How to film MINIATURES | Top 10 filmmaking tips

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Steve Ramsden here with DIY Moviemaking and this week I’m sharing my top 10 tips for filming miniatures! To demonstrate this I’m using this 1/350 scale model of Fireflash from Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds.
Tip number 1 is to think about the scale of your miniature - basically, the bigger the better, and some famous films have used some enormous miniatures, referred to by Peter Jackson as ‘bigatures’. The bigger your model, the more detail it can have and so the more realistic it will probably look.
Tip number 2 is to consider your lens choice and camera position. A wider lens will make a model look bigger than a tighter lens. But this will only make your model look suitably big and impressive if you also get that wide lens really close to the model. Normally if you get lower with your camera or raise you model up if you can’t get lower, this again will make it look bigger.
Tip number 3: Depth of field. This refers to how much of the image is in focus and how much is blurry. You want to close your iris down to try and get as much of the model in focus as possible, otherwise you're going to be changing focus between different parts of the model and this is really going to make it look tiny. So on your screen you want the highest F number you can see displayed.
Tip number 4 is to think about Lighting, and how to use lighting to hide anything that doesn’t look realistic. A single main light source will probably look the most accurate to represent the sun, because multiple shadows can easily make something look like it’s in a studio.
Tip number 5 is to think about the TEXTURE of your model that the lighting may be hitting. There is a tendency for models to look way too clean and pristine and brand new, and again this can be a giveaway that they are not real. So painting or rubbing dirt onto a model can help.
Tip number 6 is to think about movement. If you’re planning to move the camera, use a slider to keep the movement steady. For shots where you plan on replacing the background, it’s often easier to move the camera rather than move the model, like ILM did in Star Wars, and they used a motion control system.
Tip number 7 is frame rate. When shooting at a higher frame rate such as 120 frames per second you can achieve slow motion by playing the clip back at your normal speed such as 24 or 25 frames per second - the whole shot will stretch out longer and so appear much slower, and this in turn will make objects look heavier and generally add a feeling of weight to any movements in the scene.
Tip number 8 is Shutter speed - this controls how much motion blur your shot will have. For normal-looking motion blur like what our eyes see, you should always set your shutter speed to double your frame rate.. But just like closing your iris, know that cranking up the shutter speed will once again make your scene darker.
High frames rates and shutter speeds are especially essential regarding Tip number 9 is know that anything involving fire and water will make things harder! It is very tough to make these things look convincing in miniature, as if your model is surrounded by giant flames or waves, they can just end up making your model look smaller.
Tip number 10 is think about combining your miniature shots with full scale elements. A good example is to shoot some foreground elements in front of a green screen, and if you light these to match your model then this can be another clever way to fool your audience. You can see a great example of this in the engine room scenes in Titanic where the entire background is actually a miniature. You can also do it the other way round, and add full-scale backgrounds or set extensions to miniatures to make them more believable, and again you can get some really fun results with this, like I did with this Saturn 5 model rocket which I tried using to recreate the launch sequence of Apollo 13. So the possibilities really are endless when compositing full-scale elements together with miniatures. And if you’re interested in learning how to do this easily using Adobe After Effects, then you’ll probably enjoy my dedicated After Effects Essentials course, and the link to learn more about that is below.
So hopefully all these tips have given you some fun ideas to try out in your own projects if you want to have a go at filming some miniatures.
And if you want to learn more about low budget filmmaking in general you can of course check out my full courses at diymoviemaking.com or using the links below. Happy moviemaking and I’ll see you next time!
#filmmaking #miniatures #diymoviemaking

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Want to get inspired to make your own film? Watch my free webinar here: My Top 10 Tips for making your passion project on a budget 😎www.diymoviemaking.com/pl/2147593183

[@pederslothzuricho7685]

Interesting, I actually searched for a video like this to confirm a theory i had, What i find interesting, is actually that My life has been centrered around game design and development for over a decade, and this video has made me want to consider the options for a career change without deciding upon anything at the moment. Being so invested into software is fun, but after seeing this element, I am considering if I haven't always been intrigued to do special effects at least at some level, obviously the most fun part is to solve problems and see a result. But at the very least this video has inspired me to play around with it as a hobby at the very least. The funny thing is my background in Media Technology already has given me a large amount of skills and knowledge within the field, but it took this video to really buy into the idea. And that is very interesting, your video did something very unusual, I have no clue what, but it had an impact. I guess you nailed it, well done.

[@jesus4400]

Like NASA's space hoax!! 8:13

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Wait... a really big minature is called a bigot-chur?

[@MrPeaceandLiberty]

The high speed frame rate was usually calculated based on the scale of the model. The square root of the denominator was used as the frame rate multiplier. For example, for a 1/16 scale model would be shot at four times the usual 24 fps rate, or 96 fps. A 1/25 scale model would be shot at five times the usual rate, or 120 fps. It would be particularly useful when a model is in water,, or the scene involves pyrotechnics or some other motion.

[@MobileFilmmaking]

As a person who makes sci-fi shorts I really need to put these into play so that I'm not solely relying on digital effects. Another awesome video.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks

[@albertol1529]

It was the Fireflash in the thumbnail that grabbed my attention. As one of the original audience of the programme, I grew up with it and all of Gerry Anderson’s “Supermarionation” programmes. It was a time when kids TV producers cared about what they were doing. There’s a great documentary out about Thunderbirds and Gerry Anderson’s Slough based 21st Century Productions. Many younger viewers or non-UK might be surprised to learn that the same guys that invented most of the methods for Gerry Anderson were involved in the UK shooting of the special effects in Star Wars. If you get a moment look out for the documentary. If you’re an aspiring film maker or just reminiscing, it’s worth a watch. Thank you for explaining some of these techniques in this video.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad you enjoyed it! And yes, big fan of the Thunderbirds / Gerry Anderson shows since I was young.

[@danpalooza]

There's a formula to get the proper frame rate for whatever scale model you're shooting. Camera frame rate is increased as the inverse square root of the scale fraction. For instance if the scale model is 1/16th scale, take the inverse of the fraction (which is 16) then square root it (which is 4) then multiply that by what frame rate you want it to be perceived as (usually 24fps) and that gives you what frame rate you should shoot at (96fps in this example). Once you establish this frame rate you can then calculate how fast your model needs to travel to have the perceived speed desired. Which lets say you want your 1/16th scale model to look like it's going 60mph. Multiply your scale fraction by your desired portrayed speed, then multiply again by your frame rate that we calculated before (96fps) then divide that by your normal frame rate (24fps). So the answer for this example would be 15mph or 22 ft/sec for the scale model to travel. (1/16 x 60mph x 96fps / 24fps = 15mph).

[@trespire]

The emergency landing sequence of the Fireflash is one of the most epic action sequences I've ever seen. The suspention, the music score and dialogue were top notch.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

It's so good!

[@GregInTokyo]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbin Everyone trying this stuff needs to watch "Trapped In the Sky" at least once and realize that it was done in the mid 60's with absolutely no CG effects. Brilliant miniature work. Meddings was a master.

[@Dragonblaster1]

Gerry Anderson said they spent hours weathering the models and adding tiny legends to them, which all added to the realism. Apparently, the part where Virgil's elevator car skidded out and crashed was an accident, but a happy one, as it looked great when slowed down.

[@handyman683]

Agreed 👍

[@SamsDesigns]

Incredible stuff Steve! As a miniature film effects enthusiast this is the video I always hoped you’d make

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear! 😀

[@lilstarfishdude]

Great stuff! 😃👍 When painting miniatures, it's 'usually' best to use matte (not glossy) paint, as the glossy highlights have a tendency to make miniatures look like toys. Happy Easter!! 🐇

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

That’s a great tip, makes total sense

[@robertulrich3964]

thx, i was going to add that but you beat me to it! that and soft lights! starwars was shot flat light super soft. sqrt(scale) * normalFPS. and slow down water waves and crests with added goopy thickeners solutions and use special gases that burns with smaller flames.

[@TheCrafsMan]

Excellent tips! And straight to the point. Top-shelf video! Thank you!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks 😀

[@HologramsLab]

Use 3D and VR...

[@SyndicatedKobolds]

Hey Crafsman! Fancy seeing you here! I just finished watching one of yer vids! 😁 Love yer work dude! Keep on keepin on!

[@MalibuDollface]

Perfect timing for my short film I’m starting !

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Great to hear, best of luck!

[@CreepyDan]

Excellent tips sir! I have only used miniatures once so far, it sure was tedious but it was super rewarding when you see the final scene. These tips will help greatly, thanks again! Cheers!

[@leokimvideo]

When I blew up the helicopter on Matrix there were multiple frame rates used. The chopper was 1/4 scale and had cameras set at 120fps and a main wide camera running at 500fps. The actual action of the crash happened over just over 4 seconds, explosives sequence was around 800m/s. Most of the charges were set at 20m/s delays. And I think what many people forget is a miniature shot at a high frame rate has to have the model moving quite fast to be believable.

[@tomstamford6837]

Only yesterday I was recommended your channel by the algorithm and instantly became a fan and hooked. A big thanks for your efforts to spread the knowledge of film making and digital processing with necessary detail while still maintaining clarity. The mark of a good teacher. This seems so accessible to me now, with the tools even people like me can easily (sort of) afford (though the thought of learning PS and AE is giving me chest pains). I am really wanting to get into some small projects now. I particularly appreciated the 'Add Yourself to Movies' video - I didn't finish until 8 am watching your tutorials - and it finally gave me the answer to how does one manipulate the background when you're not the film maker with 2 shots of the same scene.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Welcome - there's lots to see! Glad you're enjoying

[@LilyUnsub]

This is so brilliant, come back to this regularly as a checklist for stopmo so thank you!! 💗

[@elijahrobertscinema6351]

ThunderBirds was my fav when I was a kid! Forgot all about them until you mentioned them! Great video!

[@micahheemstra9049]

Love this! I've been wanting to experiment with filming miniatures for a while. These are the perfect tips for getting started!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Give it a go! 😀

[@SserunnyaEarnest]

Incredible stuff Steve. Making film with miniature film effects this gives realistic in the movie.

[@AnimationGoneWrong]

Some excellent tips, Steve! I've seen some of these, but never as complete a compilation as what you put together here. Thank you!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks! 😀

[@AsterixTheScot]

Thank you! Great tips. Thank you for sharing.

[@RapidActionAnimations]

Great tips man! I recently tried my go at filming a miniature submarine in a container of water with some milk. All these tips are really important and are definitely relevant.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear, that sounds really fun

[@RapidActionAnimations]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbinfor sure. Watch the video to see what I mean.

[@lezbriddon]

Including the happy accident of car 2 veering off the runway when its (real life) controls/cables went screwy, not scripted, but some bright person said hey leave that in, and use a third car, we just got an extra 3 minutes of free drama!

[@BaziaStudio]

Amazing! Best of the Best! ❤

[@MrJeffinLodi]

Steve, this is fascinating and a very odd coincidence. I grew up watching the Thunderbirds as a kid and now stumbled across it again on a streaming channel. I've been watching it again, but now with a film makers eye on it. Just yesterday I was thinking about the actual size of the models,, and then POOF, I see this video in my KZbin selections. Amazing. Thanks for the tips.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

I grew up with Thunderbirds too - they are a lot of fun to rewatch as an adult aren't they! Glad you liked the video

[@trainlover16]

This video’s an absolute godsend Steve. Thanks so much, I’m really going to need this knowledge in all my planned film and tv productions.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear it’s useful!

[@trainlover16]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbin You bet it will be!

[@shankard8007]

Thanks for those tips steve

[@AllanGildea]

Top class, Steve. Thanks for this excellent tutorial.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You’re welcome 👍

[@jasonbecker4974]

This looks so fun!

[@LuchtLeiderNederland]

These tips really help me! Sometimes, I am making short documentaries in a videogame called Roblox Plane Crazy with self-built miniatures of locations such as nuclear power plants and cities. I am currently working on a documentary about the Windscale fire, and I am definitely going to implement some of these tips. Thanks!

[@Mr-S.C.]

Fantastic video!! You obviously know exactly what you are talking about and have the experience to prove it. Something I've always wanted to try is miniature film making and now I'm just a bit more confident after watching this.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Give it a go!

[@Theorex]

This is the exact type of video I have been hoping someone would make for years, this is fantastic, thank you!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You're very welcome!

[@AbandonedMiniatures]

Great tips communicated clearly. Thanks for what you do!

[@metafuel]

This was excellent and full of really good information. Thanks for your time.

[@troybarnes3293]

Big support for the channel and keep on making awesome content and guides and giveaways in the future as well. Worked for me

[@semuthbalap]

Thanks for tutorials. Its so usefull for me.

[@peffken8834]

I would like to add one more suggestion that you can use to help yourself out and get around some problems: Mirrors. If you can not film at ground level, or want to change perspective in the same set without rebuilding it. Also you can use it to avoid blur when you don't have the right lenses available, a zoom lens can then give good and interesting results, even without a wide angle lens. You can also integrate objects into the set that have a different scale - cleverly prepared, people, or whatever, can be integrated into the miniature scene.

[@belpop16]

Very good tips. They helped me a lot in making my own short sci-fi film

[@WatchMysh]

Thanks! That's incredibly helpful! 🤗

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear!

[@PWN_Nation]

Absolutely incredible video, and definitely earned my sub. Can't wait for what's next!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Thanks, there's lots to watch!

[@Miscast]

Thank you! Great tips

[@EasyWay-M.I.S.]

very useful tips.. thank you for sharing

[@katestransky2031]

This is brilliant. I'm sharing this with my model making students. Thank you!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

That's great, hope it helps them!

[@zandershanks7718]

hey thanks for this video it realy did help because i am makeing a diy sci fi ship out of a soap container and was using that for my film and this video helped alot. thanks.

[@onehome6765]

thank you for the tricks and tips this is very useful

[@PCcardboard1354]

Its is so good to see someone keeping this alive,

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks 😊

[@AntonyCannon]

Sweet! Love the tips.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Thanks, glad to hear!

[@dadtype2339]

Very cool, wish i had you around in 2004 when I did an indi film, we had books then lol, abyway, very cool stuff here TY

[@1966tvbatman]

Bravo! Just finished a sci fi movie with miniatures. Love them. Thanks for the tips.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Have fun!

[@yv3652]

Awesome.whats it called.

[@robertlongii6614]

@@yv3652 Monster planet. Just uploaded to You tube.

[@carstenkoloc5226]

Very good Tips.Thank you.

[@DionProbo]

Thanks, its very useful tips

[@avionitoo]

Thanks for the info. 👍🏻

[@EnglishLaw]

Outstanding and so exciting!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks!

[@douglasdueno]

Awesome, instant sub

[@billg3356]

This was excellent! Thank you for the tutorial

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You're welcome!

[@imagehouse6949]

So much knowledge, thanks for the tips & tricks.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad it was helpful!

[@WLANDFILMS]

thanks for this video!!! helps a lot 😁

[@allgood6760]

Thanks for this 👍🎥

[@toffepeer2163]

Excellent tips

[@motsregor3723]

WOW! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!

[@DaJoPaHo]

Thunderbirds Are Go! Love the content. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheUniverseEZvideo]

Tips and tricks. My respects!

[@colescanlan]

man your channel inspires me to make my own films

[@gwynnewilliams3408]

A very informative, concise and interesting film. Thanks Steve!

[@allstargraphics1552]

Absolutely Amazing tricks. Great video.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks!

[@MarkMcCluney]

This was fascinating and very enjoyable. Can I suggest also that the way we see is sometimes affected by what we are hearing? Sound effects and music often contribute to our overall perception and so deep, growly machine sounds can make miniatures seem more convincing. This is used to great effect in Thunderbirds and other Gerry Anderson productions. Well, it's just my thought on the matter. Thanks for this and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your vids!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Great point. The sound design always adds so much to the scale!

[@andrewglazebrook1585]

Always good stuff ! Cheers !!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You’re welcome!

[@ashequeawal]

Awesome! Very Helpful video. I recommend it to every curious person about filmmaking.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks!

[@mcemtpockets1775]

Thank you!

[@Matthewsaaan]

Brilliant video! I need to make the time to do more miniature filming!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Same here haha

[@DevotedSentry]

Thank you so much! As a stopmotion animator, this was extremely helpful!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You're welcome

[@SampoPaalanen]

I know this is an older vid but something I'd like to add about Depth of Field is to remember that your eyes have it as well and a shot that's 100% in focus might end up still looking like a toy due to this. This is especially true for larger objects, I remember seeing pictures where they had replaced 2009 Star Trek movie Enterprise design with the classic 1960s series design, while otherwise very good they had problem where replacement Enterprise was too much in focus for something so big (even the classic design was a size of an aircraft carrier) and looked like a model rather then an actual spaceship. This actually one the reasons bigger is better when it comes to miniatures, you can more easily get a realistic depth of field on bigger models. Even so very good tips and some of those I've found apply to digital models as well.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Great point to mention!

[@dannyr2976]

Impressive results on a shoestring budget! I do recall James Cameron utilising compositing actors against model settings for 'Aliens', impressing 20th Century Fox, who thought this was an expensive set. Great results if you know what your doing.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Absolutely! I believe the exploding tanker truck in The Terminator was also a miniature, albeit quite a large one

[@SashiPritam]

Very informative.

[@MihailMahov]

Amazing video ! Thank you.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You're welcome!

[@FabiokiOjedaBuitrago]

Really good and useful! Thank u!!!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear that!

[@davidtremont6663]

Great video, really loved seeing a couple of projects I’ve worked on in there.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks, and how amazing - which ones were you on?

[@davidtremont6663]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbin I worked on Middle Earth stuff and the Thunderbirds anniversary episodes.

[@skyhigh776]

Wow, what a clever fella you are. Brilliant video.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks, very kind

[@robertcrozier28]

Thanks again Steve for another great video, I’ve always loved the Fireflash, did you also build the model? I’m now thinking about building one myself, the video with you green screened next to it looked brilliant.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks, I have always loved it too. yes I did build the model as I couldn't find one that was pre-built. Seems quite rare! This was very fiddly to paint and build though as it's such a small scale.

[@SolidBlueBlocks]

woah, amazing! Instanty subbed!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

That's what we like to hear!

[@DeickFranfan]

Magnific my friend Steve you models Scala miniature 🤩👍💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎

[@allissondiego1989]

I feel like I should be paying to see this. High quality content straight to the point.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

That's a huge compliment - many thanks

[@marvelfoxmorty5057]

I really like this channel, its help me understand new things for beginners filmmaker like me... Thanks Steve

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Great to hear!

[@warriorclassmedia]

This was freaking excellent

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks!

[@CoconutPete]

this is one course I have on my list to get someday...

[@schoeferfilm]

Very good tips Steve 👏

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks

[@Mr_Guy_Fella]

love your content dude

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Thanks!

[@mcemtpockets1775]

5:56 i learned.... a lot. But this is important to me! Thank yu!

[@VIGHNESH_EDITS_12]

This is very informative and helpful 👍🏻👍🏻

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear!

[@VIGHNESH_EDITS_12]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbin 😊👍🏻👍🏻

[@GDMdesign]

Nice - takes me back to filming super 8 as a kid!

[@ModeliteDiorama]

Thanks, very helpful! :)

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Glad to hear!

[@ModulationWarriors]

Thank you so much!!!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You're welcome

[@SoyGidz]

Thanks for the tips dude 👍👏

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

You’re welcome 👍

[@paulettecherry6501]

Love your videos ❤️

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks 😀

[@paulettecherry6501]

@@SteveRamsdenKZbin I use Vegas Pro 18 for editing. What do you think of this software?

[@heckensteiner4713]

Miniatures kick ass. Great tips!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Thanks! 😀

[@spaztekwarrior]

Man, I wish I could do all that stuff! :)

[@colescanlan]

this is amazing

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

many thanks!

[@user-qy6je5qh1e]

thank you very much😀😃😀👏👏👏

[@teacherofteachers1239]

This is the perfect presentation on this subject. Funny you should mention both Thunderbirds and Star Wars, as I think the work on Thunderbirds miniatures influenced decisions for Star Wars.

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Definitely, and Derek Meddings from Thunderbirds even ended up working on some of the Bonds... where (in Moonraker) he basically got to emulate Star Wars!

[@veronicathecow]

Fireflash is what got me to click, good video, thank you.

[@greeneyedwarlock882]

THAT FAAAAAANTASTIC FUTURISTIC JET!!!! FROM "The Thunderbirds"......absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

It's great isn't it!

[@tansacs]

すごいです！参考になりました。日本から It's amazing! It was helpful. From Japan

[@SteveRamsdenYoutube]

Many thanks

[@nasirahmad-jc3dt]

Too good