Filmmaking Techniques - Cheap and Easy

Let's face it, even the simplest video production or home movie can be an expensive proposition.

The purchase of a camcorder or video camera alone can set you back a fair bit.

I have always been a big believer in 'engineering' cheap solutions while still making your video production, home movie or short film look professional.

Here's a video sample of applying these various videomaking techniques:

In this video you see how to make a greenscreen background. This allows you to 'key out' the colour in post production and substitute other images.

Our instructor tells us where to go to get the materials cheap and how to mount them.

Another handy hint is how to light the background without casting too many shadows.

'Soft Lights' can be very expensive, but here we see how to create 'soft lighting' with limited equipment in a limited space.

Another tip is on white balance. If you are using the lights the instructor on the video suggests, they will have a lower color temperature and appear slightly yellow.

If you don't have color correction gels handy you can use a piece of white card or adjust the colors in post production.