmaker trying to simulate a super hero? This video will show you how to make your own cheap superhero mask at home ...more

Backyard FX show host Eric has an awesome new tutorial for all you aspiring film makers. He is going to teach you how to make your own fake glass bottles out of household products such as sugar, corn syrup and cream of tartar. This is generally for scenes where a glass bottle ...more

If you loved the look of the robot hand from the Terminator movies, or the look of Hell Boys hand of doom, then you probably really want to be able to have one in your movie! In this video you will learn how to make a robotic hand on a low budget with moveable fingers using so ...more

In this video from FiveSprockets we learn how to light an interior space while filming on a budget. For this you need two Chinese lanterns which he found for $2.95 each. You need 2 light bulbs which he found for $3.95 each. Make sure you get extra ones. Then get a couple of pa ...more

Your Canon 7D camera can film in video as well as take still photographs, however, the settings will be different. To get the best picture quality possible, here is how you can set up your camera's presets when filming in live action.

Branon presents a step-by-step tutorial on creating montages in Adobe Premiere.

In this video, learn how to process slow motion film from the Canon EOS 7D using Sony Vegas and After Effects. (This information is helpful for other cameras as well.) Create slow motion video from high speed film with help from this video.

Try out this science experiment... watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a simple rocket with film canisters. This is purely educational, and demonstrates the reaction of an Alka-Seltzer tablet, toilet paper, and water. If you don't have Alka-Seltzer, you can substitu ...more

In this how to video, you will learn how to remove 3M paint protection film, also known as a clear bra. This is used for protecting the front of a vehicle. To remove it, you will need to use a heat gun on the film so that it will peel off. This takes a while to remove, so be p ...more

Make your video look like a Hollywood film in 3 simple steps Everybody wants to shoot a video which a quality like a Hollywood film, here is a video which will solve your problem in three easy steps.First off all you have to go to "Project Video Properties" button and select ...more

This Final Cut Studio software tutorial shows you a trick on how to achieve The Film Look on your videos. You will need the climatic glow plug-in from River Rock Studios to create this soft film look effect in Final Cut Pro. The final small addition to the film look effect wil ...more

Continuing on with budget lighting, we explore using Fluorescent and LED lights, along with using available light, bouncing it with a reflector. These setups will work great for interviews, video casting, vlogging, and the likes. These lights use less power and also generate m ...more

Adam shows you how to make a hidden blade or hidden dart launcher for filmmakers on a low budget. No, it's not retractable. You'll need metal snips, super glue, scissors, an umbrella, and you guessed it - duct tape.

Just because you don't have money to blow doesn't mean you can't blow things up. If you're looking to add a Michael Bay quality explosion to your backyard film project, check out this Indy Mogul Backyard FX video. The total cost of everything you need to make this special effe ...more

Bruises may not be as gory or extreme as the gashes and slashes from some of the other fake-wound videos on the site, but they are an important part of the fake-injury world. I a brick falls on you, what you are going to have isn't a cut, but a very nasty bruise! This video wi ...more

This tutorial shows you how to take your architectural renderings in Adobe After Effects and give them a 35mm film look. Even better, this tutorial uses only the basic program - no plugins or extra add ons to worry about.