How we all love those sexy slow slider camera shots that we see on the movies and TV.
The way that the camera seems to effortlessly and smoothly float past the array of ingredients on your favourite cookery program, the smooth segue of the camera as it displays the dazzling flowers on those gardening programs and the slow considered change of point of view on those sumptuous period dramas.
Of course the equipment to carry out this feat of cinematographic splendour - a camera slider - are not cheap bits of kit.
But despair not people, you can produce similar sexy smoothness with very little in the way of equipment. In fact you may already have everything you need to do this
So check out the video below, This incredibly quick and simple DIY hack will allow you to take those sexy smooth slider shots that you've seen on the movies and TV with virtually nothing in the way of equipment and cost.
For something so quick and easy, the results of this DIY slider are remarkably good. Try it yourself.
Do you find the standard titling options in Windows Movie Maker (WMM) a bit Mnnahhh...? Do you long for something with a bit more gravitas that will bestow an aura of high technology jiggery-pokery?
Alas, we all know that this kind of intro requires high octane (and costly) programs like "After effects". There is no way you could even come close to producing such video eye-candy by using something as basic as the free editor "Windows Movie Maker"
Well, my friends you have been informed. Impressively cool intros can indeed be created using nothing more complicated that your free copy of WWM.
Fancy having a go at making some cool pro-looking intros? This tutorial will show you how. It's easier than you think and loads of fun.So if all you've got to edit on is Windows Movie Maker (WMM) here is the tutorial you have been waiting for.
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.
Ever had your video recording ruined by wind-noise that completely obliterated what was said?. It's a common problem with most video cameras especialy those without a mic jack - which means that you are totally reliant on the camera's built-in mic.
There are, of course ways around this problem. But it's not always practical or even desireable to cart a separate recording unit and dead cat mic with you when all you want to do is make a quick one-man video up the side of a windy mountain
Although it's a common problem, it's one that can be solved easier than you may think. This video shows how to hack your video camera in seconds to vastly reduce wind-noise. And it's not expensive or time consuming either - this hack costs just pennies and takes just seconds to do.
So if you are having trouble with wind-noise, check out the following video. For what the hack costs in terms of time effort & money (i.e. negligible - It's well worth trying.
Have you ever been in the situation where you have been out in the wilds with your video camera, hoping to make a nice little video, but the shots are a little shakey and you wishedthat you had brought something with you to stabilise your video camera, but the prospect of lugging a tripod along for miles meant that you left it behind? (that was a big sentence wasn't it?)
Then this could be the answer. An easily constructed and virtually zero-cost camera stabiliser that is so compact that you can carry it about in your pocket.
It might not compare with a full blown tripod, but it can certainly vastly reduce the inevitable shakiness that is part and parcel of hand-held shots.
And anyway, It's so cheap, easy and effective, that it's certainly worth making and trying out for yourself. I'm guessing that once you have tried it, you'll probably never leave home without it. Check it out in the video below.
One of the most desired special effects among video makers is the gun or muzzle flash effect. This effect turns a mediocre clip of a gun accompanied by a bang sound effect into something that looks real and deadly and believable.
Usually, to produce such effects you would have to utilise top-end video editors or specialist programs like Adobe's Aftereffects, which are not only complicated, but also very expensive to buy.
So what if you want to produce gun-flash effects for your own video, but all you have to edit on is a very basic video editor like Windows movie maker - Is it even possible with such kit?
Well, you will be happy to know that yes, it is possible, and it's not even all that complicated once you know how. The video below shows how simple the technique is. It may be simple, but the finished result is surprisingly effective.
You will need the use of a photo editing program, but this is no problem because the photo editor I use in the tutorial is absolutely free. It's called Paint.net. It's a useful bit of kit to have anyway, and it won't cost you a bean. You can download a copy from:
http://download.cnet.com/Paint-NET/3000-2192_4-10338146.html?
Just be sure to untick any boxes offering free browser toolbars etc. (Uless you specificall want 'em that is)
OK, 'nuff said - Here's the video.
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.
