DIY Filmmaking Features
THE FILM LAB - On Location #3: Grips
ON LOCATION #3 - The misfits, the long-hairs, the toughguys with the tough job. They hold flags, they hold scrims, they hold your life in their hands... come spend a few minutes on the grip/electric truck on location in the Film Lab & see what's what.
News: Skyfall's DOP, Roger Deakins | WTI
As we've already mentioned, Skyfall is an awesome James Bond movie - one of the best, really (if not THE best?). Today's very special Watch This Instead looks at one of the reasons it turned out so great: cinematographer Roger Deakins. He's worked with Skyfall director Sam Mendes many times before and has a special relationship with the Coen bros. also. If you're not a James Bond freak or you can't make it out to see Skyfall, then check out some of his other work instead!
THE FILM LAB: Stop Motion Part 02
Rajo shows off his new favourite iPhone app, the incredibly cheap and easy to use Stop Motion Recorder from bitween. Holy cats is it ever cool...Watch this quick and easy tutorial!
News: THE FILM LAB - Pulling Focus
Pulling focus is a neat trick that you should definitely try sometime! It's a great filmmaking technique, and it's not that hard to pull off.
News: THE FILM LAB - Attending Film Festivals
Ok, so your new film got selected for the fancy-pants film festival. Now what? Kris Booth, director of AT HOME BY MYSELF WITH YOU talks about going to Cannes, and sharing his passion..
News: The Film Lab - Above The Line Budgeting
Exactly how did Sly manage to collect all our favourite 80s action stars in one super-movie? And why couldn't such a movie come out IN the 80s?
THE FILM LAB: Stop Motion Part 01
Mike explains stop motion animation, which is incidentally the coolest kind of animation out there.
How To: THE FILM LAB - How 3D Movies Work
Rajo lays out a fairly basic primer on 3D film technology. Show of hands, who's going to Pirhana 3D this friday?
News: Good do-it-yourself micro budget video lights
Professional video lights are great tools. They are color balanced, versatile, and offer great control over the light they give. There is a wide variety of video lights made for different situations. Unfortunately, they are also very expensive. The cheapest ones cost you easily hundreds of dollars.
News: THE FILM LAB - Pulling Focus
Pulling focus is a neat trick that you should definitely try sometime! It's a great filmmaking technique, and it's not that hard to pull off.
News: YouTube, Ridley Scott Crowdsource Feature Documentary
On July 24th, producer Ridley Scott and director Kevin Macdonald will open their inboxes to the YouTube filmmakers for their groundbreaking, or at least rule-breaking documentary "Life in a Day".
How To: THE FILM LAB - HOW TO GET FILM FEST 'RUSH' TIX
Forgot to buy tickets for TIFF? All your favourite movies sold out? Well put away those razor blades, because you've still got a chance...
THE FILM LAB: Shadows on the Wall (and how to get 'em off)
Making a film? Is it your first time? Have you got your actors pushed right up against the wall? Can you see their shadows? BIG MISTAKE, rookie... Here's Mike with two quick tips to help you out.
News: Welcome to The Film Lab!
This quick intro video only scratches the surface of all the DIY filmmaking technique tutorials that are waiting for you in The Film Lab -- join Mike and Rajo as they shed some light on important stuff that will help you pull together your masterpiece!
News: Awesome lessons, much cheaper than film school!
This web site, New York Video School, offers comprehensive film tutorials that are customized based on your skill level and interests. It's an amazing resource!
The FIlm Lab: Jacob Medjuck talks Film Raiser
Not only is Jacob Medjuck the talented writer/director of Summerhood, but he also came up with a brilliant way to get his film seen in theatres...
News: Cheap Ass Videocameras and Citizen Journalism
The idea that you could buy a cellphone sized video camera that shoots 720p for a hundred bucks would literally seem like nonsense to me five or six years ago, as I sat trying to get a shot worth looking at out of my old Sony pd150. They're here, though, the Flips and iPhones and Kodaks and whatever else and while most of their impact can be measured in the increased frequency of Bieber-tribute videos hitting youtube, having a $100 hd camera also puts me in a mind to go - me a regular old idi...
THE FILM LAB: Submitting to Festivals
Just in time for TIFF, we chat with AT HOME BY MYSELF WITH YOU's Kris Booth about applying to festivals as a canadian director..
THE FILM LAB: Gaffer Tape
MIke waxes poetic about his favourite kind of, uh, tape. Gaffer tape: better than duct/duck in almost everyway save for its price. Don't go to set without some.
The Film Lab: Interview - Jacob Medjuck Pt. 02
Our interview with Jacob Medjuck (writer/director of Summerhood) continues as he spills his trade secrets re: working with children and allowing authenticity to emerge.
News: Charles Officer Talks About 100 Musicians | TIFF '12
The director of 100 Musicians and Nurse/Fighter/Boy talked with us about old school filmmaking Charles Officer has directed shorts, music videos for K’naan, and the features Nurse/Fighter/Boy and Mighty Jerome, a documentary about Canadian track star Harry Jerome. His new short 100 Musicians, which screens Monday as part of Short Cuts Canada, is a small ode to civic optimism, concerning itself with a lovers’ argument over who exactly misheard a radio DJ reporting the plans of Toronto’s much m...
THE FILM LAB: Festival Deadlines
Got a film in the works? Why not finish it up and submit it to an upcoming festival?
News: The V.I.D.A.D.I.F.H. Biography Show: Wes Craven
Wes Craven is a very important dude in film history primarily because of his role in shaping the modern horror genre into what it is today. Plus he has a really badass sounding name.
THE FILM LAB: Bingo's Lingo - Cucalorus
What the heck is a cucalorus? Maybe Bingo can explain it, if he calms down a bit first....
News: straight 8 - make a film on 1 roll of super 8, see it at slamdance & cannes
hello, straight 8 invite anyone (that means you) to make a short film on one cartridge of super 8 — without editing.
News: Post-TIFF Micro-Blurbs
Every year the fine folks at Row Three do a post-TIFF mega-wrap up, collecting the micro-blurbs of a bunch of attendees into a giant meta-analysis of what everyone liked, loved, hated, etc. etc.. We'll link to that post when it goes up on the weekend, but in the mean time, here's my contribution:
The Film Lab: Chroma Keying in Final Cut Pro
We've explained exactly what Chroma Keying is. We showed you how to set up a green screen from Whites Interactive. We showed you how to light your green screen evenly. Now, here's Rajo in The Film Lab's edit suite to show you what to do with your green screen footage in Final Cut Pro. Check it out!
News: Music Video shot on 5D
Heya All, I have a new video on my YouTube channel and this time its a music video I shot / edited for Cape Town based band, Cold Hand Chemistry.
Tutorial: Editing a Music Video
Heya Everybody, I have a brand new tutorial online - this time covering the topic of Music Video Editing and basic workflow processes like converting footage from a Canon 5D.
News: What is 'Chroma Keying'???
We've all seen it - during the weather report, in a Star Wars movie, on a televised baseball game... Weird graphics slapped onto a moving image that normally wouldn't (or couldn't) be there. You've heard about green screens... But how do filmmakers use green screens to create a shot that takes their actors out of a studio and puts them into some exotic locale? How does the camera or the editing software know what to do with that green patch in your shot? Welcome to Chroma Keying...
How To: Color Grade an Entire Edit or Sequence
Hey Everybody, I have uploaded a new video tutorial on: How to Color Correct / Color Grade an entire sequence using Final Cut Pro 7 and Apple's Color.
News: Catalina Film Festival Line-Up for May 4-6
The second annual Catalina Film Festival is coming up, May 4-6. What a perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway to beautiful Catalina, while
Introducing: The Very Important! Podcast | Episode 1: Wachowski Starship
For those of you familiar with our "The Very Important Dudes & Dudettes in Film History Show" video series (hosted by Matthew Price of the MAMO podcast) you'll be pleased to hear that MAMO & thesubstream.com have teamed up to bring you a more in-depth discussion about our favourite filmmakers every month, straight to your ear-holes!
The Shaky-Cam Part II: Tony Scott
Same poorly-trained camera operator, completely different story The shaky-cam Part II: Tony Scott | thesubstream.com.
News: Please Read the Following Before the Movie: The Hobbit's HFR 3D 101
Well, it’s almost time! Tomorrow advance tickets are set to go on sale for the biggest blockbuster of the holiday season – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As we’ve discussed previously on the site, the film will be available in a wide variety of formats. There will be 2D screenings for you traditional folk, RealD 3D for people that like their films to pop out at them, IMAX 3D for those who like their films to pop out at them while being very big (this is my choice), and then there is HFR 3...
How To: Fig Rig & Compact Lighting Packages - an Intro! | Gear Guide
The Toronto International Film Festival is but a distant memory, though we are still getting compliments on all the awesome footage we shot, both for our Midnight Madness coverage and interviews with directors like Don Coscarelli and Rob Stewart. But here's the thing - we had big, large help. Even though we've been at it for 5 years, shooting an event like TIFF is never easy! It's hectic and unpredictable and as a result, getting good looking footage can be difficult if you don't have the rig...
News: Filmmaking tips & tutorials
Hey Everyone, If you are looking for filmmaking tutorials - please checkout my YouTube channel below:
News: Paul Thomas Anderson | the v.I.D.a.D.I.F.H. Show
The buzz at TIFF surrounding The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman was near-deafening... film fans all across this great city were clamouring to see director Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up to his 2007 masterpiece There Will Be Blood. Matthew Price of MAMO takes this opportunity mid-hype to give us a brief overview of the young auteur's relatively short but extremely potent career and explore exactly what makes him a Very Important Dude in Film History. Paul Thomas ...
How To: Tunnelvizion TV (Filmmaking / VFX / Tutorials)
Hi Everyone, Are you interested in Filmmaking, VFX, Compositing etc? Please go and have a look at my YouTube channel and subscribe if you enjoy the content. I upload VFX videos alongside Tutorials covering different VFX & Filmmaking topics.