Effects and Stunts Articles

• Blood Effects
• Green Screen
• Horror
• Pyrotechnics

• Tutorial - The Sword and the Light
  October, 2008
  by Paul Del Vecchio
  With the immense popularity of the Star Wars franchise, the light sword seems to have become the most recognizable special effect in cinema history.
• Tutorial The ABCs of Chromakeys
  September, 2008
  by Tom Benford
  Without a doubt, you see chromakeys used countless times - probably every time you watch the news on TV - and perhaps you aren't even aware of it.
• Save As: 15 Quick Tips to Videotaping Fireworks
  July, 2008
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Shooting great firework footage is more than pointing the camera into the sky. The less light you have, the harder it is to focus or capture an image that isn't…
• Special Effects: 7 Sizzling Cool Camera FXs!
  February, 2007
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Low cost camera tricks to create amazing illusions for your viewers.
• Wipers au Naturel
  November, 2006
  by Tony Bruno
  Our media-soaked culture has made cinematic shorthand a second language.
• Video Editing : The Ghosts of Edits yet to Be
  October, 2006
  by Bill Davis
  Time to dim the lights and tell ghost stories. Our Editorial Department demonstrates some techniques on putting some spook into your videos.
• How DID They do that?
  April, 2006
  by Randal K. West
  It's April Fool's Day, and what better way to amuse your friends than getting a little giddy with the camera and going a little wacko with your video?
• Basic Training: The (Alien) Sky's the Limit!
  March, 2005
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Your color creation palette is limited only to the imagination when you understand how to use the simple video filters in your editing software.
• Faking a Big Fall
  May, 2003
  by Tom Patrick McAuliffe
  Toss an actor from a building without breaking his neck... or the bank.
• Forecast: Strong Drama
  June, 2002
  by Gene Bjerke
  Weather can be a key ingredient in your video. Good planning, ingenuity and a few household items can help.
• Tilt! Using the Frame for Special Effects
  February, 2002
  by Jim Stinson
  By creatively using the edge of the frame, you can produce all sorts of trick video photography.
• Editing: Audio for Video - Using Radio Edit Techniques
  July, 2009
  by Mark Montgomery
  One strategy for editing is to do a "radio" edit. Focusing you cuts and the assembly of your timeline on the dialog places the content of the story.
• Lighting Lighting Greenscreens
  January, 2009
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D.
  Many editing software programs now have easy-to-execute chromakey effects, but, to get your scene looking good, you need to plan first and light it right. You…
• Illuminations: Lights in Motion
  January, 2006
  by Jim Stinson
  Natural lights sparkle, shimmer, flutter, flare, glimmer, gleam, revolve, reflect and radiate. Here's some tips to dazzle your viewers with lively photoplays.
• Green Screen Lighting
  October, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Virtual green screen sets are no longer just for the privileged Hollywood bigwigs.
• Light Source: Lighting for Compositing
  July, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  Good lighting is the key to chromakey.
• Light Source: Sound and Light Shows
  April, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  With lighting, you can create spectacular elements with little or no budget.
• We're On Fire
  May, 1992
  by Bernard Wilkie
• It's Done With Mirrors
  March, 1993
  by Bernard Wilkie
• Feasible Fantasy: How To Create Convincing Sci-Fi on a Low Budget
  December, 1994
  by Bernard Wilkie
  You don't need a big budget or fancy equipment to make convincing science fiction effects. Join BBC effects wizard Bernard Wilkie as he explores the realm of…
• Special F/X: Smoke Screen
  August, 1994
  by Bernard Wilkie
• Burning, Bleeding, Floating, and Flying: Simple, Low-cost Special Effects
  September, 1995
  by Mark Bosko
  Ever wondered how to make your own low-budget special effects? Here's a sampling of video tricks that you can perform with common, everyday household items.
• In Box
  March, 1997
  by Karen Director
• Video Time Travel: Tips for Time-lapse Video and Animation
  December, 1995
  by Timothy Liebe
  Ever watched a flower bloom in mere seconds? Or seen an inanimate object take on a life of its own? With the right tools and a little know-how, even beginning…
• Special Effects Are for Everybody
  August, 1997
  by Jim Stinson
  Want to create effects that are quick, simple, cheap and effective? This article lays out the basic ideas thaat make video illusion feasible and then describes…
• Special F/X: Two's A Crowd
  February, 1998
  by Chuck Peters
  Turn any room into a crowded restaurant.
• Back to School: A Video Project
  February, 1998
  by Loren Alldrin
  Shoot a fun, no-budget dream sequence about an all-too-familiar nightmare of being back in grade school.
• Profile: Look! Up in the Sky: It's Video Man!
  April, 1998
  by Alyssa Skye Rivera
  A hobbyist merges freefall and video into a thrilling career.
• In Box
  July, 1998
  by Karen Director
• Special F/X: In Your Face!
  July, 1998
  by Chuck Peters
  All you need to create this drippy, gooey lens effect is a pane of clear glass or plastic.