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How To: See through people's clothes with a video camera

This video tutorial teaches you how to see through clothes using a blank roll of film and any video camera that has night vision. You won't see people completely naked, but you can see undergarments and the "shape" beneath...If your imagination just isn't cutting it anymore, check out this how-to video and start getting a peak at people in a slightly less clothed state.

HowTo: Create a Six-Frame Animation with a Single Sheet of Paper

Pioneered by Rufus Butler Seder in his popular children's picture book Gallop!, and ably demonstrated by WonderHowTo favorite brusspup in the video below, "scanimation" refers to a novel (but distinctly old-timey) technique for cramming multi-frame animations onto a single sheet of paper by a process of superimposition and selective interference. Interested in creating your own scanimations? It's easier than you'd think. In the following clip, Paul Overton of Dude Craft presents a complete ov...

How To: Rainproof your camcorder

To rainproof your camcorder start by purchasing a lens hood for it. This lens hood helps to rainproof the camera lens but it also prevents flaring from the sun. Take a zip lock bag and cut the corner off of the bottom so that it creates a hole that is big enough for the lens hood to fit through. Put the camera in the bag and push the lens hood through the hole in the bottom of the bag. Take a rubber band and wrap it around the outside of the plastic bag just behind the lens hood to keep water...

How To: Make a fake cast

In this tutorial, we learn how to make a fake cast. You will need: thin cardboard, old sock, duct tape, white toilet paper, and paint. First, place the sock over your arm and then cut two holes on the front of the hand and the thumb. Then duct tape the cardboard around your hand and arm and fold the bottom of the sock on. Now make paste on the cardboard and start to layer on the toilet paper to the paste and cardboard. Next, use scissors to make a cut in the cast. Then make paste on the edges...

How To: Make a cheap DIY camera slider for your film

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-quality filmmaking tool that you can use to give your films some very professional-looking shots. Now get out there and follow that gurney with the camera!

How To: Make a Tommy Gun out of cardboard

This video begins by showing the necessary tools needed to make a prop tommy gun out of a cardboard base. The first step is to trace a simple handle shape on the cardboard and repeat eight more times until you have eight exact copies of the handle. Then using an image of a tommy gun make an outline on the gun to cut in another piece of cardboard. You must cut and make eight more copies of the entire gun body to have the appropriate thickness for realism. The handle must be glued to the gun bo...

News: Zoetrope + Bicycle Wheel = Cyclotrope

Kudos to student Tim Wheatley, who came up with this incredibly nifty DIY animation using a bicycle wheel, cardboard cut-outs, and wire to create a magical reinvention of the classic zoetrope, Earth's earliest form of animation (it first surfaced in China around 180 AD!). Simply give it a spin, and the animation comes to life. Inspired to make your own? First, learn the basic principles of the zoetrope here or here. Next, take a little advice from Tim to add the "cyclo" element:

How To: Make your own animated flip book

Why make a flip book? Because all animation – even stick-figure Flash animation and multilayered, highly technical 3-D effects – is built on, and can benefit from, the basics of the craft first developed by artists working at the beginning of the last century. And while fancy computer programs are nice, you can teach yourself these basics using nothing more than a pad of paper and a pen, and replay them over and over without any extra technology needed.

How To: Build your own ten foot long camera dolly track

Need some smooth pan shots for your indie film? How about a cool dolly zoom effect? Well, you don't need to be a professional filmmaker to use such a device, but you do need the money for the gear. But—if you can work your way around the workshop, you can probably build your own camera dolly and track just fine. And for under $100! This video shows you how to build your own DIY dolly and dolly track, and all you need are the parts listed below. Then you just need to learn the art of the dolly...

How To: Make a puppet with foam

Watch this two part video series on how to make your own puppet. This provides a great visual demonstration which will inspire you to make your own. Learn how to form the different body parts out of foam.

How To: Make an armature out of clay and foil for stopmotion

This video demonstration series shows the process of creating an armature for stop motion animation, claymation specifically, out of aluminum foil and polymer clay. Armatures need to be flexible to withstand the positioning and repositioning required to make stop motion animation, but still secure enough so that the material won't break. For this reason, a tin foil skeleton provides a sound structure to the clay armature. Watch this video animation tutorial and learn how to sculpt an armature...

How To: Change Your Voice from Male to Female

This sequence of instructional videos provides a near comprehensive lesson on how you can change your voice from that of a male to that of a female. This video series is aimed at aiding transgender individuals, but is also useful for people who want to learn to do really great voice exercises and impersonations.

How To: Make an easy, cheap green screen with no posterboard

In this video you learn how to make your own green screen for less than $15 in under an hour. The material for the screen is a green felt-like fabric that can be easily found at a local fabric store or Wal-Mart. The fabric itself is just over 1 yard in width and you will need to buy 2 sheets 3 yards in length for a total of 6 yards at a price of about $2.00 per yard. You will also need a way to join the sheets together. For this, the video recommends a tube of Heat'n'Bond fabric joiner which ...

How To: Make realistic looking prop swords

So you want to make a film, and in that film you want to have a sword, but you can't buy one, not to mention real ones are pretty dangerous. Your insurance costs will go through the roof! Well, here's you solution. Check out this helpful two-part video tutorial on how to make your own prop swords, which means less dangerous swords. Actually, they're made out of metal, so you still might just somebody with them yet.

How To: Light an interior space while filming on a budget

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 pan lights. They are day light and mood light. They were $7 and $5. You also need a multi colored gel pack which is $6.00. He uses C-stands to hold the lights up but he suggests coming up with other ways if you don't have ...

How To: Make DIY fog fluid for a fog machine

If you are an avid party-thrower, moviemaker, or are involved in some other activity that involved you frequently using fog machines, you're probably sick of paying for the fluid to make them work. No more! Watch this video for a guide to making your own cheap DIY fog machine juice / fluid at home.

How To: Make fake break bottles for a film effect

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 needs to be broken over an actor's head. This method is incredibly safe and won't cost very much to make either. Be sure to follow his tutorial closely because you may be forced to have to start over again if you skip a ...

How To: Build a fake wall that you can smash

This video will give you tips on how to make your very own fake wall that is perfect for smashing, thrashing, or just plain old throwing people through. This backyard special effect should really spice up your amateur film making. Just be careful, this fake wall can sometimes look like a real wall.

How To: Create a falling effect

Steve Nelson from Indy Mogul shows you how to create cool falling or jumping from a building effect. Use a combination of camera angeles, green screen, and editing to create this cool action effect for your films.

How To: Film realistic, bloody gun shots

In this tutorial, we learn how to film realistic and bloody gun shots. You will first need to gather up all the materials you need to make this happen. Once you have everything ready, set it all into place. Make sure you have the fake blood placed in the shirt where the person is pointing the gun, and also make sure you have a good actor. After this, use a firecracker to make the sound of a gunshot. As soon as this goes off and the person pulls the fake trigger, have the other person push on ...

How To: Turn an Old Aquarium into a Cloud Tank & Create Creepy Alien Atmosphere Effects

Need some creepy visual effects for your alien flick, but don't want to spend a bunch of money? With some pretty basic materials, you can turn an empty aquarium into a "cloud tank," which can be used to create several different atmospheric effects. Before Hollywood started using CGI, cloud tanks were used for scenes in a lot of famous movies. Remember this one? Besides Raiders of the Lost Ark, cloud tanks also helped make some wonderful non-CGI effects in Independence Day, Close Encounters of...

How To: Simulate a gun shot wound special effect

Watch this short tutorial on how to make a realistic bullet hit to simulate an actor getting shot by a gun. Materials needed include a pressure sprayer, clear tubing that will fit on to the hose of the pressure sprayer, a small Translucent PVC elbow, fake blood, duct tape, a funnel, a shirt you don't mind damaging.

How To: Make your own affordable underwater camera rig

Want to film underwater, but can't afford the expensive professional camera rig? This tutorial shows you how you can construct your own functional underwater camera rig for about sixty dollars. You will need: small ankle weights, threaded seal tape, waterproof sealant, Velcro, a rubber washer, a sheet of plexiglass, PVC pieces, metal ring clamps, hot glue and a dremel.

How To: Shoot and edit a cool dance effect

Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to shoot and edit a cool dance effect for your homemade film. You will see how to position the camera, set up the scene, shoot it twice (once with your legs dancing and once with you standing still), and then edit it in your favorite editing program to make it look like you're dancing without the top half of your body moving.

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