Have you ever wondered how you can add some extra punch to your videos with a few random household items? Well, believe it or not, you can do wonders with a bunch of simple things like a plastic bag, CD or even a towel. Yeah, I know it may sound weird but the results you could get will be totally worth it.
Just take a look at the video produced by Sheldon Evans below. This short creative piece covers five extremely simple, yet super effective hacks that can clearly improve the look any of your videos. Here’s how you can pull off these fantastic tricks in no time.
The easiest way to diffuse the hard light of emitted by your light source on set is by using a plastic bag. Of course, make sure that your source of light doesn’t get too hot as it can easily start a fire and melt the bag. But if you are using any small and compact LED light as your main light source and you need to find a simple and quick solution to soften the light, then use a white plastic bag.
Another great trick is to use your laptop screen or any other monitor as a fake background for creating some fake bokeh effects. You can use this simple trick for some product shots as well. If you want to take this workflow a step further, you can replace the small display with a projector screen that can cover a significantly larger area than a conventional monitor that also could be used as a realistic background for some your wider shots.
Furthermore, if you need a quick sliding shot for any of your videos, a simple towel could do the trick. Just place your camera and the towel on a flat surface and pull the piece of cloth in either direction. It can’t be more easy, simple and straightforward, right?
The same applies for creating some great in-camera flares. A CD or any piece with a reflective surface will work a treat as you just need to point the light tight to your camera lens. You can utilize a similar technique to produce a similar effect by using matches. Just light a match and put it in the forefront of your lens. You’ll be amazed by the results you’ll be able to get, just make sure you protect your gear and don’t get the fire too close to the lens itself.
What are some of your most favorite filmmaking hacks? Let us know in the comments.
[source: Sheldon Evans]
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