If you find yourself steering clear of the major shopping centers and any store promising you the world with their Black Friday deals this weekend, consider doing something a little more constructive and whole lot of fun; a DIY project.

As videographers, we know that video gear can cost an arm and leg. Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the cost of video production gear without sacrificing the quality of your videos. For those of you looking for a smooth dolly or truck shot, DIY Photography recently posted a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own table dolly. The best part about this dolly design is the adjustable wheels that allow your camcorder to travel in a straight line or mimic the arcing ability of some of those name brand models.

The tutorial is complete with great photos to help you visualize how each piece fits together as you build your way to making better videos.

The good folks over at isara.org, an organization dedicated to helping kids in Thailand, is holding something I hope to see more of: a video-equipment raffle fundraiser. The organizers of the raffle certainly know our demographic, there’s not much we wouldn’t do for a chance at a cool new piece of kit, and being able to help others in need at the same time is a fantastic bonus.

The fundraiser is to purchase a used van for the Isara center, their goal is $7,000, and they’re already half way there. The tickets range from $5-15 each. The list of donated prizes is impressive, and are from top tier companies like: Abel Cine, Letus, Redrock Micro, Cinevate, Cool Lights, Vidled, Spec-Comm, Wrightsville, and DV Rebel’s Guide.

I’ve given to raffles for charity before of course, but most of the time the prizes are shall we say, a little lackluster. But in this case it’s a win-win. I want to help these kids, AND I want to win this gear!

Take a look at the Isara website for the list of prizes, and more about the organization. Hopefully Videomaker readers can help put them over the top.