{"id":238,"date":"2013-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sproutvideo.wpengine.com\/?p=238"},"modified":"2023-12-13T16:53:25","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T21:53:25","slug":"making-more-with-less-our-favorite-online-video-creation-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sproutvideo.com\/blog\/making-more-with-less-our-favorite-online-video-creation-hacks.html","title":{"rendered":"Making More with Less: Our Favorite Online Video Creation Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beauty of online video is that you don\u2019t need an expensive studio and production team to make it happen. You just need some know-how and determination, and you can make amazing videos in-house.<\/p>\n

To help you get started, we\u2019ve put together a quick list of our favorite video creation hacks. We’ve\u00a0focused in on common problems with\u00a0lighting, sound, and movement\u00a0on film.\u00a0These tricks of the trade will help you contain costs and work with what you’ve got.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Problem: You can\u2019t afford to shell out for expensive lighting<\/h3>\n

Hack #1: Use nature<\/h4>\n

In a jam, you can take advantage of natural light indoors. Have\u00a0the subject\u00a0face\u00a0a window, and cover the window with thin white paper or a transparent\u00a0white cloth to diffuse the light. This keeps the subject well-lit, while keeping the light from being too harsh.<\/p>\n

Hack #2: Reflect what you\u2019ve got<\/h4>\n

To make the most of a single light source\u2014and that could even be a window\u2014use a reflective surface such as a foam board ($3 at most photo supply stores) or a white wall to fill in the shadows. To find out more about how to light subjects properly, check out our post on lighting for video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hack #3:\u00a0Improvise a dimmer switch<\/h4>\n

If multiple lights are on just one switch, you might be dealing with too much light instead of too little. Unscrew some of the bulbs to reduce the amount of light\u00a0being emitted.<\/p>\n

Or, cover the brightest lights with heat-proof parchment paper, usually used for baking. Clip it over the light with metal or wooden clips to diffuse the light.<\/p>\n

Problem: You\u2019re filming on your webcam or smartphone, and are picking up background noise<\/h3>\n

Hack #1: Build your own Mic<\/h4>\n

We loved this tutorial on Lifehacker<\/a>, which shows you how to build your own bootleg microphone for around $9. This one is fairly easy to make if you have a spare hour. It\u2019s perfect for enhancing sound quality on smartphone or laptop video recordings.<\/p>\n

Problem: You have to move the camera while filming, but the footage is bumpy and unprofessional<\/h3>\n

Hack #1: Build your own Dolly<\/h4>\n

Another gem from Lifehacker, this tutorial shows you how to build your own dolly<\/a> from PVC pipes and rollerblade wheels (other wheels will work, too), which will allow you to add some movement into your storytelling without breaking the bank.<\/p>\n

Hack #2: Instructables<\/a><\/h4>\n

Instructables has a host of DIY camera rigs for stabilization. For example this video we found for building a shoulder rig<\/a> or this $15 DIY DSLR Steadyicam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hack #3: Use a handheld drone<\/h4>\n

This might sound a little crazy, but if you hold a quadcopter while its blades are turning, you can get unbelievably smooth footage<\/a>. Obviously, be really, really careful if you test this one out. Be sure to use blade guards as a precaution.<\/p>\n

\n

These are just a few of the many, many hacks out there. If you\u2019re facing a video production problem, and you don\u2019t want to throw a lot of cash at it, give us a shout via comments or on Twitter (@SproutVideo<\/a>) and we\u2019ll help you find a hack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 2<\/span> MIN TO READ<\/span><\/span> The beauty of online video is that you don\u2019t need an expensive studio and production team to make it happen. You just need some know-how and determination, and you can make amazing videos in-house. To help you get started, we\u2019ve put together a quick list of our favorite video creation hacks. We’ve\u00a0focused in on common problems with\u00a0lighting, sound, and movement\u00a0on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_eb_attr":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"feature":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaking More with Less: Our Favorite Online Video Creation Hacks | SproutVideo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes, you have to do more with less. That's where these video creation hacks come in! 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