EASY DIY AUTOCUE/TELEPROMPTER

When doing a piece to camera, you can save yourself a lot of time, grief and video footage (not to mention the neccessity of learning lines), by using an autocue/teleprompter. "But aren't they massively expensive"?  I hear you cry!  Well professional ones certainly are, but if you own a smartphone or tablet computer, then there are apps available that will turn your device into something very similar to an autocue/teleprompter.

If when using these apps, you place your device just above the camera lens, the it is very difficult for your audience to detect that you are looking at the device and not at the camera. The problem, of course is, how do you get your device to hover in that sweet-spot above your camera lens?

This video will show you an easy an inexpensive solution to that problem. Build one yourself and never again be lost for words in front of a camera.

Zero budget Camera Stabilizer.

My original intention was to demonstrate a "ghetto filmmaking" technique known as a "bag cam", which is a very simply constructed camera stabilizer using basic easily-available materials which is particularly useful for producing a "Dog's eye" point of view. The basic idea consists of placing the camera into a platic bag (with a hole cut for the lens). This places the camera close to the ground and the pendulum effect of the bag produces a stabilizing effect.

Well I tried it - and it was rubbish! The camera flopped about in the bag, which was much too light and blew about in even mild breezes and the bag material itself rustled like crazy ruining any attempt to record audio through the on-camera mic.

There was obviously room for improvement, and the "Bag cam" as it stood was not fit for purpose, so I had a think, came up with an idea, grabbed some everyday household stuff and created a new improved "Doggie Cam"

It's easy to make, effective and solves most of the problems presented by the unsuccessful "Bag Cam". Check out how to make one yourself in the video below. It's great fun and won't cost you anything.

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Instant Cheap 'n Easy DIY Camera Rig

Do you find that the video that you shoot with your mini-DV cam comes out a bit shakey? That every minor twitch of your hand is transmitted unfailingly to your footage?  Well unfortunately that's just the way it is with small cameras. 

Their small size means that it is difficult to hold them with both hands and the one you are holding it with is invariably close to the lens - a recipe that virtually guarantees shakiness.
What you need is a camera rig - a frame-like device that allows you to hold your camera with both hands - and away from the lens.  

Camera rigs however, (like everything photographic), are not cheap. Well fear not my little ones, because this video shows an easy, and instant way to re-purpose a bit of kit that you may already have, and use it as a camera-rig, quickly and easily, giving your home video clips all the classy looking stability that you know they deserve.

Easy, Zero cost, No budget Steady-Cam

Ever found yourself in a situation where you needed some sort of camera stabilisation? Wouldn't it be nice to have your very own steady-cam on hand for those occasions when your standard hand-held efforts just won't cut the mustard?

As we all know, Steady-cams are not cheap bits of Kit. Even those steady-cams such a the Merlin Steadicam which is specially produced for hobbyist movie makers, is an expensive item and most amateur movie makers find it hard to justify the outlay for the amount of times they see themselves using it.

Well, If you would like to be able to utilise some of the qualities of a steady-cam type stabiliser without incurring the costs, you are in luck.

In this video I show you how to utilise a bit of kit that you probably already have to produce a quick and simple camera stabiliser - and what's more, it doesn't cost a bean.

Ok, a Merlin steadicam it is not, but it costs nothing, takes seconds to implement, and with a little bit of practice can produce some very acceptable results. Bearing in mind what it costs, it's certainly worth a try so why not give it a go? Just check out this episode's video (below), and all will be revealed.