We all know that everyday household items can help us a lot in photography and filmmaking. Jordy Vandeput of Cinecom.net shows you five cheap items each of us has at home, and which you can use for a variety of purposes when you’re shooting.
1. Paper clips
Other than holding your papers together, paper clips can be used for tons of “life hacks,” and some of them are useful for photography and filmmaking, too. You can bend a paperclip around the cables to keep them organized. You can also use them to hang the cables on the wall, so you don’t trip over them during the shoot.
2. Clothespins
Us who don’t have a tumble drier have tons of clothespins all over the place. Other than using them for the annoying household activity, you can also use them while making creative work. You can use them to attach the cables to the light stands so they stay organized and untangled. They can also serve to hold a filter in front of your light.
3. Cotton swabs
Cotton swabs may come in handy for cleaning the parts of the gear that are difficult to reach. Jordy suggests using them to clean the edge of the lens. To me, they seem a bit too rough for the lens, so I’d be careful with this. I use them to clean the viewfinder, just like Jordy, and he also suggests cleaning the parts under the camera cage.
4. Masking tape
Although photographers and filmmakers have tons of applications for gaff tape, sometimes masking tape is a better solution. It’s not too sticky and it’s easy to rip. You can write on it, so you can use it to mark the gear. It’s also a good solution when you need to stick a microphone on the inside of someone’s shirt. Another application is creating the markers for the actors or for the props.
5. Toothpicks + rubber band
Toothpicks and rubber bands are actually two types of items, but they’re used as a combo here. You can break off the points of the toothpicks, and create a loop with a rubber band over them like this:
Now you can attach adapters or tie cables to lights stands.
The common household items can find their application in creating backdrops, bokeh, light tents and so on. The ones Jordy uses in this video are only some of the items we all have at home, that cost practically nothing, and that can have multiple purposes on set. And if you have your favorite household objects you use for shooting, let us know in the comments below. [5 HOUSEHOLD HACKS every FILMMAKER Needs to Know | Cinecom.net]
