I have had a couple of people ask me recently what I use for creating my YouTube videos. Questions are also posted regularly on different facebook groups of which I am a part. I will plan to do a more detailed report in the near future but thought I would put this post out for now. Some of the items below are affiliate links. This does not impact your purchasing experience but does earn me a small commission for the referral. It helps me to continue to produce free content for my viewers. I only recommend products which I personally use.
The most common questions seem to be what do I use to take the videos/pictures, what device is used to hold the camera/phone and what lighting so I will cover those three items in this first post.
CAMERA MOUNT
I started with just a simple and inexpensive mount like the blue and white one below. This one did well for me in the beginning and is a great way to invest a little to decide if this is something you are really interested in pursuing. Making good video content is more time consuming than you might think! The price point on this one was great. There was a lot of flexibility in the arm which also led to more wiggling of the camera if doing things like running a die cutting machine if I was not careful. I was able to mount the stick on another piece of furniture just off of my table to mitigate that issue. Eventually I invested in the Akron stand. I personally purchased the one with the full kit including the ring light and the tablet holder as I may eventually decide to pursue Facebook or YouTube lives and this would allow me to see what my viewers are seeing. You can always order just the basic stand and add on the accessories later.
vIDEO EQUIPMENT
I have kept it simple and just use my cell phone at this point for videos. It is convenient for me and does a good job. Most newer phones have a good camera and will do a sufficient job for my purposes. I do recommend downloading the video to your computer for editing and prior to uploading to YouTube. It can take some time for the upload process and you don’t want to tie up your phone. Below is the phone I use for reference but as long as you have good quality on your phone that is what I would start with.
lighting
Lighting is something I still work with. The key is to have more than one light source. I currently use two Ottlites as pictured below as I also like these to use as task lighting for my projects. A third light that I can put above the video surface (I use the same area for taking photos as well) would probably be helpful. I have this smaller Ottlite pictured below that I may move over during filming from my desk where I do most of my work. There is a tall bookshelf right next to my taping area. I should be able to place it on the top of that to get an overhead light. Play with your lights you have around and do several test videos to find what works best in your location. Remember, if you have a lot of natural light coming in from your windows that will be a factor and will change depending on the time of day, weather and seasons.
Final Thoughts
This has been a journey of learning for me. Don’t be intimidated by all of the technology and gadgets. You can start by simply using what you have and work your way up from there. While lighting, photography, editing etc are all important the most important piece is your content and presentation. Make sure you have good quality information to share and that you are prepared when you tape your video. When I first started, I did not do any editing and I can’t tell you how many times I started over because I got tongue tied or made mistakes trying to focus on the video, project and talking at the same time. That’s OK! The important part is to get started. If you try to wait for the perfect set up, the perfect camera, the perfect project and so on you’ll never get going.
I am by no means a professional but am happy to share my experiences with others. If you found this helpful, please leave me a comment below.
