Active Film & Theater Posts
How To: Use the screenwriting index cards pyramid trick to outline a screenplay
Screenwriting isn't as easy as it seems, and many screenwriters can't make it past the second act of the screenplay. It's called writer's block, and one reason many writers fall victim to this is because of a poorly outlines idea. The only way to make sure you get a completed first draft of your script is to properly outline the whole storyline.
How To: Use 3 point lighting for professional studio lighting
Three point lighting can be used to achieve professional studio results. For this, you will need: a key light, a fill light, and a backlight.
How To: Shoot deceptive & multiple camera angles
This video tutorial is in the Film & Theater category which will show you how to shoot deceptive and multiple camera angles. Camera and shooting techniques can add to the magic of your videos along with some simple special effects. One of the techniques is called the Zolly. It adds drama by creating a disorienting visual effect to the viewer. By zooming out a camera while using a dolly to move in, the subject stands out as separated from the background and appears to be floating towards the c...
News: 8-Bit Trip With Two Swedish Ninja Retards
Daniel Larsson and Tomas Redigh are the Swedish band Rymdreglage, otherwise known as two "retard ninjas". Their music video 8-Bit Trip pays ultimate nerd tribute to both LEGOs and old 8-bit video games (and ninjas).
How To: Make video clips into animated gifs
In this video, we learn how to make video clips into animated gifts. First, open Windows Movie maker and import a video file. Now, shorten the video to four seconds or less and save it. Now, go to the website gif ninja. Once on this site, you will see a section that says "tools", then click the button to convert your image to GIF. Once on this, you can browse and upload the file that you just created. Next, click "make my gif!" and a status bar will load on the bottom. When this is done loadi...
How To: Make a claymation puppet
In order to make a claymation puppet, you will need the following: clay in various colors and pipe cleaners. You will need to choose clay colors for clothing and skin and eye and facial features. If you want hats or accessories, you would need to keep that in mind.
How To: Use umbrella lights to create a glamorous music video look for your films
Umbrella lights are the surest sign of a photo shoot in progress, and allow you to create all sorts of clean well-lit looks for photographing people especially. This video will show you how to use them in film to create a glamorous look often used in music videos.
How To: Make a realistic Star Wars lightsaber
This video show how to make a realistic looking Star Wars Lightsaber for costumes and props from materials found at any hardware store.
How To: Impersonate Christopher Walken
One of my longest videos to date, but well worth it if you have half an hour to kill. This is to thank you all for putting up with me until now what with the voices and poetry and secrecy of my real voice and all.
How To: Perform your own one-man show
Talent show or theater audition coming up? Want to improve your street performance techniques? Looking to impress your friends and family by performing alone? A one-man show might be intimidating, but putting on a good performance isn't that hard!
How To: Reproduce Freddy Krueger's famous glove from 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'
It's not a complete Freddy Krueger costume without his famous glove! Learn how to make the famous glove from Nightmare on Elm Street to terrify your friends at the next Halloween party.
How To: Properly use a green screen
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!
How To: Convert a car LCD screen into a portable video monitor
When you're shooting a film, being able to see what you're shooting well and adjust on the fly is crucial. With the tiny screen on most cheap cameras, this is kind of a crapshoot. This video will show you a cheap way to solve this problem: converting a car $50 car LCD screen into a portable video monitor that you can attach to your camera and run off of batteries on set. The screen is probably bigger and nicer than the one on your camera, and will improve the quality and productivity of your ...
How To: Boffer sword fight, after learning about boffers
Okay, you're ready to go out and kick some serious ass with you boffer? But wait... you don't even know what a boffer is?
How To: Pitch a Reality Show Idea to a Network Executive
This how-to is aimed at the uncynical, bright-eyed outsider who wants to become a television producer…the talented person who believes he or she has the ‘it’ to crack Hollywood. The ‘Sammy’ who just arrived in 90210.
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: Build a professional DIY camera slider for smooth video
If you know what a cam slider is, you know you want one. But camera sliders can be pretty pricey, so that's when it's time to resort to DIY techniques. In this video, see how to build your own pro-slider. It's super easy and only takes ten minutes to make!
How To: Build a DIY wooden dolly platform for smooth camera shots on PVC tracks
When it comes to filmmaking, especially cinematography, indie filmmakers need to acquire a DIY sensibility in order to get their films made, because film equipment is nowhere near cheap. But DIY is.
Make edible prop bodily fluids: poop, vomit, snot, and blood
The human body is full of different kinds of fluids, most of which are either gross or dangerous to remove from a person for use in one of your films. Fortunately, most of them are pretty easy to replicate using household materials. This video will show you how to make edible prop fake blood, feces, vomit, and snot. They all look great, are safe, and will make you movie much more realistic.
News: Did Inception Rip Off a Scrooge McDuck Comic?
You tell us. It's quite possible Christopher Nolan locked The Dream of a Lifetime into his memory bank, not knowing years later it would subconsciously shape Inception:
How To: Do face painting for teenagers and adults
In this video, we learn how to do face painting for teenagers and adults. First, you want to use a fine brush to create the lines on the side of your face. After this, you want to use a brush with purple to create a flower on the opposite eye. Next, use a size two brush to make a swirl next to a looped upward purple design. Continue to add on more paint marks to the face, making fine details that join together. This is a great look because you can be as creative as you would like! When finish...
How To: Make a Freddie Krueger glove
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a Freddie Krueger glove. You will need: a saw, sandpaper, silver spray paint, black paint, brown paint, old glove, tin from a can, plexi glass, shiny cardboard, and a hot glue gun. Start off by using your paper roll to cut off a strip of it that will start on the joints of your hands, then cut this in half. After this, make a cut in the top of it and on the sides of it. Do this again for the four fingers, then wrap it around the glove fingers. After this...
How To: Apply mime and clown make up
In this video, we learn how to apply mime and clown makeup. To start, outline your face in a mask shape. When you are done with this, apply white paint to the face until it's on thick and you can't see your skin color any longer. If you make mistakes, use a q-tip to clean up, then run it around the edges to make it a clean line. After this, use a q-tip to remove some paint from the eyebrows. Now, take black paint and paint it onto where the eyebrows are at. When you're done with this paint th...
How To: Make an DIY Aliens power loader prop for cheap
The Alien movies, most notably Alien and Aliens, are icons of sci-fi horror, and one of their most well-known elements is the awesome power loader that Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley used to tear the aliens apart. This video will show you how to make your own prop replica of the power loader at home for cheap, so that you can destroy aliens in your own films or maybe pretend to maul some party guests.
How To: Make fake blood for Halloween
In this video, we learn how to make fake blood for Halloween. You will need: small bottle, teaspoon, cut, clear syrup, red and blue food coloring, and corn starch. First, pour some syrup into the cup, then add in 2 tsp corn starch and mix together. Next, drop in some red food coloring and mix together. After this, add in blue food coloring and mix it together so you have blood red colors in the cut. When you are finished, you will have fake blood that you can use on Halloween at home and it w...
News: Death by Psychedelic Flowers
My favorite kind of violence: flower bullets and drops of petal blood. The bad guys encroach on the scene in a hippie VW bus, and flower bedlam ensues...
How To: Choose a prop gun for your indie film
One of the long-standing problems of guerilla and indie filmmakers is the quest for exactly what kind of prop gun to use in their films. To help guide you through this quest, Mat Nastos takes a look at all of the options open to filmmakers, including blank firing guns, Airsoft guns, Japanese Model Guns, Real Action Markers and even firing blank loads with real guns. Check out this instructional prop video to learn how to choose a prop gun that's right for your film.
How To: Create a man-eating plant and a severed finger props
This video will teach you how to make two awesome props for you films for the price of one! Well, technically it's all free, but still, 2 for 1! You will learn how to make man-eating plant and a severed finger props, with instructions given by devoted viewers of Indy Mogul like you. All you need to make this stuff work is $35 for each project.
How To: Make eyes for clay animation puppets
In this tutorial, we learn how to make eyes for clay animation puppets. First, drill a hole inside of a block of wood, then insert a bull so it fits snug inside of the hole. After you have done this, use a drill to make a hole that goes half way down through the pupil. Now, use paint to fill in the hole where the pupil would be at. Push the balls into clay to hold them in place while painting. Make sure the dots you have on both eyes are even. When finished, paint a black circle around them, ...
How To: Type in Japanese in Vista or XP w/ an English keyboard
In this video, we learn how to type in Japanese while using Vista or XP with an English keyboard. First, go to your control panel from the start menu. Next, click "clock language and region". After this, click on the button to change keyboards, then click on "add". Now, select "Japanese" and then click "ok". Now, on the bottom right of the screen, click to turn on the Japanese typing. Click this again if you want to change back to English. This is a great tool to use if you need to type in mu...
How To: Memorize lines by identifying the root of a scene
In this tutorial, we learn how to memorize lines by identifying the root of a scene. First, know the way you work as an actor and know the other people you are around. Next, know what the material is and what the scene is about. If you are familiar with what you are talking about, you are going to be more engaged, rather than just memorizing a line. Another trick is to write your lines over and over, so your brain will understand what you have to learn. Also, make sure you say your lines out ...
How To: Set up and light an inexpensive green screen
In this tutorial, we learn how to set up and light an inexpensive green screen. First, use the backdrop with anything that is a lime green color. You can use anything from a green colored wall to a green blanket. Put one light on both sides of the screen, then place blue color over the lights. Place the camera in front of the green screen and look at the lighting to make sure the lighting is right in the area. When you are ready, use software to change the background to different places. When...
How To: Simulate a shotgun kickback effect
In this tutorial we learn how to simulate a shotgun kickback effect. Start off by purchasing a harness from a department store. Next, take the harness and strap it onto the actor. After this, have the actor put his shirt on and then cut a hole in the back for the hook in the back of the harness. Now, have the actor bend slightly forward, then pull in the actor quickly. Next, have another actor kick or hit something where the other actor would be standing. Combine both of these clips together ...
How To: Make a sniper rifle movie prop
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a sniper rifle movie prop. First, go to this website to get the blueprints: Sniper. After this, draw your gun out onto a poster board and cut it out, you will do this for around 6 of these poster boards. When you are finished, use the hot glue gun to stick all of these together. Next, sand out the sides and attach duct tape to the sides to keep it together. After this, grab two empty water bottles and an empty toilet paper roll. Cut around the top of the...
How To: Improve your cinematography lighting
In this tutorial, we learn how to improve cinematography lighting. The first style is used in music videos and some film. The second is a very naturalistic lighting that is showing real world lighting. The last type is minimal, where you are using natural light only. Turning on lights can make a big difference between using normal lights that are inside. Play with the exposure of the shot to try to get the right balance. Move the light around to find the best angle, then you will be able to f...
How To: Build a light diffuser to improve your film lighting
This video tutorial belongs to the Film & Theater category which is going to show you how to build a light diffuser to improve your film lighting. Joe Richardson explains how to do this. You will need four pieces of pine wood 1" x 2" x 8 feet long, framing nails, duct tape and light cloth material. Cut the wood at the edges at a 45 degree angle and lay them out on ground to make the frame and hammer in the framing nails. Now spread the cloth over the frame and start stapling it. Pull the clot...
How To: Make chroma key blood and a golden Desert Eagle
For the first part, make chroma key blood: Ingredients: glue, flour, mix with water like papier mache, three drops of green and two drops of yellow food color. This combination gives more of a fluorescent chroma key look.
How To: Create a Codex avatar costume
In this tutorial, we learn how to create a Codex avatar costume. First, find a long white lace dress for the base of the costume. After this, mark the length you want, then cut the seam and sew on the end to avoid any frays. After this, use remaining lace to make a piece of fabric that you can bedazzle and add gold ribbon to. Apply cuffs to the dress, then wrap a red corset around the top of the dress on your waist. After this, make a necklace that has red jewels in the middle of it and wear ...
How To: Make a grappling hook gun prop like Batman's
Superman and the X-Men all had really cool superpowers that were the basis for their superhero status. Batman, on the other hand, had no superpowers other than a genius intellect and a prizefighter's physique. When he wanted to fly, he had to use a grappling gun he made himself. Livid. This video will show you how to make a prop version of the iconic Batman grappling hook gun for you next film using $30 worth of parts and a little bit of gumption.
How To: Make a rotating video camera pan mount with a clock
Imagine your own time-lapsed footage in a 360 degree pan. You don't need an expensive Hollywood-style pan mount to get this effect. You can easily do this rotating pan mount on the cheap, with something you would never suspect— a kitchen timer.