Hot Film & Theater Posts
How To: Shoot in extreme weather and rain
You need a rain barney among other items before you go out there and record the world's end. Shooting in extreme weather conditions? Heavy rain or snow and high winds can pose quite the obstacle, but with a little bit of foresight, a few tips from Matt, and the right equipment, such as a rain barney and woolie, your show will go on!
How To: Make a underwater video housing
Make a underwater video housing for less than $20.
News: The Eliot Spitzer Memorial How-To: Part II
Duhhhh. How to disguise that Spitzer face. Hell. Spitzer used an alias of a hedge fund buddy George Fox. Eliot should have gone one logical step further. Make a compelling disguise.
How To: Establish the main character and the inciting incident
Watch this video to learn about screen writing and story structure in order to make your own movie. The "Inciting Incident" is explained— the moment in the first act that propels the rest of the story into motion. As an introduction into creative storytelling: Don't ever allow the inciting incident to be boring.
How To: Install a vario-switar 16-100m lens battery
Watch this video to learn how to change the power zoom battery in this legendary Bolex camera lens.
How To: Shoot day for night and night for day for movie making
The sun can change positions during a shoot. It's pretty annoying. But don't worry, you can shoot at night and make it look like daylight, as well as shoot during the day and making it look like night. Here are some helpful tips.
How To: Make a puppet from stuffed toys
Watch this video to learn how to make puppets from stuffed toys. In this video, Barbara Dewey converts Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny and several others into ventriloquist figures. Barbara also gives some tips for caring for your puppets and some ideas for modifying them. Stay tuned for the amazing performance in the last video of this three part video series!
How To: Make eyes for clay animation puppets
This tutorial teaches you how to modify delrin balls using a pin vice and 1mm drill bits. The end result is a really nice set of eyes that you can insert in your clay puppet for animation.
How To: Make a simple wire armature for a stop motion puppet
Watch this great stop motion animation tutorial to learn how to make a wire armature for a stop motion puppet. Also, learn some tips on adding clay to the armature and animating the puppet.
How To: Create a zero budget plank camera
We love these guys because they do it for the love of it. How can you get those smooth tracking shots that glide over obstacles without track, steadycam, jib or all those other expensive pieces of equipment? Find a plank!
How To: Storyboard your movie on the cheap
Ben and Paul demonstrate the important process of storyboarding as a tool to plan your film.
How To: Build a camera jib crane
In this DIY video, we show you how we built our camera crane. This was all done with a table saw, drill and hack saw.
How To: Use a computer for zero budget special effects
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!
How To: Shoot Kung Fu fighting scenes backwards for SFX
Ben and Paul demonstrate the power of backwards running video when shooting a Kung Fu fight scene.
How To: Build a radio controlled camera pod
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.
How To: Storyboard when making a movie
Storyboards are like blueprints for your movies. And the bigger your production, the more important they become. Making a movie without a storyboard is like throwing your money into a bottomless pit. Watch this video and learn how to make your own storyboards!
How To: Make a massive chest hole special effect
What do you do when you need a "Hole in the Chest" effect? DUH! Build a "GORE BOX"....obviously!!!! I never thought I'd see the day when we'd need something called a "Gore Box" for an effect, but...what else would you expect for a "Hole in the Chest" effect?
How To: Create a scifi space helmet
Make a space helmet for less then $20! Check out the Make a space suit video to make the matching suit.
How To: Make a space suit
Are you planning on making your own version of Star Trek, but don't have the kind of money J. J. Abrams has? Don't worry. Indy Mogul shows you how to make a futuristic space suit for less then $50 dollars. Plus special guest Rudy Jahchan of Galacticast!
How To: Make a blood filled fake hand
For less then $35 Indy Mogul shows you how to make a realistic hand you can chop in half! Make an awesome bloody hand- great for a movie prop!
How To: Build a Snow Machine
Global warming gotcha down? Worry no more! Learn how to make a SNOW MACHINE!!!! Woohoo. Most of the ingredients are junk you can find around the house.
How To: Make your own puppet
Watch this visual demonstration to learn how to make your own puppet. Make your own puppet.
How To: Paint rubber on skin to make fake scars and wounds
Watch this video to learn how to use Skin Tite™ silicone rubber to make fake scars and wounds right on the skin. These are very detailed instructions. This is great for special effects or Halloween!
How To: Make a rubber mask with Slacker Tactile Mutator
Watch this video to learn how to use Slacker Tactile Mutator to soften or deaden platinum silicone rubber for a more lifelike feel in special effects makeup. This is a great technique for making props for movies or for a Halloween costume.
How To: Airbrush on rubber for special effects and props
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.
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 a 3D stop motion animation figure
Watch this video to learn how to make a 3D stop motion animation using playdoh and a wire armature. You must have some knowledge of stop motion animation and Movie Maker software to make an animation. This is easy to do and just takes some creativity.
How To: Make a simple stop motion animation using a drawing
Watch this video to learn how to make a simple stop motion animation using a drawing of a knight. It took approximately 90 minutes to make. Use your own drawing to make a stop motion animation movie!
How To: create animation by hand
One great, award winning How-to. Produced 20 year ago. You might have observed that on Sundays we tend to slow down the pace. Which is to say that we enjoy offering a leisurely How-to on the Lord's holy day. Be patient, Tonto: the subtitling is primitive: and the running time is as long as it needs to be: and yes, it was produced before the frenetic era of the internet.
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: Make a wire armature for a stop motion puppet
Learn how to make a stop motion armature with end nuts and 20 gauge wire.
How To: Make a puppet theater
Barbara Dewey demonstrates how to make your own puppet theater in this four part video series. Part 1 of 4 - How to Make a puppet theater.
How To: Make soft sculpture puppets and ventriloquist figures
In this four part video series, Barbara Dewey teaches viewers how to make soft-sculpture puppets and ventriloquist figures. Email her for free patterns.
How To: Make cloth and foam puppets and ventriloquist figures
In this four part video series, Barbara Dewey teaches viewers how to make cloth and foam puppets and ventriloquist figures. Email her for free patterns.
How To: Make a hand held jib
How to build a hand held jib out of easily obtained materials from a building supply store to make more interesting videos.
How To: Do different types of traditional hand animation
This film was awarded the Green Ribbon in Itami Film Festival, 1993. Learn how various techniques of animation work and see some amazing examples- including an animated pin up girl! The film is in Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.
How To: Create force jump effects for your movies
How to make Jedi force jump effects as seen in the Star Wars movies for your own films using Effects Lab and Windows Movie Maker.
How To: make yourself a frickin' (green screen) giant
We have long admired the imaginative energy of IndyMogul. A new generation of filmmakers empowered by affordable filmmaking technology and free distribution.
How To: Record sound effects for a movie
This tutorial explains how to record sound effects for a movie you are making.
How To: Do stop motion animation with the right equipment
This video shows you how to do stop motion animation and what equipment is required.