Technology changes rapidly and students always find a way to adapt their skills to the resources at hand. If you can offer students access to equipment and training, that's great. If not, forge ahead anyway. The basic lessons of Making Grimm Movies can be taught without any special equipment. Stick figures are all you need.
Comic books are a particularly good source of ideas.
These are storyboards we drew for Mutzmag . Simple special effects can save money and add drama to movie projects. Try out a glass shot with your students. Use paints or existing photographs to create the image you want. Magazines are particularly good sources for crisp photos.