SmartShoot Producer's Blogg

FDFF = $50 Follow-Focus

  

Another cool project we stumbled across on Kickstarter. Wiley Davis has designed a pretty slick and inexpensive follow-focus solution for DSLR's. 

For the $50 price point you get a follow-focus that's fully adjustable and compatible with any standard 15mm rod system, Wiley's even offering you a choice between 3 colorways. Check out the video for the full list of features.

You can't beat that deal with a ten foot pole.

TurnHere Film School: DIY Stabilizer (and more)

Fact: Buying the necessary gadgets for your camera can add up fast.

But! Some filmmaker equipment can be made at home, without breaking the bank.

Here are a few neat videos about camera paraphernalia YOU can make.

Lighting helps create mood and contrast in a video. Instead of spending tons of money on a three piece light kit, take a gander at what some of our FMs do for under fifty bucks: How To Create A DIY Camera Light 

Need a bag for your camera? Check out: DIY Camera Bag

And Lastly, a DIY Camera Stabilizer:

 

 

What camera equipment have you made at home? Post any DIY tips for TurnHere Creatives

Transform your Tripod

We'll spare the verbage for today's post - came across some interesting stuff from Alex Cican over on Vimeo. Check out his vids below on how to reconfigure your everyday tripod into everything from a shoulder-mount rig to Vertigo-esque zoom+dolly setup. 

We tried these around the TurnHere offices and the results are surprisingly good. Enough yapping though - on with the videos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have a chance to try these techniques out send us a link to your footage and we'll throw it up on the blog for the world to see.

 

 

Easy, Fun, and Cheap ways to make videos look amazing!

Face it, all of us have dreams of being able to make Hollywood quality films. But the problem is that not everyone has a James Cameron budget for steady cams, dolly track, and cranes.

But do not give up just yet because there are some cheap/high quality alternatives out there that will help you achive these sort of camera moves.

 

1. DIY Slider:

• This awesome filmmaking tool attaches to the top of any tripod and lets you get super smooth professional looking shots! You can use this even in very tight places to get dolly like camera moves. All for about $20

      2. DIY Follow Focus Ring for Video/Stills

• A Follow Focus Ring allows you to manually adjust the lens focus smoothly on the fly.  A camera lens is already designed to do that, so a Follow Focus Ring just needs to make it easier.  The $1000+ solutions from Redrock Micro and Zacuto do it by adding gears and a dial knob.  But, all you really need is a handle on the lens to make adjusting the focus easier.  That’s where the jar opener comes in. I found this simple jar opener at Bed Bath an Beyond for $5. It fits on most of my lenses perfectly, giving me very smooth rack focus shots. 

3. Simulate a dolly shot with just your tri-pod

This video speaks for itself.

 

 

I hope this inspires you guys to go out and try some of this stuff. Feel free to e-mail us or post links to your test videos in the comments section below.

Have fun!