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www.bedfordcreativearts.org.uk
info@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk
A rough guide to all the free-as-possible, wondrous stuff that is out there for you to creatively utilise on the World Wide Web.
Please note: BCA takes no responsibility for the content of any of these external websites.
Have millions of digital photos that you don't know what to do with? If so…
You can edit your own photos online with Picnik. Upload them straight from there to share and organise on Flickr, Photobucket or Facebook among others. Or choose another of the many personal web spaces you can create on social networking sites.
Picnik - http://www.picnik.com
Online photo editing
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com
Share and organise your photographs online
Photobucket - http://photobucket.com
Share and manage your media (photos & video)
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com
Bebo - http://www.bebo.com
Blogging - https://www.blogger.com
Visit us on our own social network and media sites and you could add us as a friend.
Myspace - www.myspace.com/bedfordcreativearts
Flickr pages -
www.flickr.com/photos/bcatoppp/
www.flickr.com/photos/bedfordbamberg-photomarathon/
YouTube - www.youtube.com/BCAGallery
You can find us on Facebook also.
Whether it is Stop-motion, 2D or 3D computer animation that your interested in, you'll be able to find something that suits your animating ambitions. But, be warned, the 3D style of animation needs a huge amount of time just to get a basic image. If this is what you want to do then prepare for some hard work, your families may not see you for days / months / years on end.
Monkeyjam - A stop-motion program for Windows XP
iStopMotion - Stop-motion program for Mac (free trial version, cheap full version)
Stopmotion - Stop-motion program for linux users
Anime Studio - Anime Studio 2D animation program, previously named Moho (free trial version, cheap full version)
Blender - Multi-platform open source 3D content creation suite
Maya PLE - A personal learning edition of the high end Maya 3D animation program (for the career oriented)
www.stopmotionanimation.com - Stop-motion handbook, forums & links
www.brickfilms.com - LEGO based animation resource
www.animateclay.com - Stop-motion Beginner's guide & resources
www.clayanimator.com - Stop-motion resource
www.cartoonster.com provides tutorials on hand drawing cartoons for younger animators
Cartoon Network has a series of 'how to' sheets for drawing cartoon characters
Coming soon… a guide on creating animation on a PSP device (PDF format).
Every film starts with an idea. If you're out of ideas, can't be bothered to write, or just want to see how the professionals do it, it's worth checking out.
Drew's Script-O-Rama - Downloadable TV / Film Scripts and Script Links
http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/dircut.html
Once you have the idea you need equipment and friends… (Or you could just try stop-motion animation.)
And friends need organising.
The art of delegation is one of the greatest tools any film-maker can have at hand. Having people you can trust around that you can delegate jobs to. Makes your life a lot easier. It means you don't have to think of everything and can get on with the job of being CREATIVE!
Delegation isn't about telling people what to do… that's dictatorship.
http://celtx.com/overview.htm
http://www.freefilmsoftware.co.uk
Storyboards aren't just for you. They help the whole crew (your mate) know where cameras are pointing, they save answering the same question over and over. They can even help the editor tell if you have enough coverage (shots) of a particular scene. They don't have to be art, even rough squiggles will do. The more you do them the easier it gets. And… you may even reach the hallowed ranks of those who can storyboard in their head… But it's still a good idea to scribble them down for the rest of the world.
http://www.pdfpad.com/storyboards
http://pizzabytheslice.com/links/film.htm
Video / film you can you can use for your own NON-COMMERCIAL use.
Internet Archive - http://www.archive.org/details/opensource_movies
The Open Video Project - http://www.open-video.org
Once you have created your masterpiece, share your video creation with the online world. Or just see what other people have been up to.
YouTube, online video sharing community - http://www.youtube.com
Cinematographers Mailing List - Can be quite techie and you have to subscribe to the forums - I just use this page!
http://www.cinematography.net/Camera%20TOC.htm
If you can write, you can write. Some people have stories to tell, Some people like to put people in front of cameras. Others just like shouting at people. If you've never had a go or just need a little help / guidance, these are the one's that I've read. None of these will make you a better Writer / Director but they contain nuggets of useful information.
Bear in mind that the bloke who wrote “How to get rich really really quickly” was broke until he published the book.
The Screenwriter's Workbook
Syd Field - A recognised name in the field of scriptwriting.
Just really handy to have around. Read it and you'll probably never look at a Hollywood blockbuster in the same way again.
http://www.sydfield.com
Story
Robert McKee - The other big name
Again, looks at the ingredients that go into a film and gives you the why's and wherefore's.
http://www.mckeestory.com/
The Guerilla Film-makers Handbook
Chris Jones and Genevieve Jonliffe
This time it's over to the Brits. Chris and Genevieve left a perfectly good course at the National Film and Television School because they wanted to make films like Die Hard not period dramas. In the end they made the Welsh Set actioner ‘The Runner’ leading up to the creep ‘Urban Ghost Story’ and the recently completed short ‘Gone fishing’. This beefy book is like a bible for potential film-makers. If you don't have it. You'll have nothing to hold up a dodgy sofa leg. It contains everything from script, pre production, Sound, Editing to Press Packs and Distribution. and has a some handy free software included. I'd put this 2nd on my list of essential books.
http://www.livingspirit.com/lsp.htm
Digital Filmmaking - Mike Figgis
A book that tells you how, without telling you HOW. If you've made a digital film or if you're thinking about it. This little guide takes you through some of the obstacles and moments you might run into as a film maker. There are tips on the basics from being organised on set, to etiquette which EVERY Assistant Director should read (twice!) to getting cheap / free music for your production.
http://www.faber.co.uk
Rebel Without a Crew - Robert Rodriguez
Absolutely my favourite book about film-making, ever. If you've ever got your friends together and tried to make a Reservoir Dogs spoof or made your own single location calling card then this is the book for you.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebel-Without-Crew-Robert-Rodriguez/
It's Robert's diary written when making the $7000 (That's 3 grand in today's money) action flick El Mariachi. From his fundraising (he entered himself into a medical trial to raise the bulk of the cash and also used this time to write the script) to the trials and tribulations of shooting in a small village in Mexico. Leading to the happy accident that sent his Hispanic straight to video experiment (yeah it was that long ago) straight to the big screen.
Roll your own film gear!
DIY Low Angle / Table Dolly - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tekisui/sets/72157594413840709
DIY Track Dollies - http://nigel101.proboards39.com
Video for Above - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=I2C7W3AFVrQ&NR=1
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam
http://www.jasonbradbury.com/
http://www.steadycam-pro.com
DIY Stabilizer / Fig Rig - http://www.flickr.com/photos/shygantic/tags/figrig
DIY Soundbooth
http://digitalproducer.digitalmedianet.com/
Dead Guys
http://www.sticktowhatyouknow.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1021
Living Spirit - Chris Jones - http://www.livingspirit.com/lsp.htm
Red Mullet - Mike Figgis - http://www.red-mullet.com/home.html
Star Wreck - Home made Sci-Fi epic - http://www.starwreck.com
Making The Film - http://nigel101.proboards39.com/index.cgi
The Complete Eejits Guide to Film-making
http://www.exposure.co.uk/eejit/index.html
Mpeg Streamclip (Mac / Win) - http://www.squared5.com
Audio Recording / Editing - http://audacity.sourceforge.net
http://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/abc.html
Guerilla filmmakers - case studies on The Living End, Laws Of Gravity, El Mariachi
http://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/learning.html
Low-Budget filmmaking - case studies on Clerks, Grief, Clean Shaven
Tutorials for Video / Effects software - http://library.creativecow.net
Online workshops on how to do lots of artistic things - www.accessart.org.uk
The BBC has a collection of guides and courses for those of you that aspire to make ‘Cash in the Toilet’ or ‘Pets Under the Hammer’ - http://www.bbctraining.com/onlineCourses.asp
They are essentially teach yourself courses which will show you…
(That you've wasted 4 years of your life at uni eating ketchup sandwiches and destroying your liver)
How to set-up and use Cameras (some no longer available as Auntie's going HD)
There are guides to audio editing software
Glossaries of terms (especially useful if you got a history degree and want to sound like you're interested in the media)
Pre production
Recce's (going to a location earlier to make sure it's not under an aircraft flight path or on a ley line)
Lighting and safety - all invaluable as no-one wants to see their cat roasted under a 2K spotlight (it's just not right)
And some very good advice on sound.
Coming soon… a guide on creating animation on a PSP device (PDF format).
Also, included below are some of the handy hint sheets from our old website (PDF format).
Handy hints on how to make plasticine models for animation
How to do Graffiti-style writing (on paper)
Mural guidelines
The Workbook Project - http://workbookproject.com
http://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/dvresources.html
Check out our general 'Links' page for other resources also.
