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The Film Look

Convert your vintage photography lenses into DIY cine lenses with these 3D printed housings

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The popularity of classic photography lenses for video has seen a massive increase in the last few years. And it’s no surprise. Some of those old lenses have a fantastic look about them and produce footage that would be difficult or impossible to shoot with modern glass without a lot of post-processing effects to simulate it. And even then, it wouldn’t look 100% the same.

But vintage photography lenses aren’t exactly built for video use. They’re designed to be operated by hand, twisting the focus and aperture rings manually, not with a follow focus unit or a gimbal motor. But Fusion 360 wizard, Edward Park has created a bunch of 3D printable housings to convert them and made them freely available to download.

How to shoot a dark dramatic scene lit by computer monitors

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When I first saw this video from The Film Look pop up in my feed, I thought it was going to be about how to simulate computer monitor light with studio lights, but it’s actually not. Here they used actual computer monitors to light the subjects to film this scene.

They did add a couple of small LED lights as well, to help light up the background and add rim lights, but it’s a very simple setup for recording a dramatically lit scene and making the most out of practical lighting (well, monitors) to light your shot.

24 filmmaking tips, tricks and hacks to use on your next film

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The guys over at The Film Look have posted a lot of great videos in their time, filled with some really good advice and tips. And this one is no different. Here, they offer up 24 tips, tricks and hacks for you to use or think about in your next film project. And unlike many videos of this type, these are actually useful.

Organise your studio or set with this DIY equipment cart

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Equipment cards for use in the studio or on-set can be expensive. REALLY expensive. Of course, those carts often need to hold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. For a small studio or low budget set, though, you don’t need to go to such expense. There are many other alternatives out there that can work just as well that you can customise for your own needs.

In this video from the guys at The Film Look, we see how they organise their own DIY equipment cart. Based off a standard $69 utility cart, it’s very functional after a little tweaking and customisation. And it allows you to keep all your kit organised on set so that you know where everything is, as well as give you a mobile tabletop for gear you’re using.

Check out 100 filmmaking tips and tricks in under 10 minutes

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We’ve shared plenty of filmmaking tips and tricks on DIYP. In this video, The Film Look brings you plenty of these in less than ten minutes. To be exact – you’ll learn as many as 100 useful tricks that will make your filmmaking process easier and help you get more organized. And of course, many of these are not just limited to filmmaking. So, photographers, make sure to check out this video, too.

How to wind up your cables to keep them tangle-free

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Whether you’re a photographer or filmmaker, chances are you’ve got plenty of cables. Not everything is wireless yet. There are long USB tethering cables, microphone cables, power cables and all sorts. Many of them might need replacing fairly regularly if you just shovel them into your bag and don’t take care of them. At best, you’ll waste a lot of time untangling a mess of knotted cables.

The guys over on The Film Look have the perfect solution, and an explanation as to why wrapping your cables properly is important. For a start, it means less wasted time on set untangling them. But it also increases the longevity of those cables so that you don’t have to replace them as often.

5 things you should buy right after your camera

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The first piece of gear you need for capturing photos and videos is the camera. So, you’ve bought it and used it, but there are some items you should also invest in right after your camera. The guys from The Film Look suggest five things you should buy right after your camera. They focus on the filmmaking stuff, but most of these can also be applied to those who want to upgrade their photo gear, too.

How 3D printed camera equipment can make your life easier

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I think it’s a pretty safe bet that 3D printing is now well and truly here to stay. They’re no longer just the DIY custom built passions of hardcore makers. Now, anybody can get buy a 3D printer, or at least get access to one. They’re mainstream now. There’s entire online communities around their use with tips, advice, reviews and all kinds of other stuff.

But did you know there’s a whole host of photography related equipment and doohickies you can 3D print to make your life easier? No, neither did I. It’s been a while since I last took a tour around Thingiverse, and a lot has been added since then. This video from the guys at The Film Look goes through some of the more useful items they’ve 3D printed.

This DIY overhead camera rig folds into the wall for easy setup in small spaces

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We’ve shown a few overhead camera rigs here on DIYP. Some have been quite simple using things you may already own. Others have been created from Open Source hardware. A few have been quite versatile, letting you quickly switch between vlogging & overhead setups. One thing many of them have in common, though, is that they’re not very space saving. They’re often built over fixed desks or tables, or require a lot of room for a stand, boom arm and counterweight.

This one from the guys over at The Film Look is a very elegant and simple solution to achieving these sorts of shots. Especially if you’re short on space. Based around a desk mounted monitor stand, this is a complete top-down solution. As well as the mount for the camera itself, there’s a place to put an external monitor, a backdrop holder, and even a folding flat surface to look down on.

Three tips to never lose your lens caps again

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Lens caps are probably the thing I used to lose the most often, until I quit bothering replacing them. If I have none to lose, then I can’t lose them, problem solved. Sometimes, though, having lens caps saves a lot of hassle. Lenses that I use often are regularly cleaned. But, for lenses that end up sitting on the shelf unused for several months, cleaning dust out of the front element can be a pain. So, I do still keep a few handy.

But if you want to stop losing your lens caps in the first place, what can you do? Well, this video from the guys at The Film Look on YouTube offers three tips to help make your lens caps more visible, organised, and easy to temporarily store while shooting without losing.

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