Hot Cinematography Posts
How To: Hold a camera completely steady in your bare hands
No extra tripods or dollies required! This tutorial shows you the 'steadyhand' technique: a way for you to hold your video camera in your bare hands without any tremors or shaking. The trick is to not hold it too tightly.
News: What Happens When You Put a High-Speed Camera on a High-Speed Train?
Remember "Bullet Time" from The Matrix? Well, you ain't seen nothing till you've seen "Bullet-Train Time"!
How To: Set up your ambient lighting to look like a movie theater
Movie theater light can sometimes be difficult to replicate, since it is always dark and you have to reproduce the effect of the flickering lights coming from the screen. Here's a great lighting trick you can use to replicate the effect of movie theater lights.
How To: Make a camera mount on your car for under ten dollars
Not only does this camera mount take less than five minutes to make, you can do it for less than ten dollars. Mount a camera to your car for greater versatility in how and what you film for your next project!
HowTo: Make a DSLR Helmet Cam
Modernhuman of WonderHowTo's Canon EOS 7D World posts a simple HowTo for making your own DSLR Helmet Cam for approximately $150 in parts:
How To: Get a 35mm film look with a depth of field adapter
Shoot digital footage to rival film by incorporating a 35mm DoF adapter into your camcorder rig! For detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started shooting footage to rival anything shot on a video-capable DSLR, watch this video guide.
News: Jumping in Puddles Has Never Looked This Insane
Rickard Bengtsson's artfully paced, super slo-mo puddle and dirt video makes me wish for a rainy day. Shot with the Canon EOS 550D; music by Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Previously, Stunningly Beautiful Slo-mo Surfer.
How To: Stabalize your point and shoot HD camera using a Joby Gorillapod SLR tripod
Using a hand held point and shoot camera that uses HD video capture can be tough to use due to the natural shake of your hands. In this video you'll get a chance to see the uses of the Joby Gorillapod SLR flexible tripod in stabalizing your shots for your HD point and shoot camera!
How To: Balance your Flycam or other camera stabilization sleds easily
If you've recently picked up a new flycam or camera stabilization sled, then you're probably getting ready to use it right now! Just need to make sure it's properly balanced. In this video you will get a tutorial on how to balance a flycam or most types of camera stabilization sleds!
How To: Set up a green screen for chroma keying
Think you might like to set up a green screen? It's easy! All you really need is a big green sheet. This video production tutorial presents a complete guide and will see to it that you know everything you need to know start incorporating green (or blue) screen work into your own video productions.
How To: Get perfect exposure in your photographs and cinematography
When making your film, you want to make sure that the cameras that you're using, and the pictures and footage that you're taking, have the right exposure. Exposure can make or break your film as far as quality of the footage being presented! In this video you will get a tutorial on how to get the perfect exposure for your footage!
How To: Build a $30 steadycam
In this video we learn how to build a $30 steadycam. Making this yourself will save you thousands of dollars and allow you to get smooth shots with your camera! First, you will need to take a round free weight that is used in the gym. After this, grab a pipe and stick it into the middle of this, making sure it's a tight fit. From here, attach another pipe to it using bolts to screw it together. Once you're finished, you can attach your cam to it and use it to take your shots whether they are ...
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: Shoot low angle moving shots from ground level with a video camera
Low angle shots are a great way to evoke a sense of panic in movies, but if you're trying to get good quality shots from ground level with just your hands, then it's not going to work. The video footage will be all shaky, unless that's another look you're wanting to achieve in your film. If you want steady, fast-tracking low angle footage, then Ritwika has a great trick on taking those ground level moving camera shots. You'll need a monopod, water bottle (with water), 2 rubber bands and your ...
How To: Customize white balance & temperature for perfectly colored photos & videos
Has white balance always been a problem in your photographs? Getting the perfect color in your photos is tricky business, even on digital cameras. This video will give you the ultimate information on customizing the white balance and color temperature for your film, video footage and pictures. Ritwika teaches how to obtain accurate color balance using various custom white balance techniques.
How To: Make movie rain without getting wet
In this tutorial, we learn how to make movie rain without getting wet. First, you will need to get a garden hose that has a spout on it and few pieces of PVC pipe. Connect the pieces of PVC pipe together, then stick the head of the hose to the pipe. Keep in mind that you will want to cut the pipe a bit shorter so it's easier to hold. Now, have someone hold up the pipe while you are taping and make sure to stay opposite of the way the wind is blowing. After this, you will have taped rain in a ...
How To: Simulate teleportation w/ film effects & camera tricks
In this tutorial, we learn how to simulate teleportation w/ film effects & camera tricks. First, take a shot of your actors moving and doing something active. Then, take a shot of the frame without the actors. After this, go frame by frame masking the actors out of each of the frames. Use radio blur to make them leave the shot, then add in evaporation. From here, you can play the clips of the background on the scene so it looks like the have been sent somewhere else. Smooth out the background...
How To: Build an inexpensive camera dolly
Looking to create slow moving and motion shots with your camera on a stable surface on a low budget? Try building your own skater dolly! In this video you will learn the entire process of building your own inexpensive dolly that will allow you to create fantastic motion shots.
How To: Use sync speed properly in photography to freeze motion
If you shoot in a studio, or if you find that you're getting a black bar and are having a hard time freezing motion when shooting, this video will be a great help. In it, you will get a full lesson on what sync speed is, flash duration, camera curtains and more to help you capture motion without getting a black bar or other nasty effects.
How To: Shoot in a film noir setting
Film Noir, or black film, is a type of film that can easily be attributed to classics such as the Humphery Boggart films of old (Maltese Falcon, King of the Underworld, ect.). If you're looking on how to create the effect yourself without a big budget, check out this video! John Hess gives you some basic tips to creating the effect with lighting and more!
How To: Make video game videos for YouTube with digital camcorder
There are millions of YouTube videos out there about video games. Playthroughs, reviews, commentaries, tutorials. If you want people to see and appreciate your gameplay and takes on it, watch this series of videos. It features a veteran video-game-YouTuber explaining in great detail how he sets up, shoots, and edits his YouTube videos. It covers cameras, lighting, and many other aspects of filming yourself playing a game.
How To: Build a cheap steady cam rig or fig rig
Steady cam rigs allow you to film really great smooth footage, but they cost about $300. If you're too lazy to make one yourself that is! This video will show you how to make a cheap substitute called a fig rig using $30 dollars worth of materials. Now you can finally push beyond handheld to the world of professional-looking video.
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: 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: Create a simple low budget shoulder mount for a DSLR camera and accessories
Wow. Forget about buying an expensive pro-style digital camcorder. You can make your DSLR camera into a moviemaker camera with a simple DIY shoulder mount. The goal of this video is to give you a way to create a low budget way of mounting your camera and necessary gear onto a cheap shoulder mount. It works really well. See for yourself!
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.
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: 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.
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: Film skateboarding
In this video, we learn how to film skateboarding. First, get a camera that fits your price range and you will be ready to start filming. Next, use a long lens so you capture the best shots of people on their boards and in motion. Next, make sure you capture the lines that the skateboarder is skating on. Use different angles to get the best shot possible. You want to get close to the action, so you will need a fish eye lens. Use your skateboard to follow the skater around. Using these simple ...
How To: Make a cheap DIY camera slider for your film
Film and television cinematographers love sliding camera shots, especially since ER made them a standard device for television dramas. A professional sliding camera setup is expensive though. Why not make one yourself? This video will show you how to turn $20 into a high-quality filmmaking tool that you can use to give your films some very professional-looking shots. Now get out there and follow that gurney with the camera!
News: Flying Drone Captures 360° Interactive View of Gulf Oil Spill
Via WonderHowTo World, Cinematography: Aerial photography company perspectiveAerials has captured incredible 360° footage of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The team launched their custom built Canon 5D Mark II aerial drone (see video two in the gallery below for a demonstration) from their boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico:
HowTo: Build Your Own DIY SuperMacro Lens
Via WonderHowTo World, Cinematography: Lozzless demonstrates how to make a diy cheap macro lens with working aperture for his Canon 5D Mark II, coined the "SuperMacro".
News: Transport Yourself to THE Most Dangerous Race Track in the World: The Green Hell
Ever heard of Nürburgring? If you're an auto racing enthusiast, you likely have. According to Wikipedia, the racetrack was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart (famed Scottish racing driver) and is known as "the toughest, most dangerous and most demanding purpose-built racing circuit in the world". Located in Germany, the older track was first built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains.
Jaws of Death: Bone-Crushing, Man-Eating Monster Waves
Check out this video footage of INSANELY huge waves, shot on the Canon 5D Mark II at the Jaws reef break, in Maui. Featuring surfers Laird Hamilton, Kai Lenny and Jason Polakow, performing feats that frankly don't seem humanly possible. Previously, BASE Jumping + Freediving + Canon 5D = One Spectacularly Scary Show.
News: BASE Jumping + Freediving + Canon 5D = One Spectacularly Scary Show
Watch as world freediving champion Guillaume Nery takes an incredible dive into Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas (on ONE SINGLE BREATH!)
How To: Use an affordable lens hood for your DSLR camera
A great way to get picture perfect shots and protect your camera in the process is to use a lens hood. When shooting on your DSLR outdoors, a lens hood will definitely come in handy. In this tutorial, learn how to get the best and most affordable lens cover for your camera and make sure you take an amazing shot every time.
News: DIY RC Helicopter Rig Captures Amazing Canon 7D/5D Aerial Footage
One of the greatest innovations in the DSLR revolution is not only being able to execute shots you never dreamed possible, but you'll find it's affordable, too. I can't think of a better example than this remote controlled DSLR helicopter rig, designed specifically for the Canon 7D and 5D. Advertised as "high definition, low altitude photography and videography," HeliVideo's founder, Eric Austin combines his experience and love of remote controlled helicopters with his knowledge as a videogra...
How To: Compose a shot with the "rule of thirds"
In this clip, learn how to harness the Rule of Thirds when shooting video. The Rule of Thirds is a concept that consists of splitting a shot into thirds and keeping your subject out of the center of the shot. This adds a more interesting and realistic aspect to your filmmaking and can also be used for things like drawing and still photography.