Good ol’ foam core (sometimes called foam board or poster board). I have seen it at every dollar store I’ve ever been to. So for one dollar you can get many, many, uses of this inexpensive paper board. It’s surprisingly durable and you don’t have to worry too much because it’s so cheap to replace. And there’s no reason to turn your nose up at it! Even pro’s turn to foam core in their professional work because quite simply, it’s very useful.

DSLR Video Shooter outlines 5 uses for great effects:

1. Fill
2. Bounce
3. Flag
4. Background
5. Cookie

If you don’t know what these terms mean, you really should. They are basic essentials for both photography and videography. If you take a few minutes to check out the video you’ll learn exactly what they mean and how to implement them in your next project.