Guest-written by Beata Dumaplin.

Don’t know how to do something? Confused by the high tech lingo in your instruction manual? No problem! Nowadays, we just grab our nearest internet capable device, plug in our favorite search engine and click the ‘go’ button. You will find links to dozens of different sites, lists and columns of instructions, but if you need a visual guide, you’re going to be looking for a video.

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Touch screen gloves are a quick solution to using touch screens in the cold. Whether it is your smartphone or a camcorder menu, gloves with conductive metal threaded into the tips will keep you and touch screens functional by warding off numbness. Ever find yourself shooting in the early morning light? Some of the best natural light comes only in the morning or evening and that coincides with some of the day’s lowest temperatures. Trying to adjust exposure or unlock your phone may be impossible with gloves on and easy to get wrong with frozen fingers. The gloves that I found on the shelves of a department store aren’t so thick that dexterity will be lost. These gloves don’t appear much different from ordinary gloves, except for the tips of each finger featuring shiny little lines. It’s these threaded points of conductive material that will allow touch screens to sense your fingers.

It sounds simple because it is, I found a do it yourself video that I’d love to try, but this is after I’d swiped my card for the pair of gloves last Saturday. The example uses silver-coated thread stitched into the tips of the glove, the best part of making your own will be to put conductive threading at more points than just the pads of the fingers. I know use the extreme points of my fingers to operate touch screens so I’d stitch material on the very tips. You may get as creative with your needle work as you can, it’s simply not my expertise. Or if you need a quick option, look for stores to have touch screen gloves around $20.

So now, you might add gloves to your list of gear to grab, with heat resistant gloves for adjusting lights in the studio and cold resistant gloves for those outside shoots with touch screen equipment. Touch screens continue to get better and more pervasive, so we can expect more accessories to go along with them.

Disclaimer: Compatibility with individual gloves and touch screens may vary.

While much of the United States’ east and west coasts are getting rain this week, videographers everywhere are gearing up to keep cameras dry for the winter. Certainly, waterproofing has its applications year round, but now’s a fine time to address it. The first item to cover rarely makes it to a pre-shoot check list – yourself. A windbreaker doesn’t make the cut in this case. A good-size jacket is best to keep you dry; after all, if you are wet, your camera will get wet. Even consider a couple extra towels (you brought some for your talent right?) for absorbing any water that does get through or to dry your hands for camera operation. Should water penetrate the insides of the camera, moving parts are likely to suffer and the life of your camera will be reduced. Professionals can get their arms around rain jackets specifically designed for camera use, but a homemade option is just as viable, especially if the rain is unexpected or forecast for just one day of shooting.

A typical one gallon plastic bag with a lens-sized hole cut on one side will cover many camcorders. Attach the bag to the lens with a rubber band with a little overhang for security. Of course, if you’ve gotten this far you either don’t have an extra person to hold an umbrella or you don’t trust them. When it comes to gathering audio, a lavalier mic is best since it can hide within raincoats.  If you must use a shotgun or standard cardioid mic, try rubber-banding a balloon around it – if there’s too much rustling with the balloon, then maybe an umbrella is the best solution. For your other gear, a case or bag is a must. Backpacks and bags have varying degrees of water resistance, meaning, don’t leave them anywhere uncovered, where they will be soaked through. While hard cases are often waterproof, their cost is generally greater.

So if a rainy day turns into a movie night, remember the preparation that goes into shooting in the rain. Then, enjoy the rewards of catching the shots for those dark and stormy nights.

Check this out! Have you wondered what your cat does during the day? Well check out the ‘Cat Cam‘ a little micro camera attached to a cat’s collar. The camera automatically shoots a photo every two minutes from your cat’s perspective. The ‘Cat Cam’ is even available for order if you would like to strap up your feline or perhaps canine friend and see what their up to.

See title. I’m not sure I need to expound on this idea since the title of this post perfectly sums up my thoughts. But since you likely arrived here via a link, I feel I should give you a little more substance to positively reinforce your click-thru behavior.
Let’s talk gear – cameras, lenses, lighting, software – we’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty (and whozits and whatzits galore). I love gear. I really do. And it sure is fun to talk about. In fact, it’s easy to talk about because, for the most part, it’s objective. It’s easy to compare megapixels and millimeters because their values never change.
And talk we do! There are countless blogs and websites that review all the latest in filmmaking techowizardy and photographic doo-dadery. My Twitter stream is full of links to gear reviews, camera tests, and tech shoot-outs.
With all the talk about gear it’s easy to fall into the gear trap. It’s easy to believe that you’re being held back by not having the right piece of technology to tell your story or create your art. “If only.” If only I had an Epic. If only I had a 5DMkII. If only I had a new Mac, or a Steadicam Flyer, or that new plug-in, or a tilt/shift lens… it’s a never ending, inexhaustible list of excuses for NOT making art.
But it’s not about the gear. I know that you know this. This is really just a reminder to myself. If you have a vision, if you have art inside you, it can (and will) find its way to the surface through whatever tool is available. Van Gough was not a painter, he was an artist. If he were alive today he might be a filmmaker. If Spike Lee was born hundreds of years ago, maybe he’d be a poet or novelist (idea credit: Godin). These guys used whatever tools they had available to create their vision. Today, we’re lucky that you don’t have to cut off your own ear to get access to inexpensive and powerful storytelling tools.
The truth is making art is scary, messy, and full of failure. It’s straight up hard work. It’s much easier to sit on the sidelines and say we can’t do it because we don’t have the right gear. But don’t fall into that trap. You don’t really need better gear, you just need better ideas.
Here’s what I’m talking about. Below is a video of New York band Atomic Tom performing a catchy tune live on the subway. They’re not using their traditional tools (guitars, drums, piano), just iPhones. The band is talented and clearly has a vision for the song. Take away their instruments and they’ll find a way to make art. And if you take away their phones, I bet they’d still find a way to play the hell out of that song. Talent, not tools, my friends.

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Jesse Rosten is a filmmaker and photographer currently based out of Northern California. He’s a fan of creativity in all its forms.

The sun is a great light source to use when shooting outdoors. It’s inexpensive, doesn’t require electricity, and provides more than enough light for your entire set. However, one of the problems with the sun is its hard light qualities. The sun will tend to leave your subject’s faces shadowy and/or blown out. One way to counteract the overall power of the sun is by using a diffuser.

Cloud coverage works great as a diffuser for the sun, though it’s not very reliable. It shows up when it wants, and tends to leave when you need it most. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive way to create your own “cloudy” day. By using PVC pipes as a frame, and a lightweight white bedsheet as the diffusing material, you can create a large diffuser capable of intercepting the sunlight and turning it into a bright light, free of shadows.

Though diffusers work great for sunlight, because of their size, they’re not great for all shot types. Wide shots don’t always require diffusion. However, it is important to pay attention to the changes of light quality between your closeups, medium and wide shots in order to make sure they are all going to match.

Making your own sun diffuser can save you money, while providing you with beautifully diffused outdoor lighting. The sun is a powerful light source. With the right accessories and lighting knowledge you can create great lighting without ever having to plug into a wall.

For more tips and ideas for indoor light diffusion and outdoor diffusion solutions check out Light Source: Using Diffusion.

Interested in more tips on outdoor lighting? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Lighting Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.