Hot Film & Theater How-Tos
How To: Light your video with three options
You've got a camera, you've got some shooting know-how, and your audio is sounding sweet. Now, what about lighting? This video shows you three options for lighting your film.
How To: Best light your webcam video
Anthony and Ian of Smosh, and Logitech, provide you with some simple tips on how to best light your webcam video shoot. Just don't get caught with your pants down...
How To: Make a professional looking web show for cheap
See how to make a low budget web show, like Pop17, seem like a grand thing. This is low budget basics including lighting, microphone and an HDV camera. You should also edit it in Final Cut Pro, because that's what Pop17 does.
How To: Make a hidden blade or dart launcher for your film
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.
How To: Make a spaceship for your very low budget film
Adam shows you how to make a spaceship for filmmakers on a low budget. You'll need a bunch of thermos bottles, paper cups, and a bunch of other stuff. Just watch, will ya?
How To: Make samurai armor and a ninja death star
Adam shows you how to make samurai armor and a ninja death star for filmmakers on a low budget. You'll need spray paint, cardboard, scissors, and masking tape.
How To: Make a stop motion person from junk
Adam shows you how to make a stop motion person for stop motion filmmakers on a low budget. You'll need small shoes, duct tape *(who would have guessed), white tack, metal wire, cardboard, and a little bit of clothes.
How To: Make an eye scanner and an ear piece for your film
Adam shows you how to make an eye scanner and an ear piece on a low budget, for your filmmaking, low or high budget. You'll need scissors, thick cardboard, glass lens, metal, metal snips, screwdriver, duct tape, and a remote control.
How To: Make a low budget samurai sword for your film
See how to make a Samurai Sword on a low budget. You'll need duct tape, cardboard, and silver spray paint. It's pretty simple, indeed.
How To: Make miniature moustache from recycled plastic
This week, Christine and Bre Pettis break it on down and show us how to use #6 plastic to create miniature mustaches! She's made a bunch of these in the past. They are awesome for people who need a moustache on the go.
How To: Use natural light in your video project
Lets keep this short: you can't control the sun, so it's best to adhere to (or slightly manipulate) it. The perk about natural, outdoor light is that it's free, and lights pretty well.
How To: Use voice-overs in your video project
Contrary to some screenwriting gurus, voice-over can be a handy narrative device. By speaking directly to the audience, rather than dramatizing, voice-over cuts through the running time. It can also cut down on resources. Just don't overdo it. Over-baked voice-overs sidestep drama, and leave little to interpretation. Imagine if everything were explained to you secondhand, rather than witnessing it yourself.
How To: Scout for locations, guerilla style
No, this isn't location scouting in the professional, industry term, where often paperwork and legal matters become involved. We mean it in the way that guerrilla filmmakers mean it.
How To: Use different camera shutter speeds for great effects
Ever notice the dreamy quality of a British sitcom? How about the "shellshock" look used in war movies? And we're all familiar with the look of an amateur home video, which can be...surreal. Believe it or not, these effects are created in the camera's shutter speed, and very rarely in post-production.
How To: Use camera angles for more than just a cool shot
Camera angles can be expressed in both physical and psychological terms. The first episode presents the physical angles: low-angle, high-angle, and dutch angle.
How To: Create the zero budget 3D Pulfrich effect
3D with one camera? With no computer manipulation? With one lens from some sunglasses? How is this possible? Pulfrich Time Parallax, my friends...
How To: Create a zero budget sci-fi laser gun
Here's how to make a cool laser gun using some household junk and silver spray paint. It's a Sprite bottle, by the way. It's best if it's empty too. Really.
How To: Create zero budget vomit effects in After Effects
Ben and Paul show how easy and effective it is to cook up some great vomit effects using a strip of blue photographer's paper and a tin of pumpkin. Oh, and Adobe After Effects.
How To: Put product placement in your zero budget film
A few tips on how to attract major sponsorship for your zero budget film - and what tactics to avoid...
How To: Create zero budget horror sound effects
Ben and Paul show how the addition of horror sound effects can make an otherwise normal scene utterly creepy...
How To: Find zero budget locations for your film
Every good film needs some good locations, but what are you supposed to do if you don't have the money or time to get some good places to shoot? Do it guerilla style!
How To: Create zero budget gore special effects
Want to stick a load of blood and guts in your film? Don't have a lot of money? No problem! Just go to your local butcher shop.
How To: Create a zero budget sound dubbing studio
Too many zero budget films suffer from poor sound quality, so here's a way to dub your films on the cheap, with a studio-in-a-box! You're voice-overs will shine like no other.
How To: Create anaglyph 3D with two cameras and After Effects
Ben Slotover and Paul Elliott, aka Blunt Productions, shows how to make your own cheap 3D film. You'll need a straight flash bracket, two camera mounting screws, and of course - two cameras. Then use Adobe After Effects to merge the two videos together so you can get out those 3D glasses and enjoy.
How To: Make a video carousel from a BBQ rotisserie
Want to video something and show all of it? This shows how to make a video carousel from a BBQ rotisserie.
How To: Use a 16mm Bolex camera
Watch this video series for a tutorial on using the various features of the Bolex 16mm camera. Part 1 of 6 - How to Use a 16mm Bolex camera.
How To: Break down cartoon construction with JohnK
JohnK (creator of Ren and Stimpy) explains cartoon contstruction and how to learn from other people's art.
How To: Cry on cue
Crying on stage, crying at films, crying at funerals. All can be tricky if you aren't genuinely sad and emotional. Fake crying though could be your answer. Tears can be produced with lots of techniques, from onions, to Stanislavkian theory. Learn how to cry on cue, and you could be earning plenty of brownie points for your display of emotion. Cry on cue.
How To: Film in low light situations using the Canon HV20
The so-called 'photo button trick' can help you get the exposure right, when you film in low light situations / total darkness. The tutorial was made for the Canon HV20 but works for the HG10 as well (they share menu / software).
How To: Record great sound with you digital camera
Bre Pettis explains and shows you different microphones and lets you listen to them too. From lavelier mics to shotgun mics, you'll learn the tips to get the best sound you can.
How To: Use editing transitions for your low budget film
Xander and Calvin go over some basic editing transitions here. They primarily feature THE CUT and THE DISSOLVE and explain why they're they best "storytelling transitions".
How To: Organize footage for editing with help from Sean Astin
Sean Astin hosts AFI's filmmaking tutorial series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDUCATION! In this segment, we explore the importance of organizing for the editing process and how to import your footage to a computer.
How To: Storyboard your script with help from Sean Astin
Sean Astin hosts AFI's filmmaking tutorial series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDUCATION! In this segment, we explore the importance and how-to of storyboarding your film or video.
How To: Pitch your film with help from Sean Astin
Sean Astin hosts AFI's filmmaking tutorial series, LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDUCATION! Here, we explore "The Pitch" or presenting your ideas for your film script.
How To: Create better lighting for your film project
Xander and Calvin give some helpful tips on how to light your films and videos! You can use common household lamps or ones at the hardware store. Remember, safety, get some workgloves.
How To: Capture better sound for your film projects
Xander and Calvin go over some ways to help get great sound for your films and videos! This is a great short video with some great tips for making the best sound possible for your low budget, indie film.
How To: Set up basic lighting for your film
In this episode, Peter and I talk about Lighting. We go over the different types of light and show examples of each.
How To: Use basic composition in a single camera setup
This episode of Take Zer0 discusses the differences between the multi-camera format used in television, and the single-camera setup most often used in film production. Since it's likely that indie filmmakers have access to only one camera, we will explain and offer examples of how to efficiently shoot multiple takes with one camera to convey a single action.
How To: Describe action in a film script
How To Describe Action In A Film Script: This video provides you with the screenwriting basics to getting action down on paper. VideoJug shows you these tips which will send you on your way to Hollywood, so learn how to describe action in a film script with us. Describe action in a film script.
How To: Format dialogue in a film script
How To Format Dialogue In A Film Script: Writing a good script is one thing - but writing a professional-looking script is another. However good your ideas are, you'll never make it to Hollywood unless you master the basics of formatting and laying out your dialogue properly. Watch this VideoJug film for our handy guide to the basics or formatting dialogue in a film script. Format dialogue in a film script.