Film Production

Becoming a successful distributor of a major motion picture requires not only financial acumen and the ability to effectively market creative materials, but also the ability to develop...

Adding music to your video can make it look and sound much more appealing. The equipment you use for both editing and filming will dictate the specific process you'll need to use to add music to...

Making your own video production equipment can be as simple as modifying or employing existing equipment for use in video production. Equipment produced specifically for video use is pricey and...

Boom operators work with the sound department to assist the production sound mixer for films and television shows. They operate the boom microphone to record ambient sound, effects and dialogue....

Film company incorporation--as opposed to a limited liability partnership or sole proprietorship--is best suited for large-scale, multi-million dollar productions that deal with exclusive talent...

The green screen technique is a method used in both cinematography and still photography to composite images. The technique is generally used to superimpose a model or actors over either a painted...

Steadycam shots can add a layer of gloss to an otherwise quick and dirty production. Unfortunately, they are prohibitively expensive for a truly low budget project. A similar effect can be...

Now that high definition is the new standard in television and home theater video equipment, you may want to know what can be done to keep your old movies looking their best. High definition...

A dolly is a piece of equipment used in film production which allows completely smooth camera moves along a straight line, creating a great effect and view of the action onscreen. Professional...

From complex virtual worlds to life-like characters, computer animation offers breathtaking imagery that can enhance a film or television production. But perhaps you have more modest plans in...

Achieving the right light for a movie set is always tricky, but never more so than when shooting a night scene. You need enough light that your audience can see the characters and scenery, but not...

A storyboard visually tells a story written in a script. It is a shot-by-shot plan of your film. Your storyboard must convey what characters are in a frame and how they move, what your characters...

3-D art for stereoscopic glasses investigates many of the parameters of the relationships between perceptions of physical and anaglyphic reality. Stereoscopic glasses, with red and blue lenses,...

Most information about keying and compositing using either blue or green screens on set deals with post techniques, but there are in-camera basics that will reclaim hours of your sleep later when...

In television programs and movies, a steadycam is used almost every time the camera follows a person. It is an attachment for the camera that allows the operator to capture smooth video when in...

Animation cameras are, in reality, just regular film cameras with the addition of a very important piece of equipment. A long cord with a button on the end of it called a "Remote Switch" allows...

Once used as a tool to capture still life on paper, the camera has turned into a necessary part of daily life. Cameras are now used in everything from photography to filmmaking, to surveillance...

"Snag film" is a term given to a movie that originated on SnagFilms.com, an open and free social network for independent filmmakers to distribute their work on a mass scale.

The jellybean-blue waters and feathery green trees in the hit movie musical "Mamma Mia!" belong to the Greek island of Skopelos. The white sand shore of Kastani Beach is where Sophie and Sky are...

Lighting is arguably the most important aspect of a film or video project for looking professional and conveying tone and sequence to the audience. Most seasoned pros and budding amateurs have...

A professional costume designer is required to provide appropriate clothing and accessories for any period in time. The art of costume design helps bolster the characters and the story line in the...

Primary production is the part of the filmmaking process in which the majority of the film is shot on camera. This includes all acting scenes if the film is a narrative piece or all interviews and...

Ever dream of finding yourself on the set of a major motion picture or television show? Become an extra! The pay is great and no acting experience is necessary. Likewise, all of your friends and...

Most individuals have watched a video, online or elsewhere, and wished that they could have a copy of the audio alone for personal listening on their CD or MP3 player. Thanks to the wonders of...

A filmmaker may need to figure out a way to film a scene while quickly moving. A good vehicle to use for this is a bicycle. In order to use your bicycle to film, you will need to build a mount...

Your Flip camcorder is great at capturing MP4 videos, loading the videos onto your computer, and providing some very basic editing functionality in FlipShare (the program that launches upon...

To understand how light, 3-D glasses and 3-D projectors work together, you need to understand that your brain uses information from your eyes to sense "visual depth." Imagine that someone throws a...

Universal Studios is one of the largest film and television production studios in Hollywood, with a decades-long list of successful films and other projects. The company has branched out with...

You've written a script or you have a great TV show idea--now you need the producer to make your dream a reality. A producer is the person who shepherds a movie or TV show from idea to finished...

"Digital 8" (properly known as "Digital8") videotape is a type of 8mm videotape used by certain brands of digital video camcorders. While the format has been abandoned for the smaller and...

A script supervisor is a film technician who works beside the director on the movie set. General qualities needed for the job are excellent organizational skills and an unerring eye for detail....

Making videos is an easy process and doesn't require high-end, professional equipment and software. As long as you can get access to inexpensive equipment, you will be able to produce your own...

Building on the popular 3D animation, 4D has added a time and space concept to it's dimensions. Animators are now capable to move an object around its own mirror image. This has been a...

The Technicolor process as introduced in 1916 was a two-color additive process that employed double projectors to superimpose the two-color components of the picture on the screen, one through a...

When considering the moviemaking industry, most people immediately think of Hollywood. What many do not know is that the city of Chicago has a vibrant and bustling film community. The third...

The internet and the film industry have developed a mutually beneficial relationship. Particularly for independent filmmakers, the internet is a valuable resource for publicizing and distributing...

Lighting is an integral component to any video. By simply lighting a video properly you can make something simple look a lot more professional than it really is. Luckily, you don't need a lot of...

Commercial video tapes used a process called Macrovision to keep the tape from being copied. Some titles have never been updated to DVD, so making a copy of them is vital to be able to continue to...

Pinnacle Studio is a relatively inexpensive video editing program available for the Windows operating system. Made by Avid, Pinnacle Studio allows both novice video editors and professionals to...

Montages consist of a set of scenes that show the passage of time, a progression of events, or an emotional transition. Dialogue is usually replaced by a song or a composed score. Whether you are...

Steady cams, occasionally known as steadicams, are devices used by video and film camera operators to utilize handheld cameras, which are capable of navigating through small spaces, while...

Pinnacle Studio is a powerful video editing tool. Specifically designed for non-professionals, the software makes it easy to edit your own videos, add titles and include special effects. There are...

A shotgun microphone is an extremely directional sound amplification device, meaning that it is very sensitive to sounds originating in front of the microphone and highly insensitive to sounds...

Adobe Flash is a powerful program that you can use to create animated movies. The software is easy to learn and simple to navigate for beginners, while including plenty of advanced features that...

If you're constructing a medieval set for a movie or play, you'll probably need to make a dungeon at some point. Foam boards are an ideal material to use for constructing a theatrical dungeon. ...

Creating a visually appealing backdrop is an important part of building a good movie set. The backdrop you construct should blend into the scene, providing visual support without making itself...

The film editing program Pinnacle Studio enables users to take advantage of its chroma key toolbar and green screen technology. You can film actors in one setting and replace it with a different...

The Steadicam is a camera stabilizing system introduced in 1976. It features a vest and a counterweight attachment for your video camera, designed to keep the camera frame as steady as possible as...

While shooting home movies on 8-millimeter (mm) film can preserve your most personal moments, it isn't a practical choice when it comes to lugging an 8mm projector and screen to someone's house...

Making a superhero movie, much like making any movie, requires a lot of time, research, and preparation. Fortunately, a superhero movie gives you the liberty to use your imagination, working...