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Really Useful Life Hacks

 

These have nothing to do with video production, green screen studios, teleprompters, interrotrons or drones…

We present them just to say “thanks for all your support”.

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

100 more simple “Life Hacks” to make your life smarter, easier and more fun.

 

 

Enjoy these 35 really useful life hacks.

And Nine Life Hacks for the Low-Budget Filmmaker

 

An important asset of a great filmmaker is having the ability to improvise when things go wrong on set. Equip your on-set-troubleshooting arsenal with the following life hacks and save the day the next time you run into obstacles on set!

  • Your phone’s battery life takes a significant hit when you’re on location with no access to a power source, except for that tiny portable battery you keep in your back pocket. In order to charge your phone faster, set it on airplane mode.
  • Forgot to rent a Steadicam? Using a screwdriver and a tripod, you can turn your tripod into a working tripod Steadicam, called The Merricam.  
  • Use China Ball lanterns and shower curtains for diffused lighting on a budget.
  • BTS photos are a great way to capture progress on your film, and smartphones are used more for this purpose given the improving image quality and technology. If using a smartphone, don’t use the zoom when taking the picture. You will get better image quality by zooming in on a picture that was taken without zoom. You can also preserve battery life by not using flash.
  • Shooting in the middle of nowhere with spotty cell service? Turn airplane mode on and off. This will “refresh” the phone service to look for the nearest cell phone towers.
  • Cars and wheelchairs make great dollies, and you don’t need a track! Simply rig a camera to either of these items, and you’re on your way!
  • Don’t film on blue if your talent has blue eyes. Their eyes will key out, making talent look odd in post.
  • StolenCameraFinder.com will help you find your lost camera. Simply upload the latest image you took with the camera, or enter your camera’s serial number, and the website will track down the camera based on images that the thief uploaded to the internet, using the same camera.

These are only a few of many troubleshooting and DIY techniques that will help you with your low-budget film production. For more tips, you can view our Tech Tip playlist on our Youtube channel, or browse through our many blog posts on the topic, like this one!

Bill Milling-917-414-5489
Miranda Sherrell
212-219-1075 Icon Number
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