Props & SFX Features
How To: Create the low budget bullet ricochet effect
Tomi shows you home to create that cool bullet ricochet dust effect for your low budget indie film.
How To: Make prop glass out of sugar
Don't use real glass as a prop and end up cutting or hurting yourself. Prop glass made out of sugar looks just like the real thing, and won't end in a bloody mess. You will need two cups of water, three and a half cups of sugar, one cup white corn syrup, and one fourth teaspoon cream of tartar. Watch this video special effects tutorial and learn how to make prop sugar glass.
How To: Build a flesh eating plant from Little Shop of Horrors
Straight from the Little Shop of Horrors to your front lawn! Watch this video to learn how to build a flesh eating plant prop that you can use to give people a good scare, in your next movie or when Halloween rolls around.
How To: Create an oozing fake wound
The cost of acrylic paint and corn syrup? Minimal. Freaking out your friends beyond all reason? Priceless.
How To: Do the sword stabbing effect with a harness
Have you wanted a cool stabbing effect without doing the cheesy "hold-the-sword-in-your-arm" routine? Well, thanks to Langaman26, who submitted this awesome tutorial, you now have one!!! Build this awesome harness from things found around your house.
How To: Build the latex skin of a stop motion monster
Without teeny little clay sculptures, you'd have no stop motion movies. While you can purchase a plethora of premade monsters to star in what you believe is the next "Godzilla," you can save some hard-earned money by making these monsters yourself.
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: Freak out your family this Thanksgiving with a chest burst SFX
Have a tendency to eat so much at Thanksgiving dinner that you worry you might burst? Using the same SFX for the chest-bursting alien in the movie Alien, you can create that exact, stomach popping effect! Freak out your family this holiday season!
How To: Recreate the effects from The Exorcist
The guys at Indy Mogul teach you how to recreate some of the special FX from The Exorcist for under $40. Included are the possession makeup, the spinning head, and the green, projectile vomit.
How To: Make a functional alien egg and a ceiling mounted radial dolly
This one is a twofer! The first part of the tutorial shows you how to make a fully functional alien egg out of papier mache and carpet foam. The second tutorial shows you how to make a ceiling mounted radial dolly.
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: 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 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 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 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 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: Create fake puke
Learn a recipe for fake vomit that you can use for puke in your films.
How To: Make fake skin easily for your Halloween haunting
Make fake skin for your Halloween fun, just like we did when I was a kid! Use it for fake cuts, burns, and other ghoulish fun! Or use it to cover up those ghastly birthmarks.
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 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 a fake brain
This video from Backyard FX and Indy Mogul shows you how to make a fake brain. Making a brain is not hard but it does take time and creativity. You can make cauliflower brains, gelatin brains or the one I am going to show you out of bread and glue.
How To: Make a realistic Fallout 3 dart gun prop
One of the many reasons for the Fallout series enduring popularity is the wide variety of creative and retro-futuristic weapons available for the player to lay waste with. Most of them are not real, but by gumption this girl has made one of them so! This video will show you how to make something like, but probably not as good-looking as, this amazing replica of the dart gun from Fallout 3. It's made of pretty much the same materials you make it out of in the game, and might be the single best...
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.
How To: Choose a prop gun for your indie film
One of the long-standing problems of guerilla and indie filmmakers is the quest for exactly what kind of prop gun to use in their films. To help guide you through this quest, Mat Nastos takes a look at all of the options open to filmmakers, including blank firing guns, Airsoft guns, Japanese Model Guns, Real Action Markers and even firing blank loads with real guns. Check out this instructional prop video to learn how to choose a prop gun that's right for your film.
How To: Paint a prosthetic wound
This video describes the coloring techniques to make a realistic gelatine prosthetic wound. The presenter chooses to use grease paint as it applies easily to the rubber gelatine wound mold. First, apply a base color to mimic that flesh tone around the wound and blend it until it matches the skin tone. Next the presenter applies red and pink tones to the wound, the idea is to mimic the color of raw meat. Highlights are then applied inside the wound to simulate fat underneath the top layer of s...
How To: Create a realistic, severe burn using cinema makeup
In this tutorial, we learn how to create a realistic, severe burn using cinema makeup. You will need to start out with unflavored gelatin made to be placed on the skin to create texture and a glossy look for blood. Start by applying the gelatin to the face with a flat wood stick for makeup. Apply in strokes so you have a textured look, not just smooth. Give this time to cool and set, then apply different colors of makeup onto the gelatin with a brush. Use browns, purples, and reds to create a...
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: Create Heath Ledger's Joker makeup from "Batman"
Just think what would have happened if Heath Ledger wasn't the Joker in "Batman: The Dark Knight." It wouldn't have been the same at all. It was a far improvement over Jack's version of the Joker in the previous installments of the film series.
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: Simulate a gun shot wound special effect
Watch this short tutorial on how to make a realistic bullet hit to simulate an actor getting shot by a gun. Materials needed include a pressure sprayer, clear tubing that will fit on to the hose of the pressure sprayer, a small Translucent PVC elbow, fake blood, duct tape, a funnel, a shirt you don't mind damaging.
How To: Make a realistic werewolf claw
You can't have a werewolf movie without a werewolf, but how do you make one. Well, you should start of small. Try your hands at the wolf claws. To create these furry werewolf claws, you'll need a glove and some other materials. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a breakable prop computer. For written instructions on the actual claws, check out the WikiHow article, "How to Make Origami Paper Claws".
How To: Make unzipped eyes with makeup
Apply the zipper eye makeup Halloween costume look by gluing real zippers below your eye. This gives a really creepy, skin opening look. Make it more gruesome with fake blood and darker eye makeup. It's originally a MAC makeup look, but many use it for scary costuming or an industrial zombie look.
How To: Apply a "Two Face" from Batman makeup look
It's summertime and blockbuster films are everywhere! In anticipation of the new Dark Night movie, Erik is showing you how to recreate some serious chemical burns on your face! With the help of this tutorial video, you will look just like Harvey Dent aka Two Face!
How To: Build a fake cardboard security camera
Home security is as important as having a job. You have to protect your family and your valuables. If you can't afford a high tech security system, then maybe a fake security camera will do the trick. This security camera dud is also a cheap alternative for a film prop. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to build a fake cardboard security camera.
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: "Un-manicure" your fingernails (zombie effect) for Halloween or horror movies
This Halloween, forget store-bought prosthetics and expensive makeup artists. If you're looking for that creepy undead look, nasty nails are easily made at home. This video will show you how to make some horrific and ghastly fingernails for your zombie, vampire or other creature costume. The key to these Halloween nails are clear plastic report / presentation covers that you can get from any office supply store.
How To: Create a slit wrist effect using household items
In this clip, learn how to use corn syrup, food coloring and a baby bulb syringe to fake slit your wrists. You will also need a razor blade. Use this trick if you are feeling super emo, or need a special effect for a movie you're making. This trick will totally freak out friends and family - it looks so real! Have fun and be careful!
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 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: 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.