Props & SFX Cinematography Costuming & Wardrobe Stop Motion Editing Puppetry Directing & Producing Acting Sound Film & Photography Lighting Set Design Film & Theater WonderHowTo
iOS 18 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

How To: Build a fake wall that you can smash

This video will give you tips on how to make your very own fake wall that is perfect for smashing, thrashing, or just plain old throwing people through. This backyard special effect should really spice up your amateur film making. Just be careful, this fake wall can sometimes look like a real wall.

How To: Make a breakable 2x4 wood board prop

Yes, a smashable board of wood. Just what the propmaster called for. A long 2x4 piece of wood prop is perfect for smashing overtop somebody's head during an action scene. The smashable board is easy to make, too. But not as easy as breaking it. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a breakable 2x4 wood plank prop.

How To: Make an DIY Aliens power loader prop for cheap

The Alien movies, most notably Alien and Aliens, are icons of sci-fi horror, and one of their most well-known elements is the awesome power loader that Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley used to tear the aliens apart. This video will show you how to make your own prop replica of the power loader at home for cheap, so that you can destroy aliens in your own films or maybe pretend to maul some party guests.

How To: Make a Saw 2 death mask

In this tutorial, we learn how to make a Saw 2 death mask. Start off by grabbing an old helmet and covering it with plastic wrap. Then, make paper mache over it. From here, cut a piece of rubber into small strips. Then, draw and cut three stripes on a piece of cardboard. Then, use two strips for the shoulders and one for around your waist. Then, make the front chest piece with cardboard. From here, make a square with Styrofoam and cut out a piece of an egg carton. Now, draw the eyes and mouth...

How To: Make Realistic Fluffy Cloud Props from Things Around the House

If you need a cloudy background for a photo or video, you can always turn an old aquarium into a DIY cloud tank. But, if you want something more fun and less creepy, these fluffy cloud props by Serena Thompson might be more what you're looking for. It'd even make a good Halloween costume if you tweak it a little. All you need is some balloons, tape, flour, newspaper, and a bunch of pillow stuffing. Serena made them by taping balloons together and applying a mixture of water and flour, then co...

How To: Build a fake rock movie prop

We all know that movies now-a-days don't use real rocks, but fake rocks for their film sets. Why? Because it's safer, lighter, easier to movie, and you can design them exactly how you want them. So if you need a rock for your indie film project, make it yourself. There's nothing better than imitation. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to build a fake rock movie prop.

How To: Build your own DIY police taser for your film

If you remember in the Hangover, there was an incredibly funny scene where the guys were stuck getting out of going to prison by helping the officers demonstrate a police tazer in front of a group of kids on a school field trip. If you've ever wanted to make your own prop police tazer for one of your films, check out this hilarious and informative video! In it, you will learn how to create your own police tazer!

How To: Make a military-style night vision goggles prop

Night vision goggles are one of the iconic pieces of equipment of the modern military. Getting a real pair is prohibitively expensive, especially if you just want to use it as a prop in your film instead of actually seeing at night. This video features instructions for making your own set of prop night vision goggles for cheap, giving any action or spy movie that you are making a much more modern, authentic feel. Also, now your characters can see at night, opening up all sorts of potential sc...

How To: Make DIY fog fluid for a fog machine

If you are an avid party-thrower, moviemaker, or are involved in some other activity that involved you frequently using fog machines, you're probably sick of paying for the fluid to make them work. No more! Watch this video for a guide to making your own cheap DIY fog machine juice / fluid at home.

How To: Create fake blood effects

In this tutorial, we learn how to create fake blood effects. The easiest blood formula is to use soap and red food coloring, nothing else. It's the easiest blood to make and looks more realistic than anything else. You can also make blood out of different things if you want to make a more expensive version. Make sure you always add in red food coloring and make it dark to match the color of real blood. The liquid should flow so it looks like real blood. To create blood splatter, you will take...

How To: Create a "District 9" inspired alien hand

You will need: rubber glove, paper towels, liquid latex, paint, and newspaper. First, fill the glove with newspaper, then secure the fingers with electrical tape to make only 3 fingers. Then, mix up the liquid latex with black paint and apply it to the fingers. Then, place the paper towels over this in coats and shape them so they are pointy. Add in some texture using paper towel strips and cotton balls. Continue to paint over with the liquid latex/paint until you have made your desired textu...

How To: Build your own prop shotgun

In this tutorial, we learn how to build your own prop shotgun. To make this, you will need: one 2x6 that is 2 feet long, one 1x3 eight inches long, two 8" diameter PVC piping 2 feet long, two one inch PVC end caps, picture hangers, assorted nuts, bolts, and crews. First, draw on the shape of your gun on the pieces of wood, then cut them up with a saw. Then, cut out a prong shape in the front and stain the gun to your desired color. Next, connect all the pieces together and attach the wall han...

How To: Make a costume replica of the Jason Voorhees machete from Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy vs. Jason was one of the greatest film cash-ins of all time, but it was still cool to imagine these two greats of 1980's horror squaring off. This video will show you how to make a replica of Jason's machete from the film, using a real machete as a base. They aren't expensive, and if you're going to a Halloween party where real weapons are allowed this would be a great one to use.

Make edible prop bodily fluids: poop, vomit, snot, and blood

The human body is full of different kinds of fluids, most of which are either gross or dangerous to remove from a person for use in one of your films. Fortunately, most of them are pretty easy to replicate using household materials. This video will show you how to make edible prop fake blood, feces, vomit, and snot. They all look great, are safe, and will make you movie much more realistic.

How To: Make a Freddie Krueger glove

In this tutorial, we learn how to make a Freddie Krueger glove. You will need: a saw, sandpaper, silver spray paint, black paint, brown paint, old glove, tin from a can, plexi glass, shiny cardboard, and a hot glue gun. Start off by using your paper roll to cut off a strip of it that will start on the joints of your hands, then cut this in half. After this, make a cut in the top of it and on the sides of it. Do this again for the four fingers, then wrap it around the glove fingers. After this...

How To: Make a double-barrel sawed-off shotgun prop

Using guns in low-budget films is tough. You probably can't afford a real gun or a replica can you? Especially for more specialized guns. Fortunately, this video has the solution. It will show you how to make a really realistic sawed-off shotgun prop for cheap. You will need some carpentry skills and tools, but the gun looks so cool that even if you don't have those things now, you should probably invest in them. You'll be able to use them to make more props later anyway.

How To: Create a rotten diseased flesh effect for Halloween

If you want to make a movie with zombies, or the apocalypse, or the apocalypse and zombies, then you are going to have to learn how to create a really haggard-looking, disease-ridden face out of makeup. This video will show you how to do it using Rice Krispies, among other things. The end result is terrifying, and sure to scare your audiences or trick-or-treating targets into doing what you want (buying theater tickets or giving your candy, respectively).

How To: Make realistic claw marks on the face with makeup

If you want to have a character get attacked by a predatory land animal in your movie, you are probably going to need to put some claw marks on their body to make it look realistic and visceral. This three-part video will show you how to create a really realistic open claw mark wound on an actor's face, or any other body part. It looks really, really good, now try it yourself and scare your family and friends!

How To: Create an open gash wound on a head

Head wounds are among the very worse types of wound, and as a results are very fun and popular subjects for representation in film. This video will teach you how to create an open gash wound on the head of your actor without taking a bottle to it. The wound looks very real, make sure you don't let your actor get near a hospital!

How To: Make a super cannon arm movie prop/effect

This is a video tutorial that is showing its audience how to make a super cannon arm. The first thing you need is a plastic jug, a switch, a wire, a wooden dowel, spray paint, a tap light, nick nacks, foam lining, and a pin light. The plastic jug will be the casing, cut out a hole for the lightsource and a hole for your arm cannon. Spray paint the jug. Make the handle with the wooden dowel. Then screw the handle into place with two screws into your plastic jug. Once you put the handle in then...

How To: Recreate Freddy Krueger's burnt skin makeup

Okay you saw the super-detailed reproduction of Freddy Krueger's clawed glove, now complete the Freddy costume with this "burning" makeup tutorial. In celebration of the return of "A Nightmare On Elm Street", starring Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, Indy Mogul's BFX brought out the pain with burnt skin, but they won't burn a hole in your wallet. This burned up skin makeup recreation is the perfect companion for the knived glove. Complete the horrific Freddy look.

How To: Make fake intestines

Gross out—and fake out—your friends by making some frighteningly, disgustingly real-looking intestines. Inspired by the Instructables project: http://www.instructables.com/id/Great-looking-disgusting-intestines-for-horror-f/

Prev Page