5 Skills That Will Make You a More Valuable Filmmaker There are tons of skills that will make you a better filmmaker, but have found these 5 skills to be invaluable. Here are 5 skills that I like to see in filmmakers I hire or 5 skills he/she is willing to develop. Watch the video above to see all 5 tips and read the conclusion below to see the payoff of mastering these skills. 1. Staging gear is a crucial step in production. 2. This one is huge. 3. I always appreciate a learner’s spirit in assistants and shooters. 4. This skill is GOLD. 5. If you study your boss and learn to meet their needs before they ask, you’ll find yourself on all of their shoots. This post might just sound like a list of ways to suck up to your boss or director, but trust me when I say these skills go far beyond that.
Cinevate's Theater - Tools for Filmmakers and Photographers Visit for more information. Filmmakers are storytellers, and how they choose to tell a story is conceived as a unique vision. In realizing this vision, creativity and innovation abound. Over the years Cinevate has been blessed to know many of you in the filmmaking community. The Hedron Slider is the culmination of years of customer input, product research and development. Along with the Hedron Slider comes an evolved line of add-ons, aimed at expanding the physical possibilities for filmmakers alike. All of us at Cinevate feel honoured to have been included in the storytelling process of so many filmmakers. This video was shot and edited by our good friends at Show less
Guide To Finding Music For Your Videos: 15 Great Music Websites One of the hardest tasks in filmmaking is finding the right music for your project. And while composing is a fantastic idea, most people cannot afford to hire a composer for every project. That brings us to the wonderful world of royalty free music (dripping with sarcasm). Lets be honest, trying to find the right track for your video sucks. I put together this guide for filmmakers in mind. Understanding the Licenses We can’t go and download whatever music we want and use it however we want (Unless you’re a pirate and don’t mind the possibility of getting your arse sued into the next century). Creative Commons Creative Commons has been described as being at the forefront of the copyright movement, which seeks to provide an alternative to the automatic “all rights reserved” copyright, and has been dubbed “some rights reserved.” Music with the Creative Commons license are free to download but require some kind of attribution. Royalty Free Public Domain Music Website List 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Reflective Surfaces Can Ruin Your Shots. Here Are Some Quick Fixes "Reflective surfaces are a pain in the ass," said every filmmaker ever. Say you've just canned a glorious tracking shot. When you go to review the footage, however, you're dismayed to find out that you tracked past three windows, and in every single one of them you can see the dolly and camera crew, the boom operator, and some PA holding coffee that is wandering around like a lost puppy. Almost every filmmaker I know has dealt with this problem in some form or another, and it's one that every up and coming filmmaker will encounter at some point in their lives. But what can you do to get rid of those pesky reflections that can ruin your shots? In my experience, it's always best to have a few different options for cutting reflections readily available to you, because there is no one solution that is perfect for every situation. However, more often than not we're using more than a single source of light in our shots, which means that another solution is necessary.
NextWaveDV 10 tips for editing video in a thoughtful, compelling way By Kari Mulholland One of TED’s video editors, Kari Mulholland, hard at work. Below, her editing advice. The techniques that video editors use to shape their content reveal a lot about how people create meaning in the world. The TED Talk editing toolkit is small when compared to ones used to cut a narrative feature or documentary. Now, compare that to the same excerpt edited competently. What made the first excerpt so uncomfortable to watch was that the edits were unmotivated; every edit was random. Choose the best camera angles for each moment. Now the “um” is edited out, by cutting between two shots during an action-filled moment. Think about who’s speaking and who’s listening. Now let’s watch the same excerpt edited like a TED Talk. The edits are motivated by the words spoken by both Chris and Bill. All of a sudden, the point of view of the interview shifts. Take some space from your edit. Hope that these tips have been helpful. Kari Mulholland is a Film + Video Editor at TED.
How to Light & Shoot a Seamless White Background from Start to Finish A seamless background can make your project look like a million bucks, but lighting one can be a little tricky if you don't know where to start. Zach Arias offers up this lighting tutorial on DEDPXL to show you how to light for a seamless white, black, grey (virtually any color, really) background. If you're a stickler for details like me, one thing you'll appreciate is the utter thoroughness of the lesson. Arias breaks down not only the hows, but the whys behind every creative and technical decision he makes on his set. Check out Part 1 below. (You can also find out more in his blog post here.) Now, not everybody can afford the equipment or the space that Arias is able to utilize in his tutorial, but there are certainly some cheap workarounds that you can use to get the same effect. The key to getting a nice seamless background is starting out with a background that can be made to look seamless in the first place (no wrinkles).
Time-lapse Photography Tutorial eBook eBook and Print Book Reviews Time Lapse book : 4 thumbs up! I’ve been in photography since I’m 15 (so that’s almost 30 years .. gosh !!), and I’ve tried many things.. but your book gave me that kick I love so much in photography, there are new exiting things I can try and do, and you just made me not only discover it, but also WANT to do it… really badly :) - Eric I just wanted to take a second and congratulate you on that great eBook. - Tomas You had me at "It's 2:20 in the morning"! - Kennith, Just what I was looking for to get started with time-lapse photography. - K. I’ve read straight through and am most impressed with the amount of information written in such concise readable fashion. - Peter I have been a serious landscape photographers for several years and only now am getting into time lapse photography. - Cosmonaut About The Author Ryan Chylinski Published Author Download eBook $15
How Can I Make Quality Videos and Short Films on a Budget? A Cheap & Easy Way to Create a Professional-Looking Infinite Black Backdrop Here's a cheap, simple, and professional-looking technique to add to your arsenal -- the infinite black background. Because its visuals add a level of surrealism and style, we've seen this used in music videos, dream sequences in narrative films, art films, you name it -- and chances are if you're not wondering how to pull it off, it's because your curiosity has already led you to find the answer. Filmmaker Lewis McGregor shares his insight into how to create this effect inexpensively and simply by using black material, three lights, and editing software. (No need for a huge soundstage!) If you're just starting out in filmmaking and haven't learned much about lighting and/or editing, then the technique McGregor uses is right up your alley -- especially if you don't have the cash or space, but need your project to look professional. Is there a simpler/cheaper way to pull off this technique? [via UglyMcGregor & Indie Tips]