Low-budget filmmaking tip #190
If you’re filming a miniature, flood the bastard with as much light as you can without starting fires or flipping breakers. Iris down to darken. Don’t go the other way ’round or it’ll look like a miniature. If you’re unsure of this, watch the opening sequence of Logan’s Run. Fatten up that Depth of Field!
One trick I’ve tried before was to put the camera farther away and zoom in, which also kind of helps that depth-of-field issue, but I was told by one fella that this wasn’t a very good idea….
Low-budget filmmaking tip #150
If you’re going to use a puppet or build a model to be manipulated with strings or wires, make the strings removable at the model or puppet, so that if you’re doing a shot that doesn’t need this or that wire, you can physically remove it. Every wire attached to the apparatus must either be taut or gone.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #59
If you are using any miniatures (whether motorized or not, but especially if motorized), fill ‘em with lead, wax, anything that’ll dry solid. The more mass you can get in there, the more realistic it’s going to move, plus, this dampens vibration.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #35
When shooting with a greenscreen, make sure the model is away from the screen. You don’t want any light reflected back from the greenscreen onto your model. Your effects person will bless your heart, assuming they’re on set.
Being able to pull a clean key right away is… wonderful.