Hart House Film Board

Filmmaking Resources

Due to the falling costs of making films, more and more people are moving to making films, both as indie filmmakers and as hobbyists. That also means that many people are writing about and making movies about how to make movies! The following are a number of helpful resources that explore various aspects of filmmaking.

• Indy Mogul’s got over 150 videos on doing different tricks and stunts on the cheap. Check out their YouTube channel here.
• Final Cut Pro tutorials at FCProducer. Both video and written.
• DV shop has an excellent source of resources and have also a discussion forum.
• DV Format has a ton of Expert Tips, from the basic (How to Shoot) to how to utilize the DV Start/Stop Detect function of Final Cut Pro.
• EventDV, like DV Format, has great information of getting the most out of your equipment. Check out their Tutorials on everything from shooting well to post-production with After Effects and Final Cut Pro.
• Simvideo, has some tips on light meters, calibrating monitors and more:
• Post-Production is an important part of your final film. In that process, subtly altering the colours can help convey your desired impact. To learn about Colour Correction or Colour Grading in Final Cut Pro 4 (we have 4.5), click here.
• Celtx is an excellent, open-source and free pre-production tool, including script writing and story boarding. Here’s some screen shots:

• Chuck’s Video and Film Directory is a large source for numbers and company information for Toronto production Company.
• Manfrotto makes a number of our tripods. They share how-to tips here.
• Ten Commandments of Sound for Video: Part 1 Part 2 Even more info.
• FAQ on Audio Recording (good audio is the first, most important sign that you’re not an amateur).
• Picking the right kind of microphone can help you get the best kind of sound. More info on how to do that here.
• Hundreds of videos on all topics related to filmmaking.
• Lots of videos on the gear of filmmaking and many tips on using the gear better.
• Lighting on the cheap.
• Another user on YouTube with lots of great basics of filmmaking: TheShirtlessApprentice.
• Two great forums to learn a lot from: DVInfo.net and DVXUser.com.

Here are some Discussion Forum Links:

www.cinematography.com
www.filmshooting.com
www.creativecow.com
www.2-pop.com

If you’ve got any great links to resources to help fellow filmmakers, feel free to send them to web@hhfilmboard.com.