WOW! THAT'S A LOW PRICE!

Affordable DIY movie effects that look like the real thing? I think I'm definitely interested.
Here's the rundown of what I'm seeing:
http://vashivisuals.com/visual-effects-low-budget-filmmaking/

-Miniatures. Now why doesn't this come up as an idea more often? With an insane fraction of the cost you get from the real thing  (in Speilberg's case, an entire tanker in the middle of the desert), on top of an accurate recreation of color and shape, miniature models are probably one of the smartest choices in budget filming. Given, it's not always easy to pull off, and that brings me to the second lesson I learned.

-Camera effects are something people seem to always overlook. Of course we live in a society where instant higher quality images aren't too hard to take, but you'll need a little more than those filters that come pre-installed on your iPhone. Legitimate camera lenses, like fish eye lenses and wide lenses are super useful in distorting the visuals to, as mentioned above, impose reality on models. Now good lenses can still cost a considerable amount of cash, but in the long run of producing a film, it pays off to the nth degree,

-On location filming isn't always practical. Deserts and tropics aren't always within reach, but you'd be surprised how you can improvise with your local environment. California especially is shown as a wide variety of environments to film with. Now New York is just a bit more limited, but you still have a good set of options. Farmland, woodland areas, beaches, and even the Adirondack mountains if you're willing to take a drive are all within a reasonable distance.

So, I personally think movies with bigger budgets should certainly still use small ideas like these. Sure, you've got the money to do it all for real, but saving time and a considerable amount of the budget is always a wise choice.

Secondly, there are tons of people out there who want to make their own movies. Of course they don't belong to any media guild in Hollywood, so big budget is out of there. With these ideas in their heads, they'll be able to possibly realize their dreams and create awesome films that people will love and create new directing legends. Maybe I'm fantasizing a bit, but it's possible.

So, what other secrets are there? Surely there's more to learn!
Either way, that's my analysis on the subject. Until next time, this has been your bearded guitar dude, Joel.