Hot Cinematography How-Tos « Cinematography

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: 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: 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!

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: Operate a 16mm motion picture projector

This nifty tutorial from the United States Air Force will teach you how to operate a 16mm Motion Picture Projector, should you ever come in contact with one. Operate a 16mm motion picture projector.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

How To: Drill the angle iron correctly for a DiY track dolly

If the track isn't perfectly straight on your camera dolly, it won't work the way you need it to. You can use a basic hinge from any hardware store, and use that as the template when drilling holes for your angle iron.

How To: Make your footage look like you're shooting with a Steadicam

This tutorial shows you an easy technique you can use to make your footage look like you've shot it using a Steadicam... even if you don't actually own one! All you'll need is a steady tripod and some open space.

How To: Load and film with your Bolex H16 Reflex camera

The Bolex is an amazing professional quality camera. This is quick tutorial that shows you how you can load film into one, and a few more basic features that you can take advantage of to get the best film quality possible for your projects.

How To: Make your own Spider Trax dolly at home

Don't spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive Spider Trax dolly when you can make your own at home for just a few dollars and an hour or so of your time. Make sure you build something that will work with your own camera!

How To: Set up ten different lighting styles for your film projects

This tutorial shows you a quick rundown of ten different lighting setups for films. Whether you're looking for a silhouette, a documentary or confessional style look or something else entirely, you'll be able to find something useful in this tutorial.

How To: Make your own HD/HD-SDI capture station inexpensively

This is for the semi-pro or professional filmographer who wants to get the best picture quality out of their digital cameras possible. Get broadcast or film studio quality for your footage without needing a film studio budget by following these easy steps.