Recent content by Joseph Boyd

Soapy water... Just kidding, bad idea. You can buy head cleaners, just like the ones you use for a VCR, but for MiniDv.

Some DV cameras have the 'strobe' setting, which, at least on mine, does a pretty good job of simulating that.

That does not work! I have a friend who had a play script stolen from her that she had registered that way, not only did they steal the script, but they secretly videotaped parts of her play and used them on a video for their company. My friend sued them and lost, but currently if fighting that...

That's a hard budget to work with, and still get decent audio. I've been trying to find a solution in about that price range, too. Your best bet may be to find a used MiniDisc recorder and a small mic, then try and sync it in post. Another option would be to use the sound recording kit for...

Depends greatly on your budget, but my choice (if I had the money) would be a Panasonic DVX100. You could pick up a used one from a reputable dealer for about $2400. However, many of us cannot afford that, so if you need a camera now, look for something 3CCD with as many manual controls as possible.

First off, check your Universities resources. Many schools have cameras for check out from media services or the library; another option would be if your school has a film club, they may also have cameras for loan/rent. I'm assuming from the sound of it, that your school has some semblance of a...

Re: Need help with idea for student film Hehe, right there that screams to me "make a damn good narrative." I've found its hard to get ideas in this medium, my best ideas have come from sitting around with my writing buddies (usually over a couple pitchers at McMenamins) and going over our...

Work lights are great, but unwieldy and hard to control. I like to use Halogen light bulbs in house hold lights, you can get them in up to 200 watt that fit standard sockets at Home Depot (remember they get hot), also I have a 30" China ball with a three way switch and a halogen that goes up to...

Do you mean cinematography? If so, check the Oscars website.

Definitely, rent a camera. Your local film school or non-profit film center often has very good digital cameras they'll rent out to the public. Depending on your location, you most likely have a rental house nearby as well (though the prices will probably be higher). Our local school rents out...

I've had good luck with the quality of ourmedia.org, the servers are slow, sometimes prohibitively. But Ourmedia has no size limit on uploads and allows you some freedom with the type of copyright you want.

I don't know much about using special effects, but I'm pretty much certain you need something other than MovieMucker. MM can only use those pointless prepackaged effects like 'film grain' and 'fade in' The problem many of us face here is that real editing software is incredibley expensive, or in...