Q and Erik: Bald Caps, BFX Gear, Location Shoots, Halloween

How do u make a guy look fat?

well how much does all the equipment you use cost?
just want to make sure i can afford it.

yu owed :)

do objects in the body as in axe in the head or machete in cheast using real people 

I can bet that most people at some point have dreamed of owning a lightsaber. Could you build a couple of different styled stunt lightsabers that wont break on there first wack, and have that awsome Backyard FX look to it? 

What kind of camera do you use?

I have had alot of use to a jib as of late. To bad they're way outta my budget. Can you help me out?

how  can i make a beheading fx

could you do an ALIEN costume from alien versus predator for round about  thanks erik you da man

I was debating about getting a GL2 but I read about some glitches with it.  SO i saved up more and decided to buy the Canon XL2.  Now that was the best ,000 I have ever spent.  WE shoot with a really nice camera but everything else we use is completely homemade.

do you think you could make a steadycam? either on this show or on weekend extra?? that would be incredible!

Hey guys. You all are my hero's. I'm trying to make an effect where someones ghost walks out of their body. I would like to see how you guys would do it

werewolf?! nice.... so thats, monday, friday, and now thursday I check the site

@GregStevens - I have been considering getting a HD camera myself.  Unfortunatly most are 3 grand and up, but I do have some good news. Canon make a camera called the HV20.  It is id="comment_list",099 on their site, but if you look around you can find them for as cheap as 0!  The best thing about this camera is it records in 1080p HD, the best there is, and it can support a boom mic.

Oh yeah, Indy Mogul rocks my world!

Great new show!!!
My question is... I'm making a fictional internet tv show and i wanted to know what was the best video network to use to embed the video on the blog?
All the best, Ross

But there is no fire in fire side chat... ?

daniel Challans:  Terminology varies, but generally speaking, a matte choker would be unhelpful for dealing with the majority of problems with that comp.  Choking the matte usually refers to using something like a Shake Dilate/Erode node to bring the matte in.  This would be useful if there was a fringe around the subject, which wasn't obviously the case except at a few points.  What was desperately needed was spill suppression.  That, and to have the subject sitting further away from the green screen!  Screenspill is always easier to fix on set than in post.  Remember that Mantra!  I've been tempted to shoot some horrible quality test footage to create a tutorial about how to deal with problems when keying and the "one click" try doesn't work.  May have to...  :)

How about way to meet other people interested in collaborating? Two people with no budget are better than one...............unless one is a serial killer.......whatever.

dear Erik,

I was wondering if you can show me how to make a mummy costume without just wrapping someone in toilet paper

                                from, Jimmy

can you do a green screen demo like step by step on how to use it...i get lost trying to figure it out...

weird, there is no sound when i play the video.

u look a little green but i liked the new segment

Your guys show rocks, keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good work.

Welcome to New York, I thought this segment was actually pretty interesting and has the potential to only get better. I was always curious as to what equipment you guys use over at IndyMogul. I have a few questions however: 1) What kind of equipment do you guys use for lighting and is it a standard 3 point lighting setup [Also, outside do you use whiteboards?], 2) For any cost really - How can I create a sturdy and effective Dolly? 3) For green screen are you painting a wall 4) As far as editing goes, What is the best format to save it to get optimal quality? (Uncompressed?), 5)**If someone were going towards buying an affordable HD camera, what do you suggest?** 6) and just overall, how to make your movie have more of a 'professional' feel and look to it

Regardless, I love what your doing on this site and am happy to know you guys are now located in my state. Keep up the good work!

-Greg Stevens

Boing Boing:  Yes, a boom mic, or any type of mic, will capture the acoustics of any room you are in. Unless you can stack the warehouse with tons of stuff that will absorb the sounds waves, good luck trying to get rid of the echo.
But does it really echo THAT much? I mean, is it like a booming echo?

Sweet. Every Thursday? I look forward to it.
And Halloween?? It's still September!

big move to the big apple!!! SWEET. can't wait for the hallowen specials

nice vid, cool humor as always and i like the editing, maybe try using a matte choker to reduce the gree hue on erics face and clothes from the green screen. just my 2 cents worth.

why did you move? did u movie specificallf for the show or some other reason?

Great Hat :P

Awesome segment.. would definitely like to see more of these ! I Live Right In Coney Island, It's Pretty Much The Best Place To Shoot Because You have The Beach Right There.

I've got a question for next week's show: What would be the best lighting situation/digital effects to really make a renegade cop's cigarette smoke stand out on screen? You're the best.

Yay Im so glad for the forums thing...!!!

Hmm, we will have to see what backyard fx looks like wihout a backyard... Why did you guys move across the country? your idea or did someone or something else like nextnewnetworks make it happen?

2 questions,

As for the set ideas, my dad works for a packaging company and They have one huge room with alot of area. Problem is the accoustics in there always echo. So would a boom mic pic up the echo?

And also for the halloween special how about a segment on fake eyeballs.

dude! i was waiting for something like this to come out! i have a couple of questions though. how do you get all this time to work on your show? I'm assuming your in collage. right? you must be really busy! I'm kinda sad you gues left the good old backyard back in oakland. Next week I am going there too and see if I could find you guys! probobly not though. The real reason I was gunna go there was for my mom's highschool reunion. great show! u guys pwn!!!

I once shot in a cafe after it closed because I knew the owners. It really made the movie getting that location. There is really no way you'll be able to shoot in corporate setting, but a locally owned business is often cool. Just make sure and work around their schedule, be SUPER nice and thankful the whole time and give them "mad props" in the credits.

Sweet! Indy Mogul forums! Awesome!

About the set locations, whatever you do, don't film at a restaurant...just don't do it. Don't. You'll either find yourself getting yelled at by stucky's managers, Get burritoes thrown in your face, or waiting until 3 AM in the morning because all the available, but nice looking fast food restaurants don't close until 2 in the morning. 

You're better off just investing in building a basement in your house and fixing it up with all sorts of different rooms with different sets. And props is always the key. You can get any kind of junk at junk/thrift/pawn shops. And you can always fix 'em up new. 

But, if you are really looking for some real nice stuff, try finding a salvage store. These stores are great because they get merchandise from all the big popular stores that have either gone out of business or...caught fire somehow. And they sell this stuff for real cheap, I got a nice LCD flat 30" TV screen (for the pure joy of my entertainment of course) for as low as 0. 

Anyways, awesome job, Erik! And thanks for letting us know what kind of equipment you use. That was actually more helpful than you would realize. 

Tony Bullard, I actually said something about this, but it got cut for time. It also helps a bit to "label" the scene when your scrubbing through the footage, but for video I really think it's unnecessary. 

Glad people are liking it. There will be new ones EVERY Thursday...(unless I'm sick) 

You should have mentioned that the reason behind the clap in a clapboard is to sync external audio to the video.  You find the frame where the clapboard closes, and then you find the clap sound in the audio, and you sync them up.  Considering most low-budget filmmakers use internal audio, the clap portion of the clapboard is perfectly useless.  So is clapping.  

Cool segment.. would definitely like to see more of these

Neat, I like the new segment!
I do I have a Question though, Can a Orphan Eat at a family Restaurant?,lolj/k
Honestly though, does this mean we won't see the other guy's in the same room with you anymore?, or did they move there too?

1st comment