How To: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Grenades (Portal 2's Cave Johnson Would Be Proud)
Portal has been one of the most critically acclaimed and universally loved games of the last few years, and there's plenty of fan art to prove it. From building a Portal gun, to a gravity defying Companion Cube, and even installing Portal onto a graphing calculator, fans have found some innovative ways to show their love for the games.
Becoming the Dark Knight: 8 DIYers Show Us How to Build Batman's Belongings
The final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is here, The Dark Knight Rises, and if you're anything like me, it made you want to immediately don a cowl of your own and run around punching criminals. Don't forget though, one of the most awesome aspects of Batman is his never-ending supply of crazy gadgets. Unfortunately for most of us, we don't have a billion dollars, nor Morgan Freeman, so we'll just have to make do with some good old-fashioned DIY tricks. Read on for a rundown of ...
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: 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 Tommy Gun out of cardboard
This video begins by showing the necessary tools needed to make a prop tommy gun out of a cardboard base. The first step is to trace a simple handle shape on the cardboard and repeat eight more times until you have eight exact copies of the handle. Then using an image of a tommy gun make an outline on the gun to cut in another piece of cardboard. You must cut and make eight more copies of the entire gun body to have the appropriate thickness for realism. The handle must be glued to the gun bo...
How To: Make a fake Glock pistol prop with functional slide, trigger and magazine lock
Using guns in your independent films is risky business, and expensive to boot. Since you probably don't need to actually shoot anything, you can probably get by with a replica prop gun. If you're gonna do that, why not make it yourself? This video will show you how to make a realistic prop Glock handgun with working trigger, slide and magazine lock.
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: Build cheap prop tombstones for Halloween or effects
Follow along with Dr Kreepy in this quick video tutorial on how to do cheap and easy tombstones for your home haunt. You will need a marker, a hobby knife or X-acto knife, a hacksaw, an electric rotary tool, black acrylic paint, black spray paint, white paint, a spray bottle full of water, a paintbrush, and foam board. Watch this video special effects tutorial and learn how to make a cheap prop tombstone for a Halloween decoration or a film prop.
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: Make a fake pregnancy belly prop on a budget
If you're a filmmaker on a budget and you've got some farce up your sleeve, this video is for you. Watch Indy Mogul's Backyard FX explain how to build a really realistic looking latex pregnancy belly, so that your romantic comedy can grow!
How To: Make a fake movie prop brick
A fake brick is a great movie prop for any action film. You can break through brick walls, smash a brick in two, or throw a brick at someone without being charged with murder. The majority of this fake brick is made of foam. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a fake movie prop brick.
How To: Create a falling effect
Steve Nelson from Indy Mogul shows you how to create cool falling or jumping from a building effect. Use a combination of camera angeles, green screen, and editing to create this cool action effect for your films.
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 breakaway cardboard chair prop
A breakaway chair is one of the best pranks, or one of the easiest effects for your indie film project. A breakable chair can be made out of simple household items, and is very cheap. The biggest material needed is cardboard. So basically, you'll make a cardboard chair, that breaks. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a fake movie prop brick.
How To: Build a smashable guitar prop
You're not really going to smash that guitar are you? It's a piece of art. Parker put together this tutorial to show how to build a prop guitar you can smash and let out all that rock and roll angst. You will need a glue gun, chess pawns, cardboard, duct tape, a gift box, glue, a garbage can, paper, paint, string, and a ruler. Watch this video prop-making tutorial and learn how to build a prop guitar for smashing.
How To: Make a fake ghost amateur video
This video show you how you can add a fake ghost to an amateur film or home video.
How To: Create a hole in the chest special effect with green screen and gore
Indy Mogul Backyard FX is here with an awesome, cheap, special effect build that will have your audience jumping out of their seats. If you're a filmmaker on a budget you've got to watch this video and learn how to make a hole in the chest effect that look exactly like there is a hole in the actor's chest.
How To: Make Splinter Cell Goggles
These goggles are great for a stage prop, cosplay, Halloween, or any videos you may make! They're made to look like Sam Fisher's tridents from the game series Splinter Cell.
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: Make feet and hand paws for a fursuit or other costume
If you like fur, and you want to make your own fursuit, the head is the hardest part and you may want to just order that from someone. But the hand and feetpaws are much easier, and as this video will demonstrate you can make your own at home. The video explains all of the steps, and should have you all furry in no time.
How To: Make a retro ray gun prop for film or costumes
It's funny how unevenly the real world keeps pace with science fiction. Smartphones have capabilities that Gene Roddenberry never imagine a portable device could have, but guns still use tiny powder cartridges to launch hunks of metal at things. The phasers, ray guns, and blasters of Star Wars, Star Trek, and other sci-fi works have yet to appear. Don't let that hold you back! This video will show you how to make a cool retro ray gun prop that you can use with a Halloween costume or in a film...
How To: Do the Joker's makeup from The Dark Knight
Heath Ledgers iconic portrayal of The Joker in the film The Dark Knight has made him a Hollywood legend, shoving Jack Nicholson Joker straight out of posterity. This video will teach you how to do your makeup to look like his scary makeup from the film. The end result looks really good, and is sure to intimidate your friends on Halloween or at whatever other costume soiree you wear this to.
How To: Make fake bruises for film or Halloween
Bruises may not be as gory or extreme as the gashes and slashes from some of the other fake-wound videos on the site, but they are an important part of the fake-injury world. I a brick falls on you, what you are going to have isn't a cut, but a very nasty bruise! This video will teach you how to make a realistic fake bruise on your arm out of makeup, which should be handy for you next film.
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 an Eragon sword out of wood
Ethan of Dead Fish Tutorials demonstrates how to make a sword from "Eragon." Eragon was given his sword Zar'roc by the wise Brom. All you need to have Zar'roc for yourself are some sticks you find in the woods, a bit of spraypaint and other cheap supplies, and a lot of geeky gumption.
How To: Make a movie prop grenade
A grenade is the best way to make your indie action war flick more realistic, but anyway you try it, it's not going to be completely "realistic". You need a prop grenade, and you can eerily make it yourself out of cheap household materials. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a movie prop grenade.
How To: Make the quick-draw sleeve gun from "Taxi Driver"
This video tutorial from IndyMogul shows you how to make the quick-draw sleeve gun from "Taxi Driver".
How To: Make cheap moving dragon wings controlled by the body
Check out this video tutorial on how to make cheap dragon wings, controlled by body posture. You can do this project for $18 if you use plastic garbage bags and Scotch tape for the membranes. You'll see how to make very light and strong costume wings. How strong? That strong.
How To: Make a homemade electric chair
Whether you’re pro or con on the death penalty issue, there’s nothing more terrifying than having a real live electric chair in your own home! So you should probably just use these simple steps to create a mock-electric chair to “shock” your guests! This Fear.Net Halloween video shows us how to make a homemade electric chair to frighten the Trick or Treaters this holiday season! Make a homemade electric chair.
How To: Recreate the Joker's makeup from the Dark Knight movie
This video series demonstrates a take on the screen accurate Joker from "The Dark Knight." The materials and makeup used are all from a company called Mehron, specifically the Extra Flesh that used for the scars, the Liquid Latex, the Spirit Gum, and the Fantasy F/X Tube Makeup. Watch this video special effects tutorial and learn how to do the Joker's makeup from the Batman Dark Knight movie for a Halloween costume or a new life as a sociopath.
How To: Make a wig stand for your cosplay wigs
If your into anime and manga, and even cosplay, then you probably have tons of homemade wigs laying around.
How To: Make a level three foam boffer sword for LARPing
If you're a LARP maniac, or just a fan of LSD-themed (Latter-day Saint) games and activities, then you can't miss out on this. Check this video out to learn how to make a foam-padded sword that is easy and inexpensive. This level three boffer sword will take care of your LARPing opponents like Chuck Norris. If you're a fan of live action role-playing, then this boffer sword is the best of the best for kicking serious ass.
How To: Build prop break-away furniture cheap
This week on BFX we teach you how to build break-away furniture, because if you break one more real chair over your friend's head, he's never going to act in your movies again!
How To: Make fake breakaway glass using SMASH plastic
Watch this video to learn how to make your own professional fake breakaway glass, using SMASH plastic. This glass is great for special effects and pranks!
How To: Make Star Trek Comm Badges
Star Trek Communicator badges rule. If you're a Trekkie, you know they are iconic to the TV series. The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine all had these awesome communicator badges.
How To: Film Moving Seat Belts in a Car?
Im filming seats belts in a car.....I want them to move as if they are alive and dancing. How can this be done.? Can someone help me?
How To: Build a Star Wars Lightsaber (Infographic)
There are many ways to make a lightsaber. You can turn a flashlight into a steampunk lightsaber, you can make a lightsaber from junk, and you can make one that looks totally real (if you've got the money and time). Heck, you can even make one in Photoshop. And now you can make one using an infographic! Who doesn't like infographics? This infographic by Herbert Pocket, which may or may not have been inspired by this lightsaber infographic, will show you the quick route to making a Star Wars wo...
How To: Hacked Portal Gun Prop Actually Levitates a Companion Cube!
Portal, the popular game from Valve, has been critically acclaimed since its release in 2007. Its unique gameplay and humorous storyline is the reason for its popularity amongst nerds everywhere. This has also spawned a large community in cosplay and prop design. The most popular aspect of the game has to be the awesome portal gun. The gun creates companion portals on almost any surface that allow the player to jump form place to place with ease and also allows you to move heavy objects with ...
How To: Turn an Old Aquarium into a Cloud Tank & Create Creepy Alien Atmosphere Effects
Need some creepy visual effects for your alien flick, but don't want to spend a bunch of money? With some pretty basic materials, you can turn an empty aquarium into a "cloud tank," which can be used to create several different atmospheric effects. Before Hollywood started using CGI, cloud tanks were used for scenes in a lot of famous movies. Remember this one? Besides Raiders of the Lost Ark, cloud tanks also helped make some wonderful non-CGI effects in Independence Day, Close Encounters of...
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