Hot Props & SFX How-Tos
How To: Create a spring loaded hidden arm blade from Assassin's Creed for your movie
Sure you can go and make something cheap and unauthentic with a cardboard blade, or, you can REALLY live your dream of being Ezio, or Altair, by checking out this awesome video from IndyMogul on how to make a spring loaded hidden arm blade that will ALL of your friends squealing in jealousy!
How To: Make fake sperm
This video will show you how to make fake FX sperm out of some household materials.
How To: Do makeup for bruises, black eyes, and missing teeth
The guys from Indy Mogul show how you to make beat up fx for your films. Learn how to make bruises, black eyes, and missing teeth to make your actors look like they've really been in a fight.
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 fake single barrel pump-action shotgun prop
Shotguns are great for obliterating things that are close to you. Single barrel pump-action shotguns are the one most readily available to most folks, and if you want to depict one in one of your films without buying one or risking injury to your actors, this video will help you. It will show you how to make a prop shotgun out of cardboard and some other tools that looks pretty realistic and will let you shoot with guns without risking shooting anyone.
How To: Build a replica .30 Caliber Machine Gun prop for sixty dollars
Here's a great Indy Mogul Backyard FX video that will show you how to build a replica of a .30 Caliber Machine Gun, perfect for your war movie. If you need a mounted machine gun prop for the big battle scene in your backyard Saving Private Ryan, watch this clip.
How To: Make a cardboard replica prop of any gun
Cardboard is not the most sturdy of building materials, but it is cheap, abundant, and somewhat rigid. That's all you need to make this awesome prop. This video will show you how to make cardboard replica or prop of just about any gun, in this case a Glock handgun. It looks surprisingly real and is very cheap to make, so if you need a gun for your film or costume and don't have money or carpentry skills, this gun should fulfill your needs.
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: 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 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 Gory Cut-Off Leg Special Effect
Whether it's Halloween or your next gory, homemade horror flick, this cut off leg effect is perfect to scare the crap out of your audience. With cardboard and some poster board, along with a few other household items, this fake cut-off leg is sure to make a scene.
How To: Make fake, breakable glass
Erik from Indy Mogul shows you how to make sugar glass for $20. Sugar glass can be used to create breakable or break away glass FX for your films.
How To: Give yourself a black eye using just a newspaper
In general, no one actually WANTS a black eye. But if you're filming a movie, in a play, or just want to freak out your mom and dad or friends, it's nice to know how to "put on" a fake one.
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 gruesome skin burn with household products
In this tutorial, learn how to create a bubbling, fresh burn on your skin using cheap, simple products from around the house. This method is cheap and easy and will make one of the most gruesome and painful looking burns you can think of. This is perfect for filmmaking, Halloween or theatre projects!
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 ink drop & spread effects
In this tutorial, we learn how to create ink drop and spread effects. You will need: coffee filters, fish tank, dropper, black ink, water, and a bowl. Next, pour water into your fish tank, then pour your ink into the dropper. After this, add in water into the bowl and place the coffee filter in it to soak it, then place it on a flat surface. For the first effect, drop the ink into your water and see what it looks like when you drop it into the tank, getting this on tape and using the proper l...
How To: Make glowing LED creature costume eyes
By using LEDs that only put out a little light the eyes can be lit in dim room light but still appear white, the moment the eyes are in shadow they glow bright red. Watch this video tutorial to see how to make glowing LED creature costume eyes for your film or costume project.
How To: Create an extreme nose bleed trickle and gush
Here, we unveil a brand new type of BFX episode called "BFX On Location"! We've been invited by directors Giancarlo Fiorentini and Jonathan Grimm to create an extreme nose bleed effect for their film "The Old Man and the Seymour". This movie stars Streeter Seidell, Amir Blumenfeld and a VERY bloody nose. Check out all the action as Erik's skills get a real world test!
How To: Build your suit of DIY Master Chief armor from Halo
Master Chief, the star of the Halo franchise before it's most recent iterations, is one of the most recognizable and beloved protagonists in gaming history, and that's without players ever actually seeing his body through his inconic and intimidating armor. If you want to dress up as Master Chief for a Halloween costume, film, or other purpose, watch this video to learn how to make your own DIY Master Chief armor for cheap.
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: Build a Snow Machine
Global warming gotcha down? Worry no more! Learn how to make a SNOW MACHINE!!!! Woohoo. Most of the ingredients are junk you can find around the house.
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: Create a blood squirting "axe in the back" effect
This video tutorial from IndyMogul shows you how to create a blood squirting "axe in the back" effect, just like in Friday the 13th.
How To: Make a hoverboard from the Back to the Future movies
Make your own hoverboard prop from the Back to the Future movies! You can do this whole project for about twenty dollars. You will need a large piece of foam board, green posterboard, some Tupperware, a few pieces of hardware, scrap Velcro, metallic plastic and paint and brushes.
How To: Make a fish man movie or Halloween costume
The video is an episode of Indy Mogul. It opens with a man who tells us the topic of this show is to help people make fake prosthetics for a fish-man costume for Halloween. After an intro showing us that the show is about making homemade special effects and props on a cheap budget and a disclaimer the show tells us the ingredients we'll need to make the prosthetics. They are: clay, sunglasses, latex sheet, quarter-inch foam, styrofoam head and bald cap, and liquid latex. The show then demonst...
How To: Do a prosthetic skin tear effect
Conner is going to show us how to make a prosthetic skin tearing special effect for use in movies. First you need to get some liquid latex, some coagulated blood, and a paint brush. First paint a layer of liquid latex on the area that you want to have the tear away skin. Once it's dry, peel up one edge of the latex, this should make it easier later on when you want to tear away. Using a low angle and your hand to cover the latex at first, record the actor pulling the 'skin' away. Before the '...
How To: Make a Rorschach mask effect from the Watchmen
See how you can make Rorschach's mask from the new hit movie, "The Watchmen". For just under twenty bucks, Erik from Indy Mogul, will show you how to recreate the inkblot effect from Rorschach's mask in "The Watchmen" movie.
How To: Shoot Kung Fu fighting scenes backwards for SFX
Ben and Paul demonstrate the power of backwards running video when shooting a Kung Fu fight scene.
How To: Make day into night & create giants with film tricks
In this video, we learn how to make day into night & create giants with film tricks. When doing this, make sure you don't show the sky because it will be a dead give away. First, set the correct exposure and make it indoors so it's blue. Then, the shutter should be set around four and there should be clouds in the sun. Add some blue and saturate as much as you can. When you shoot, you will get the darkness that you need. If you want to show that it's still daytime and almost night, then make ...
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: Create bullet and gunshot special effects in a film
If you want high action in your film, that probably means a gunfight. But how you can you really 'sell' the exchange of gunfire to your audience? Here are a few tricks you can use in Photoshop and Premiere to replicate guns and bullets.
How To: Make your own Spider Man web shooters
Are you an enormous fan of Spider Man? So much so you wonder what it'd be like to be him and have his capabilities? In this episode of Indy Mogul's Backyard FX, learn how to make your own Spider Man usable web shooters! Use this prop for a low budget film, Halloween costume, or just for fun and take your Spider Man costume to the next level!
How To: Make yourself look very old using basic makeup
In this tutorial, learn how to age yourself for any film or theatre project. This method of aging requires just a few simple makeup products that are cheap and easy to buy, if you don't already own them.
How To: Create a really cheap blood splatter effect
Keir MacDonald shows you a cheap technique for making a practical blood-splattering effect for gunshots and other special fx in your films.
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: 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: 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: Build a fake sword prop
It's medieval mayhem and you need a sword prop. Maybe you're larping, or maybe you just need a fake, dull movie prop blade for your action epic. Either way, this is a great weapons build project for a cool replica wooden sword. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to build a fake sword prop.
How To: Make a fake cut with theatrical makeup
Finally, the professionals are weighing in on how to create fake wounds! This video features a makeup artist from the BBC demonstrating how to make a really realistic fake cut on the hand of an actor using theatrical makeup. The plastic pieces from a CD jewel case that resemble broken glass really set this cut apart from the other fake cuts on the site, along with the professionalism of the presenter.
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