Props & SFX Features
How To: Do Joker scar makeup from the Batman Dark Knight movie
With the Dark Knight being one of the most successful movies of all time, the Joker is sure to be a sought after Halloween costume. While the make-up might seem tricky to apply, this video shows how to recreate it. Watch this video special effects tutorial series and learn how to do the makeup for the Joker from Batman's Dark Knight movie.
How To: Blow your actor in half with this cool film effect
Make sure and watch this episode as we tackle another heavily requested effect... making someone look blown in half! Jam packed with cheap special effects, Frisbee fun, and a Test Film guest directed by Maniacal Rage!
How To: Make a super hero mask prop for a film or Halloween
Super heros' secret identities are their most guarded secrets. Many choose to protect them with masks, but how to make your mask if you're a new superhero or a filmmaker trying to simulate a super hero? This video will show you how to make your own cheap superhero mask at home, which will be a great prop for your next film or Halloween costume.
How To: Create a zero budget sci-fi laser gun
Here's how to make a cool laser gun using some household junk and silver spray paint. It's a Sprite bottle, by the way. It's best if it's empty too. Really.
How To: Make your own green screen studio and key it out
Want to learn how you can make some awesome YouTube videos of your own? Maybe your own Internet show or maybe even a short indie film... well, one way to make things easy is a green screen. This two-part video tutorial will show you how to make your own green screen studio and key it out. With a green screen, a YouTube show with special effects is easy!
How To: Make the fake "glass in the hand" Halloween effect
Show your kids how to make special effects for the movies, haunted houses, or disaster drills. You can really freak some people out with this special effect makeup. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to make the fake "glass in the hand" Halloween effect.
How To: Make a sniper rifle movie prop
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a sniper rifle movie prop. First, go to this website to get the blueprints: Sniper. After this, draw your gun out onto a poster board and cut it out, you will do this for around 6 of these poster boards. When you are finished, use the hot glue gun to stick all of these together. Next, sand out the sides and attach duct tape to the sides to keep it together. After this, grab two empty water bottles and an empty toilet paper roll. Cut around the top of the...
How To: Make a Jason Voorhees mask for Halloween or other scary occasions
Jason Voorhees single-handedly terrified millions of American children away from ever going to summer camp, and his iconic mask can still send people running to this day. This video will show you how to can quickly and easily make your own Friday the 13th Jason Voorhees mask out of papier mache and other materials. It looks good, and should be quite comfortable by mask standards.
How To: Make your very own sugar glass prop for movies
If you and your friends want to make your own movie and need some cool stunts, this next tutorial should help. In the video, you'll find out how to make your very own sugar glass from scratch. This is perfect for breaking over someone's head and can easily be done within a few hours.
How To: Paint rubber on skin to make fake scars and wounds
Watch this video to learn how to use Skin Tite™ silicone rubber to make fake scars and wounds right on the skin. These are very detailed instructions. This is great for special effects or Halloween!
How To: Create a realistic looking cinema style head shot
In this video, we learn how to create a realistic looking cinema style head shot. First, you will need a cheap toy gun, colored wax, and fake blood to create this. Now, you will need to get some footage of the shooter shooting the gun and flinging fake blood in the persons fake as they shoot. Then, take shots of the other person being taken back by the bullet coming at them. After you get several of these shots, apply the makeup to create a fake gun shot and then mesh all of these together to...
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: 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 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 samurai armor and a ninja death star
Adam shows you how to make samurai armor and a ninja death star for filmmakers on a low budget. You'll need spray paint, cardboard, scissors, and masking tape.
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 gun shot wound FXs with wax and bubble gum
Special effects is swell, especially when it utilizes the wonderful ubiquity of wax and bubble gum to make wounds look unbelievably believable. Ewww gun shot wounds.
How To: Make a cheap lightsaber prop from Star Wars
This video will show you how to make some cheap Star Wars light saber movie props with a few hardware store items such as pvc pipe, pool cues, duct tape, electrical tape, and spray paint.
How To: Make fake and drinkable blood
In this Halloween Science Video Series, Dr. Diana teaches you how to make fake and drinkable blood using ingredients from your kitchen. This recipe is perfect for your Halloween Party. Now all you need is some fangs for that blood to drip down, and you'll have the scariest costume.
How To: Become Heath's Ledger's Joker with makeup and latex
And... here… we... go! This Halloween you'll be the Joker, the wry character Heath Ledger revitalized in the film "Dark Knight," but how? This video tutorial will teach you all of the little tricks to becoming Heath Ledger's Joker with simple makeup.
How To: Make yourself a movie giant using special effects
Indy Mogul shows you four ways to create movie effects to make yourself look like a giant both with and without a green screen.
How to Make 2 props: a laser pistol and a gas mask
This video is a 2-for-1 special. It will teach you how to make not one, but TWO cool props for a film or costume. They are, in no particular order, a gas mask / ventilator and a laser pistol. Both look very cool, require some materials and carpentry skills, and are sure to make your next sci-fi film much more realistic and enjoyable to watch.
How To: Do professional quality Voldemort from Harry Potter makeup
Voldemort, the seemingly unstoppable antagonist of the Harry Potter series played so compellingly by Ralph Fiennes in the films, is one of the best villains in the history of fantasy. If you want to scare the bejezzus out of some children this Halloween or pay homage to Harry Potter in a film, watch this video to learn how to recreate the Voldemort look without makeup and prosthetics.
How To: Design & apply costume FX to become the Terminator
This tutorial will show you how I created my own original Terminator costume from scratch and a modest budget. All the materials used are easy to find items sold at your local Hallowe'en or theatrical costume store.
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: Make special effects makeup burn marks
There are a lot of videos out there that offer instructions for creating all sorts of fake wounds. Most of them, however, focus on cuts and gashes rather than that other devious and action-packed type of wound: the burn. This three-part video features detailed instructions for making a burn wound on your face or other body part using makeup and other household products. Now your characters get lit on fire and you can render the results accurately.
How To: Make a level two boffer sword for LARPing
If you're a LARP maniac, or just a fan of LSD-themed (Latter-day Saint) games and activities, then this tutorial is just the ticket. Check this video out to learn how to make a foam-padded sword that is easy and inexpensive. This level two 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 just the beginning, trust me. There's a level three boffer sword, too.
How To: Make a hidden blade or dart launcher for your film
Adam shows you how to make a hidden blade or hidden dart launcher for filmmakers on a low budget. No, it's not retractable. You'll need metal snips, super glue, scissors, an umbrella, and you guessed it - duct tape.
How To: Build a P-90 prop gun
The FN P90. Everybody wants one, but more than likely, you can't get your hands on one, especially if it's illegal in your area. Designed by FN Herstal back in the 80's, the P90 personal defense weapon is the cream of the crop. It's full name, Project 90, specifies a weapon system of the 1990's. If you want this firearm for a weapon prop or just to have, you can easily build one yourself with household materials, mostly cardboard. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to build a P-90 prop ca...
How To: Build a laser gun prop and create laser effects
Check out this video from Chemical Reaction Tutorials (CRTutorials). If you love filmmaking, prop making, editing and everything else that goes along with making movies, then you'll want to see what Adam has to say about laser guns.
How To: Create a ground explosion SFX for your film on a tight budget
Just because you don't have money to blow doesn't mean you can't blow things up. If you're looking to add a Michael Bay quality explosion to your backyard film project, check out this Indy Mogul Backyard FX video. The total cost of everything you need to make this special effect is less than one hundred dollars.
How To: Create fake puke
Learn a recipe for fake vomit that you can use for puke in your films.
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 cheap and easy fake blood
If you're making a cheap horror movie, you're gonna need fake blood, and lots of it! In this video, you'll learn how to make a liter of fake blood. And the supplies are everyday household supplies, costing less than a dollar!
How To: Build a spaceship
Erik from Indy Mogul teaches you how to build a miniature space ship for your films for under $20. Also covered, are using green screen to create background effects for your UFO film.
How To: Debunk the mirror ghost girl videos
Captain Disillusion puts Japan under the vectorscope to debunk the mirror girl ghost camera trick illusion.
How To: Make a wax hand
This tutorial video will show you how to make a hand out of wax using some candles and water. This is a great idea for making props and various pieces needed to decorate a film set, or a halloween idea.
How To: Debunk the "3 Men and a Baby" ghost myth
Captain Disillusion takes a poke at an old Hollywood urban legend on the YouTube videos using dated camera tricks.
How To: Build a breakable cinder block to karate chop
Show off your karate skills by breaking a cinder block in half! Everyone will be amazed when you karate chop that block in two, without getting hurt. But is it real? That's up to you. If you don't want to break your wrist, it's best to make a fake breakaway cinder block. This is a great movie prop for any martial arts flick, but also good just for showing off. Just don't let anybody pick up the foam pieces. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to build a breakable cinder block to karate chop.
How To: Make Splinter Cell prop goggles
In this tutorial, we learn how to make Splinter Cell prop goggles. You will need: goggles, a saw, pipe, a brush, black paint, duct tape, batteries, chop sticks, glue, a ruler, and a pen. First, mark three cuts on the pipe to 3 cm and 5.5 cm. Now, use the saw to cut these. Then, use sandpaper to smooth all the edges. Next, place these onto the goggles and glue them with a hot glue gun. Next, grab two batteries and wrap them in duct tape. Place these with them and then paint these all black. Af...