Hot Cinematography How-Tos

How To: Make a Lightweight Body-Mount Rig for Filming Unique Front & OTS Shots

Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out, according to director Martin Scorsese, who asserted that when describing his life's work. Getting the perfect shot can turn an otherwise ordinary scene into something great, both on and off screen.

How To: Make a home made glidetrack at home using a curtain rod

This is a great DiY idea for the indie or home film maker. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a glidetrack, when you can make your own at home for less than twenty dollars. Turn a pair of curtain rods into your new camera glidetrack.

How To: Build a 3D camera rig for recording and shooting 3D videos and films

This guide goes over the basics of 3D video recording and the mechanics behind it before delving into something a little more specific. The host discusses how to build a rig that allows for adjustments to be easily made to the interaxial distance and convergence of the two cameras.

How To: Use a piece of developed film and a camera to see through clothes

The ability to see through clothing has been pursued by voyeurs for millenia, and today with the help of cheap video cameras we are closer than ever. This video will show you how to use a piece of blank developed film and IR to see through different types of shirts and other clothing. It also covers the effects of different colors and fabrics on the technique's effectiveness.

How To: Build a DIY wooden camera dolly with PVC railing system

If you need a dolly for your movie masterpiece, you don't need to go with a professional dolly system. You can save that money for your expensive actors and actresses by building your own DIY camera dolly on the cheap. You'll need some nuts and bolts, PVC pipes, scrap wood, drill bits and a drill, inline wheels and a hammer. This homemade camera dolly will cost you around 65 bucks.

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: Use an external monitor with a camcorder

In this video from lunawebs we learn how to use an external monitor with a camcorder. The best way is to use an HDTV and use your HDMI output on the TV. The sound can also come through the monitor if you have a headphone port on the monitor. If you want to go outdoors, it will be more of a challenge. If you do not have an HDMI out on your camera, there is a component you can use. Composite AV outs are cheaper when it comes to monitors and camcorders. If you have a composite monitor, assign th...

How To: Change lenses on a camcorder

Make sure you have the appropriate lens for your digital camera. Look for markers on the lens that correspond with any mark on the camera body. Different brands have different markers. Some have square dots while some have red dots. Line these marks In one hand, hold your camera body firmly pointing to you. While holding it, push the lens button. Firmly hold the bottom of the lens (where the lens meets the camera body), and twist. Some cameras let you twist clockwise, others counterclockwise....

How To: Make your own camera dolly

If you’re into cinematography try creating your own dolly camera platform to get those seamless tracking shots. This is a fun project that will allow you to take your film to the next level, or at least get the shot you want.

How To: Simulate a dolly shot with just a camera tripod

brusspup has tons of ingenious tips and tricks for everybody! In this video tutorial, he shows you how to simulate a dolly shot with just a camera tripod.

How To: Do a simple dutch angle camera trick with a tripod

MatttChapman shows you how to add a simple dutch tilt to your filmmaking bag of tricks. Tripods conventionally only pan and tilt, but this trick adds an extra dimension. All you need is a tripod and a camera! It's just a matter of messing with the base plate to get this simple dutch angle.

How To: Frame and compose a shot for film

What makes a good movie good is that it is both aesthetically pleasing and has an interesting point/plot. This video runs you through how to make it visually effective, stressing how you frame and compose a shot. While the Rule of Thirds is forever a great way to make shots interesting, there are other ways you can set up a shot.

How To: Make housing for a video camera to film underwater

Expand your filming range by waterproofing your video camera! Learn how to create an inexpensive underwater camera housing. It is a good video, but it moves a bit too fast for the viewer to learn clearly.

How To: Make an underwater video camera housing

This tutorial video sequence will show you how to make a home made underwater camera housing for your camera. for under $50. This apparatus is made using a pvc pipe , a end cap , perspexs, and a screw end lid with rubber seal. This is a great way to keep your camera dry when making underwater shots.

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: Make your own track dolly

Build a track dolly for about £80. This is great for getting professional dolly shots when making your own films.

How To: Get a Professional Audiovisual Look for Your Videos with Low Budget

This video has some tips how to make your youtube videos quality better. It is great for someone who has an entry level dslr or a mirrorless camera in their house, but don't have a microphone. I will give you tips on lens settings and a great diy audio tip.

How To: Set Up an SJ4000 to Take Timelapse Pictures

This video teaches you how to setup a SJ4000 to take timelapse photos.

How To: Create a DIY Studio Light Equivalent to 800 Watts at 5000k

This video is going to teach you how to create a DIY studio light that is the equivalent to 800 watts at 5000k

How To: Create a Detachable DIY DSLR PVC Shoulder Rig

This video is going to teach you how to Create a DETACHABLE DIY Pvc Shoulder Rig Video: .

How To: Create a DIY Camera Rig (Ultrapod)

This video is going to teach you how to create a video handheld rig that will help stabilize your videos

How To: Get Great Bokeh for Videos and Photos Using Christmas Lights

So what is Bokeh? Well, the word comes from the Japanese term "boke" (bo-keh) which means fuzziness. Bokeh describes the character of the blur in an image, but is often used specifically to refer to points of light rendered as fuzzy circles. These "circles of confusion" come from points of light not being perfectly focused. You know when you're taking a picture of your friend at night, and the lights in the background go fuzzy? That's it! Having a beautifully blurred background can help focus...

Your Brain on Music: How to Turn an MRI Scan into a Music Video

Ever wonder what your brain looks like while you're singing? No? Neither had I, but as this music video for the song "Better Man Than He" by SiVU (aka James Page) will show you, the answer is "pretty cool."

How To: Film Using DSLR at Low Light

Filming in low light is not easy, its tricky and challenging, but if you know the proper ways to set your DSLR camera even if you have the most ordinary lenses you can still capture great videos with less noise. So here are some settings and samples in Filming with your DSLR in Low light.

How To: Take Time-Lapse Photography on a Digital SLR with a Timer Remote (For Beginners)

This tutorial is for complete beginners to time-lapse photography and will show you all the settings and equipment you'll need to start taking time-lapse videos with a DSLR camera relatively cheaply. Although this tutorial focuses on the Canon 7D, the steps outlined and equipment discussed also applies to other models available on the market.

How To: Configure a 3D camera rig with the proper interaxial distance and parameters

3D video capture isn't just for the Hollywood film makers, but it does take a bit of knowledge to set-up and configure. In this two part video series, the guide provides you with tips and information that will help you learn how to use your 3D camera rig and correctly adjust your parameters.

How To: Mount a 1080p camera on a helmet for less than $70

Looking for a way to record what you see from your motorcycle? Check out this video and learn how to mount a 1080p HD camera in a motocross helmet. Capture awesome high quality video of your rides with this 1080p helmet cam mount.

How To: Build a car rig camera mount for cheap

If you're a filmmaker with bigger ideas than your budget, Indy Mogul is here to help with Backyard FX. Learn how to build a camera mount for a car that costs less than 40 dollars. Using suctions cups, you can rig a camera on the front of a car.

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: 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: 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: 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.

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: 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: 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: 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.