Hellbender Media

Preproduction, Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #140

by scrappy Jun 26, 2023

Study the Secrets!

A great source of quickie tutorials is the B&H site: BHPhotoVideo.com.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #119

by scrappy Feb 20, 2023

That’s not technically a “special effect,” there…

Regarding cables, lights, power supplies and other things plugged into the wall: These things should not get hot. If they feel hot to you, tell someone immediately. You don’t want them getting any hotter, and you definitely don’t want them to start smoking or burst into flame.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #117

by scrappy Feb 20, 2023

Artsy blue-green color grading notwithstanding…

If you’re using a monitor (which you are, right?), then do your best to calibrate it. Calibration is simply setting the contrast, brightness, color levels, and other controls to be as accurate as possible.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #116

by scrappy Feb 20, 2023

Do you see what I see?

Always use a monitor so that you can see what the camera sees without making your DoP move. On rare occasions, a monitor is contraindicated, but those are very rare occasions. You always want to know what the camera’s seeing.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #84

by scrappy Jul 19, 2021

Unless the price of gold skyrockets.

There’s usually a difference in quality between really, really cheap cables and reasonably priced cables.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #81

by scrappy Jul 19, 2021

But not all in the same closet, please.

Make sure your location has running water, sinks, toilets, garbage service, and toilet paper. If it doesn’t, you need to supply this yourself.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #71

by scrappy Jul 8, 2021

We’ve got the pow-ah!

Your location owner might have to lock their doors after a certain time, but if you ask nice, they might let you run an extension cord or two out through a little hole. Then, you can leave ’em coiled up after you’re done and come by in the morning and pick all your cords back up.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #70

by scrappy Jul 8, 2021

Still, we managed.

If you’re going out on location, set up all your gear first, at the studio or at home, and then break it down into your van or car. This way, you know you have everything you need in the transport vessel.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #64

by scrappy Jul 8, 2021

And now, a moment of silence…

Get at least one minute of clean ambient sound from every location. This is very important.

Preproduction, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #62

by scrappy Jul 8, 2021

But order it in advance!

If you have to rent a van, rent a van. It’s only about a hundred bucks a day, but think of what that hundred bucks gets you: You don’t have to worry about who’s bringing what piece of gear. Everybody just brings everything the few nights before to one location, and the night before, you pack it all in one van.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #61

by scrappy Jul 8, 2021

Don’t be shocked!

Fix or repair broken cords, and do it right. If you can’t do it right, then cut them up and throw them away.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #50

by scrappy Jul 2, 2021

Leave No Trace!

It’s worth it to buy actual gaffer’s tape. Duct tape leaves a residue and you don’t want that residue on your gear, on your cords, on your host’s carpets, walls, or furniture. Gaffer’s tape is clean.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #37

by scrappy Jul 1, 2021

You Can Always Shake it in Post!

Get a tripod! Battlestar: Galactica was a fluke — if you don’t lock that camera down, you’re going to make your viewers queasy. You can pan and tilt and even dolly if you have one, but unless you have a real good compelling reason, please, please, please get that camera on the sticks!

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #36

by scrappy Jul 1, 2021

Even at the dollar store!

If you can’t pipe your sound into your camera, borrow a camera with a microphone jack and use that to record audio. There is no real difference between a ’spensive 16-bit digital recorder and a 10-year old Handicam that records sound in 16 bits. Except, well, cost.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #34

by scrappy Jul 1, 2021

Although it’s good to know who’s hungry.

Internal microphones suck. Never use the microphone that’s attached to the camera body.

Production, Tip

Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #32

by scrappy Jul 1, 2021

The operative word is “steady”!

A cheap-ass steadicam you built using $15 worth of parts is better than no stabilizing tool at all, especially if you practice diligently with it, but it’s not a $1000 Steadicam, and it’s not realistic to compare the two. Make do with what you’ve got.