It’s time to start making videos for your business but what equipment do you need to get started? First off the quality of video from your phone is great so for now, don’t worry about buying a separate camera.
Camera equipment for your phone is not as expensive as you think. Today I am going to show you 3 pieces of equipment you need to buy to instantly improve the quality of your videos. Watch the video below or scroll down for the old fashioned text version.
Stabilise Your Shots
The first thing we are going to talk about is stability. How many shaky videos have you seen online where the person is just holding the phone away from their face? Shaky footage can be so distracting and instantly looks unprofessional. You need a tripod.
A cheap tripod will give you a solid shot.
This is one of the cheapest and best pieces of equipment you can buy. If you are just setting up a shot and filming (not adding any movement) then you only need a cheap tripod. You can find one on Amazon from £20 upwards.
You need a phone mount for your tripod.
You will also need a phone tripod mount like the one above which is about £7.
Tripods are easy to set up.
Screw the phone mount into the top of the tripod, extend the legs, clip the phone in and you are good to go. Another great thing about using a tripod is that you can use the rear camera which is normally much higher quality than your selfie camera. Set up your shot and record a test clip to check you are framed nicely.
Another option is to get an octopus style Tripod like the one below. You can find cheap versions for about £15 and these are fantastic. You can set it up on your desk or wrap it around any surface like a door frame or post. It allows you to get more interesting looking shots.
A Gorilla Pod can be very versatile.
Bonus tip! When setting up your tripod think about your eye level to the camera. You want the lens to be level to or just slightly above your eye-line. Too low and everyone will be able to see up your nose and you will get a lovely double chin from looking down. Too high and it looks like the whole world is looking down on you.
Get your eye level right!
Add Some Movement
What if you want to add some movement to your shots? I could tell you to go and buy a gimbal which would cost you £100+ and give you fantastic looking shots but that is quite an investment when you are just getting started.
A pistol grip can reduce camera shake.
Instead, you could look at a pistol grip stabiliser like the one above. It’s only about £8 from Amazon and it helps add stability to your shots. Instead of holding your phone with your hands which easily introduces shaking, you have one solid point to hold your phone. Now you can experiment with all different types of camera moves like a pan, a raise or a walking shot.
A raise shot.
Bonus tip! When holding your phone, try and keep your arms as close to your body as possible. This helps create a solid core which allows for smoother movement and less shake. When creating movement, move with your whole body rather than your arms.
Keep your arms in to stabilise your footage.
Sounds Great
Lastly, let's talk about audio. I have a whole video on why you need to use a microphone which you can find here but the condensed version is that bad audio drives your viewers away. How can people take your message on board when they can’t clearly hear what you are saying.
In the last video, I spoke to you about a clip-on or lav microphone which is the best option if it is just you talking on camera in one location. But what if you have multiple people on camera or you are going to be moving whilst talking? This is where a shotgun mic is perfect.
A shotgun mic picks up audio from straight in front.
These are a little bit more expensive but you can pick one up with the pistol grip for around £50. Shotgun mics are directional which means they mostly pick up the sound coming from straight in front, this helps cut out a lot of the background noise but not as much a lav mic. You may also get a windshield which is perfect when filming outdoors.
Bonus tip! Microphones work best when they are close to the source of the sound so whether you are using a lav mic, a shotgun mic or god forbid the microphone on your phone, make sure you get as close as possible whilst also framing a good shot.
That’s A Wrap
Your phone has a really powerful camera but there are inexpensive ways that we can improve the quality of your videos. A tripod will give you rock-solid shots when talking to your camera. A pistol grip will allow you to experiment with movement in shots without adding too much shake and a microphone will improve your audio quality and allow your viewers to hear what you are actually saying.
Do you have any of your own gear recommendations? Leave them in the comments below.
Do you want to make sure your YouTube channel is bringing in profits for your business? Then make sure you check out our new video series ‘Your Essential YouTube Checklist - 5 ways to make sure your channel boosts your business’ right here!