Skate videos are everywhere on youtube. 90% of the time they are done with fish eye "effect"  that you can attain with some video editing software. The reason most resort to this effect or to using crappy fisheye lenses is because quality lenses can be expensive and most kids trying to be discovered and sponsored on youtube are flat broke. Opteka has been around for awhile and they continuously release quality components for great prices so when I saw this Skater kit I have to get one because I have heard great things about this lens. Let's see if it's right for you:

There are a number of ways you can make your videos better. Most of which involve cheap techniques in which you manipulate depth of field, use unique camera angles, and develop fluid camera movements. Truly professional products require a little more in the way of Equipment; when it comes to film equipment price seems to be no object., that is unless you are the one paying for it. Film equipment is almost always overpriced, why? Simply because it is a niche market and it is not lucrative enough to flood the market with competitive products. This truly was the case up until youtube started allowing budget film makers to have a voice on line. Amateur cinematographers are getting better and better and with the new prosumer technology getting cheaper we are seeing a lot more film makers come out of the wood works. This is where a new Niche market is emerging for high end film equipment at consumer prices, and Tommyjib is one such company that sees a great opening in the market. Let's take a look at one of the Best Budget filmmaking products I have ever used:

There are a plethora of jibs, cranes, steadi-cams, tracks, dollys, shoulder mounts, and rigs on the market and most of them are pretty costly. For those of you out there staring at the screen with a black look on your face I am referring to film equipment. If you are into making videos and want to take it to the next level having some pro equipment will really improve your movies in ways you can't even fathom. Most people see these products used on a daily basis in commercials and on TV and take for granted what is entailed to get a really professional looking shot. If you are just starting out there are two products that are a must in my opinion a tripod, and a tripod dolly. Opteka has been around for a little while and they have been very well known in the budget filming world because they make truly quality products at extremely budget friendly rates. Today we will be looking at the opteka Tripod dolly and see if it is the right thing for your next filming project:

We know how hard it can be as an independent filmmaker, with all the costly equipment and pricy permits it can be almost impossible to get to production without some sort of investment from someone with money. The problem with getting investors is that they always have their own opinions and your artistic vision ends up out the windows. That is why we decided to give some tips, builds and tricks for budget filmmakers to make the best production they can on the least amount of money. Let's see how you can save serious coin by rigging up your own LCD monitor for under $100:

Every movie needs and epic raygun....right? Well maybe not every movie but all the good ones at least; and if you have one such movie in production I have the answer for you for your next prop build. This build is pretty simple just about anyone can do it even if you do not have solder skills. You will need copious amounts of duct tape if you do not possess the proper soldering skills though.  So let's get your mad scientist goggles on and start harvesting some plasma and get this show on the road:

Digital media has taken over and improved on the legacy film has endowed mankind with, and as such the need for storage of this media becomes and ever growing need. Seagate knows storage and to keep up with the times they have pioneered a relationship with a great company. Muvee and Seagate are teaming up to give a top quality combo for all you Youtubers and hobbyist movie makers out there. For one price you get a top quality drive and a top quality video editing suite all in one package. Let's jump right in and have a good look at this killer combo:

Making videos has become more than just a hobby for some; in the past professional grade riggings and equipment would run you into the tens of thousands, making it virtually impossible for indy film makers to compete with corporate backed producers without using some serious imagination. Now for under $3000 you can get a camera, lighting, dolly's and materials for "dirty rigs" and just about everything you need to make a pretty impressive indy movie. The U-Fly Cam is one such Budget device that is perfect for the budget movie maker. Let's see how well it performs: