The early paths of most filmmakers and videographers are littered with easy-to-avoid gaffes. Here are nine of the most common filmmaking mistakes and some easy ways to avoid them. Filmmaking, at its heart, is a form of expression. It encourages freedom, experimentation, and innovation. Ther

Having trouble autofocusing your DSLR or mirrorless camera? These three simple steps should clear things up. One of the earliest challenges many filmmakers and videographers face when they finally get their hands on a camera is setting focus. Luckily, for those shooting digital on a DSLR or

For those who enjoy the big game more for the TV spots than the actual football, let’s peek behind the scenes of some of this year’s best Super Bowl commercials. According to an article in The New York Times, the cost of a Super Bowl ad has doubled in the last decade. This year,

Plot is a new storyboarding app that will save you time and help you avoid the frustration of mismanaged paper storyboards — and PremiumBeat readers can try it for free! Managing your storyboards can be a pain — especially on set during crunch time when you absolutely need to find the corre

Fire is beautiful. Fire is dangerous. Fire is a great way to light a scene! Here are some tips and tricks to consider before lighting your next video project with fire. Fire is a beautiful form of light. It’s also wild and unpredictable. The soft incandescent flicker of a burning log

Create a surreal environment by reflecting lights off of a water source. If there’s one element that you don’t want near your lights, it’s water. That said, combining water with a light source can create some fantastic lighting results. Just make sure safety is a top priority. Here are a fe

Visual effects should be so subtle that you think they’re real. This must-watch video from Roy Peker is a great example of the power of VFX. Honestly, you just have to watch — and then watch it again. You’ll notice how Peker and the many artists who worked on the video used com

Filming in tight hallways is tricky — even for pros like the Coen brothers. Here’s their low-budget solution to a common filmmaking problem. Watching the live commentary included with the Criterion Collection release of Blood Simple was an eye-opening experience. Hearing Joel and Etha

Have you encountered a jumpy audio track in your Premiere Pro video editing workflow? Convert it to a WAV file in Adobe Audition! There are few situations more frustrating than throwing an audio file into your Premiere Pro timeline only to discover that the track simply does not work. The a

You’ve invested in a DSLR and tried to protect it — and then you notice moisture trapped in your camera. Don’t panic! Here’s how to go about removing condensation from your DSLR viewfinder. One of the worst feelings for any person working with expensive video equipment is

Don’t throw that broken video gear in the trash! Get creative and turn your busted film equipment into a valuable new tool. Not long ago, I woke up to a loud bang and the sound of splintered glass. I knew exactly what it was. Earlier that day, I had to offload photos from a job, and I

As predicted, refunds are coming to those who preordered the modular Craft Camera. Here’s what the company had to say. One of 2016’s biggest camera flops was the independently manufactured Craft Camera. After following the debate in forums and having plenty of discussions here i

If your next project is set in the realm of fantasy, use these DIY prop tips to add authentic (and affordable) atmosphere to your set. It’s been a long while since Game of Thrones was simply a television series. It’s now part of the mainstream pop-culture vernacular — for exampl

Some of the industry’s top creators weigh in on creativity, music, confidence, dealing with criticism, and finding your voice in a noisy world. Billed as a conversation on creativity, this roundtable from The Hollywood Reporter — featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Donald Glover, Issa Rae,

Lower thirds can add a level of slick professionalism to any video project. Here are a few ways to get them for FREE. While lower thirds are an easy way to reinforce your brand and up the production value of your video project, there’s no need to spend an arm and a leg on graphics. No

Get to know 2017’s Oscar-nominated film editors as they discuss the challenges of cutting everything from high-brow sci-fi to old-school song and dance. Some say the most important part of what makes a film truly great is not the director, the studio, or the big name stars — it’

From La La Land to The OA, film and television are turning back the clock to honor the golden age of song and dance. Let’s look behind the scenes at some of the best song and dance numbers in film history. Interesting fact: Some of Hollywood’s earliest films where produced as suppleme

Utilizing metadata in Adobe Premiere Pro is a fantastic way to stay organized and streamline your video editing workflow. So what exactly is metadata? Metadata is descriptive information about a file. Video and audio files already contain a certain amount of basic metadata information, incl

Plenty can go wrong when you’re trying to capture a perfectly exposed shot of the sky. Fortunately, DaVinci Resolve makes it easy to nail your desired look in post. Beautiful skies are an essential ingredient of landscape shots. However, depending on the density of clouds, sometimes g

Whats that sound? Nothing, if you follow these steps to remove hums and other noises in Final Cut Pro X! There’s nothing more frustrating than bringing all of your hard-earned, beautiful footage back to the edit bay, only to have your spirit crushed once the audio starts playing. Ther