Hot Film & Theater How-Tos — Page 3 of 35 « Film & Theater

How To: Create a hole in the chest special effect with green screen and gore

Indy Mogul Backyard FX is here with an awesome, cheap, special effect build that will have your audience jumping out of their seats. If you're a filmmaker on a budget you've got to watch this video and learn how to make a hole in the chest effect that look exactly like there is a hole in the actor's chest.

How To: Create a ground explosion SFX for your film on a tight budget

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 effect is less than one hundred dollars.

How To: Build a Pirates of the Caribbean inspired prop sword for thirty dollars

Yar! If swashbucklin adventure be yer fancy, check out this awesome Indy Mogul Backyard FX video to learn how to build a Pirates of the Caribbean style sword prop out of foam. This video explains what materials you need and what tools you'll use.

How To: Build a Tommy Gun prop on a budget

If you're looking to give your Mafia movie a real, authentic, look, but don't have a ton of cash check out this great Indy Mogul Backyard FX video to learn how to build a Tommy Gun. It may not fire bullets, but this fifty dollar prop packs some real punch.

How To: Build awesome Sci-Fi armor for less than one hundred dollars

Looking to create the look of a blockbuster Sci-Fi epic, for the price of a student film? This Indy Mogul Backyard FX video will show you how to build incredible looking science fiction armor out of foam for about eighty dollars. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully and be patient.

How To: Build a Mole Man makeup for 30 dollars

Check out this great episode of Indy Mogul's Backyard FX where you'll learn how to build a Mole Man makeup appliance on a budget. For less than thirty dollars you can create a shockingly realistic, and creepy, Mole Man latex appliance.

How To: Make your own stop motion animation

You don't need a ten-figure budget to make a great movie! With nothing more than iMovie, a camera, and your imagination you can make a stop motion animation. With stop motion, you can bring anything to life. This is a really fun project for aspiring directors of all ages.

How To: Apply a prosethetic appliance to create a zombie or werewolf attack effect

Are you working on a zombie movie and need to step your gore up? Or do you just want to scare your friends with an ultra-realistic halloween costume? Check out this video that shows you how to apply a prosthetic.

How To: Make a fake pregnancy belly prop on a budget

If you're a filmmaker on a budget and you've got some farce up your sleeve, this video is for you. Watch Indy Mogul's Backyard FX explain how to build a really realistic looking latex pregnancy belly, so that your romantic comedy can grow!

How To: Make a simple low budget camera mount for film

If you are interested in low-budget filmmaking, this video will show you a clever way to construct a camera mount. Instead of spending money on a tripod or camera mount, pick up a few materials from a hardware store and make your own.

How To: Make a fake tree for a play

Well it's time to put on the school play! This year, the school's going to put on Chekov's "The Cherry Tree". Only problem? You have no tree. Well, this helpful how to will guide you through the steps to make a light, portable tree that will turn your school play on its head.

How To: Make Splinter Cell Goggles

These goggles are great for a stage prop, cosplay, Halloween, or any videos you may make! They're made to look like Sam Fisher's tridents from the game series Splinter Cell.

How To: Be Amazing at Improv Acting

Have you ever seen Whose Line Is It Anyway? Many people enjoy watching this show, where they can see people do comedy off the top of their heads. There's no prior thought involved and it can be a lot of fun to participate in.

How To: Turn a tripod into a free body mounted camera rig

Start with a basic tripod, and then follow this DiY tutorial which shows you how to construct a body mounted camera rig. Why spend hundreds of dollars on one, when it's so easy to just construct one for yourself at home?

How To: Make a monster out of foam latex for stop motion filming

This tutorial shows you how to create your own monster, from start to finish, out of foam latex. You can use this as a prop in your movie by using stop motion techniques. Get your inspiration for the monster from anywhere!

How To: Edit clips into movies as a newcomer to digital video

Learn the basics of video editing in this funny and informative clip from Vimeo's excellent Video 101 series of tutorials. This video provides a handy overview of the steps involved in editing video, including transferrring footage, organizing clips into video bins, editing using the timeline, trimming the footage & using transitions, saving frequently, and exporting videos to be viewed on various sites with various compression settings.

How To: Shoot like a pro as a newcomer to digital video

Learn the basics of shooting videos in this video. This funny and informative video from Vimeo's excellent Video 101 series of tutorials demonstrates the importance of things like always carrying extra batteries, holding on to the subject for at least 5 seconds, using the rule of thirds to compose the shots, and planning the shots ahead of time.

How To: Replicate some props from the video game hit Fallout

If you're a fan of the hit video game Fallout, you may want to check out this how-to video which gives an overview of building several different props from the game. Check it out and see if you can get your Pip-Boy 3000 up and running. No mutants allowed!

How To: Construct a realistic light saber prop from Star Wars

What more to say? It's a light saber! You will need need 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe, a dremel, a drill, a hot glue gun, a riveter, some rivets, a 12 inch metal pipe, a brass nut, a beveled rubber washer, a one inch thumb screw, a rubber door sealer and some hardware. Construct a realistic light saber prop from Star Wars.

How To: Apply face prosthetics to make yourself look like a zombie

Who doesn't like zombies? This tutorial shows you how to get the ripped face prosthetic from Nimba Creations, and how to apply it. This is a fairly pricey prosthetic, so make sure that you get your money's worth by making it look as awesome as possible!

How To: Create an effective candle lit scene in your movie

If you're trying to film a romantic dinner, you'll want the setting to seem dim and candle lit - but you'll still want the lighting quality of the film to be good. Here's how you can shoot an effective dimly lit scene.

How To: Make a microphone boom at home

You can make an inexpensive and effective microphone boom pole just by using a extensible paint roller handle. Add a few modifications (all you'll need is a few pieces of basic hardware), and you will have your own DiY microphone boom.

How To: Set up an efficient workflow system for processing your digital footage

This tutorial shows you how to improve your digital asset management. Once you have recorded your digital audio and video footage, you'll want to import it and edit it as efficiently and quickly as possible. This video shows you the most efficient workflow set up to use.

How To: Use a Superclamp and articulated arm for camera support

This system won't replace the need for a tripod entirely, but it's a great way to use both a superclamp and an articulated arm to give you a little extra camera support if you can't use a tripod for a particular shot.

How To: Set up the lighting and camera angles for a music video shot

This tutorial shows you how to set up a very stylized shot that's ideal for shooting music videos. Choose and set up the right kinds of lighting setups, and then make sure you get just the right camera angle for your project.

HowTo: Make Your Own Tron Suit

We all love Tron. The more Tron the better. We learned how to make a Tron suit with the help of Adafruit, but here's a new rendition that substitutes the electroluminescent wire for LEDs. Instructables member sheetmetalalchemist says the LEDs are brighter, sturdier and lighter.

How To: Design your shot setup to make it look more like film

The equipment only does about half the work when it comes to making your shot really stand out - the other half is setting up your shot just so. This is a quick video that gives you some good tips for making your shot look amazing, no matter what you're filming with.

How To: Make and use your own ring lights for music videos

This tutorial shows you one important lighting fixture for filming music videos - the ring light. Make your own ring light, and then learn how you can use it to greatest effect when you're filming your next music vidoe or indie project.

How To: Troubleshoot your Arriflex S camera

Will your camera refuse to run? Is your viewfinder just one blank screen? This video takes some common problems users might experience when trying to film with the Arriflex S camera, and shows you some easy and quick solutions for all of them.

How To: Load the Arriflex S 16mm camera properly

The Arriflex S is a high grade, professional quality 16mm camera. It can shoot steady, consistent film footage. This tutorial shows you how to properly load your film into the camera and a few other tips for getting the most out of your equipment.

How To: Make an effective treatment for your documentary film

An effective treatment is your first step to getting a job and funding for your documentary. This is a written document used to describe your film and why you want to make it. This video gives you some good tips on how to make an effective treatment for your project.

How To: Create a one light set up for fashion and beauty shots

This set up will show you how to use just one light to create a setting that's ideal for cosmetic, fashion and beauty shots. Great for a photographer who only has so much money to spend on studio equipment and accessories.

How To: Quickly and easily clean a focusing screen

If your focusing screen gets too dirty, the quality of your picture will suffer. This tutorial shows you a quick demonstration on how you can quickly and easily clean your focusing screen without cleaning it. Watch out for static charge!

How To: Set up a low budget lighting system for filming a documentary or interview

Low budger project? NO budget project? Lighting is a key part of any film, so you don't want to skimp on it. This tutorial shows you how to set up some inexpensive lighting systems when you're filming a documentary or interview.

How To: Make an easy and inexpensive DiY camera dolly out of PVC pipe

This is an easy and simple dolly you can make with just a few lengths of PVC pipe and some wheels taken from a pair of Rollerblades. You'll also need a few pieces of hardware to attach it, like screws.

How To: Create a stabilizer for a point and shoot handheld camera

Even a small point and shoot camera has it's strong points, but being able to get a steady shot with one can be challenging. This tutorial shows you how to create your own DiY stabilizer for a small handheld camera.

How To: Make a cheap body harness out of a camera stabilizer

Start with a Targus Monopod, and then follow along with this tutorial to create a BodyPod - a body harness that will let you 'wear' your camera. This modification costs less than fifteen dollars, and lets you cut down on the gear you'll need when filming.