Cheap Video Filming Secrets the Gurus Don’t Want You to Know About
In this article, I’m going to show you how much it costs to produce a Youtube video. Which as you’ll soon find out is
very little.
I’ll show you all the gear you’ll need and I’ll also show you some other things like the best lighting, what to say and even what to wear (no need to invest in a tuxedo.)
What you’ll read in the following article will show you that you’ve got everything to produce a great Youtube video right at your fingertips.
So whether you’re creating a personal vlog or you have a business this article will give you everything you need to get started.
So let’s get rollin.’
Lights, Camera, Action- Is this All I Need?
When you’re recording from a laptop you’ll usually find the camera on it good enough to record. However, there are a few things you need to do to set it up properly.
The camera should be at our eye level which means you’ll need to stack things below it if it’s not at the right height.
If the camera is well below when you film you’ll look dominant because you will be looking down on your audience.
This will give a kind of strange effect of appearing superior to your audience which will lose the connection you’re trying to create.
And to be truthful you’ll look kinda scary too, which will look good if you’re a debt collector but bad if you want to connect with your audience.
Another important thing to do is not to have the framing to high or low. Framing is simply how your face sits in the video.
You don’t want the top of your head cut off when looking into the camera and you don’t want the bottom of your chin cut off either.
To fix this you need to place the edge of your hand (first finger) on top of your head with the palm facing out.
Just like your saluting someone, with the rest of your fingers stacked on top. The space between the top of the screen
and the top of your head should be about three fingers.
Also sitting or standing too close to the camera makes you look scary too.
But sitting too far away creates a disconnection.
The only reason you’d want to sit far away would be to do an interview or to temporarily break the frame which helps create a bit of variety in your videos and keeps your audience interested.
As far as cost goes you can see that the basic equipment you get with your laptop will do just fine. At least as far as the camera is concerned.
Some important points to remember.
You’ll want the camera at eye level and your face to be framed nicely with a gap of three fingers between the top of your head and screen.
How close you position yourself is important too. Not too close but close enough to have a kinda triangular effect where the shoulders and head nicely into camera sights and we have that small space at the top.
So you’re good to ‘go’ as far as the camera is concerned.
To be truthful the microphone on your laptop should work fine to start off with but if you’re thinking of using Youtube videos for a business then you may need an attachable mic. So let’s cover microphones and sound quality next.
Getting the Audio Right- Bring the Noise
In some ways, audio quality may be more important than the camera. I mean what’s the point of making a video if
nobody can understand what you’re saying.
I speak English but the truth is that even when I’m speaking to my own countrymen I have to repeat myself. “I would like two fosh n chops please!”
Anyway to start off with laptop microphones are fine if you can’t afford a good microphone. Standing microphones like a ‘Blue Yeti’ are good. You’ll also want one with a USB connection.
Some people recommend ‘padding the walls” to reduce the echo of a room but I find this unnecessary especially if you have a good mic.
So like I said just get started making videos. If you can afford a good microphone great but it’s definitely not a must at the beginning.
What you’ll be happy to know is that you can also use your smartphone to record good Youtube videos, and as long as you have the headphones to go with it then you don’t need any other special equipment.
We’ll be covering Android phones next.
How Much Does it Cost to Produce a Youtube Video on Android
If you’re wanting to create nice outdoor videos or even indoor then your smartphone is your best friend. I know you
probably spend more time with your phone than your spouse…it’s kinda like having a digital affair isn’t it?
The first thing you need is a front-facing camera. You’ll need this to get your framing right like we mentioned earlier. But how do we find the lens?
To find your lens on an Android simply go to apps, then touch camera icon, then you may need to switch to the front-facing camera. This can be done by tapping a camera icon with arrows.
So while you’re looking into the phone’s screen your face should be showing.
Most phones have several circles built into the phone. To find your lens simply do the above until your face is showing on the screen then place a finger over each circle. When your face is completely blacked out on the screen then you know that that particular circle is your camera.
You could place a sticker next to it to remind you as you’re recording since it’s very important to actually look at your camera lens as your recording and not the screen.
As with the laptop, you’ll want the camera at the right height.
So to do this you can stack some books on a table then lean the phone against a glass of water (be sure not to get the phone wet…especially around the ears.)
Then get your framing right and you’re almost good to go.
Just a couple other things to be aware of:
Make sure the camera is horizontal. This means the phone should be long ways and parallel with the horizon. The reason for this is we want the phone taking a landscape movie and not a portrait.
Portrait videos have black and empty sidebars which don’t look as nice. And as your so good looking you’ll want your audience to see as much of you and your background as possible.
When the phone is horizontal all of you and your surroundings are shown which gives a much cleaner look.
As for audio quality, all you need is the headphones you bought with the phone. You’ll need to cut both headphones off to where they both meet (where they are joined together), BUT on one headphone piece you cut a bit higher just above the small rectangular microphone.
Then when you’re recording plug in the headphones and place the mic just below on the table or stacked books then you’re ready to film. You can even pin the mic as a lapel mic beneath your jacket.
Now you’re ready to record!
Let there be Light- the Sky’s the Limit
I know I’ve said the word important a few times before but I really want to drill this point home about lighting.
Lighting is so, so important
So what’s the best form of lighting?
- lighting rigs
- LED light panels
- Chinese lampshades
- none of these
If you answered four then you’d be right. The best is actually natural sunlight.
To get the lighting right you don’t want it washing your face out by shining directly on you through the window.
With a bit of practice and experimenting you be able to find a regular spot around your home where you get just the right amount of light through a window.
The purpose of using natural light is the right amount to highlight your face and make your audience feel that they
are in the same room as you.
You can also record at night too but the finish on your video won’t be as clean. At night your camera may highlight some bags under your eyes as well as making your face a bit shadowy.
Lighting rigs or LED panels will help but this is the cheap way to do things.
To get your night lighting as good as possible have a light source directly above your head then another two light sources level with your face positioned on either side.
This should remove most of the shadows and have you looking like a Kardashian walking the red carpet. “Eat your heart out Kim.”
So just to focus on those points again:
Lighting is very important so getting this as good as possible will create awesome Youtube videos. Natural light is best but night filming is fine as long as you have those three light sources.
Now I know what you’re thinking.
I’ve got all the equipment set up so what do I wear? How about makeup and hairspray? I want my videos to look professional.
In the next section, I’ll let you know why your wardrobe is not as vital as your message. So hang on to your credit card then put on your jeans and Metallica t-shirt.
What to Wear- Ordinary is the New Sexy
A long time ago, in a bathroom far far away…when I was first looking at doing Youtube video I downloaded a free pdf
telling me that I needed hairspray and makeup.
The problem was having perfect hair put even more pressure on me. I wanted to look like (or felt I needed to) look like a news anchor or a Hollywood star at a movie premiere.
Don’t get me wrong…looking professional is important if you’re wanting to go into a business niche that calls for it.
However whatever you wear when you walk out the front door will do just fine.
You see people are getting tired of these picture-perfect videos promoting their super-duper products.
We want to create videos like you’re having a real conversation with real people.
Authenticity will separate you from the rest of the posse on Youtube.
Just show up and be yourself.
Metallica t-shirt and all.
So just to say those points again.
Show up in your videos in your regular clothes except if you’re in a business that requires it. And don’t try to be an infomercial.
Just be you.
So now we know what to wear what on earth should I say?
In the next section, I tell you how to find out what to say…by not knowing what to say.
Sound funny and cryptic I know but I feel that the Force is strong with you.
What to Say?- Not Knowing What to Say is the Best Script
When thinking about what to say on your video, trying to do professional looking scripted videos is, in my opinion, is
one of the fastest ways to switch people off.
Whether you’re in business or just doing a personal vlog the best thing is to just speak from the heart.
Sure it’s great to have structure but if it looks like your totally scripted then that feels unnatural and forced.
When I started doing video this really stressed me out a bit.
But something funny happened when started doing unscripted video…something I didn’t expect.
I became less anxious in social situations. I became more confident. I also use to stutter from time to time and that dropped off.
I found that by becoming authentic in the video I became more authentic in life.
It’s by being unscripted that we create a better connection with others. This is regardless if we want to talk about personal issues or we’re trying to sell a product.
So be yourself…to be yourself.
Refining the Video with Editing Software
We’re on the home run now. But before we hit the finish line there may be one other additional expense in making a
video. That’s editing software.
To be honest editing software is not essential. At least not to start with.
Youtube use to have its own free editor but they took that function off their platform a few months ago.
One useful thing an editor can do is chop off the beginning bits of the start and finish when you’re pushing the record and stop record buttons.
You can also add text, music, certain transitions which really adds to the experience being better for your viewers but it’s not a must.
I’ve got an editor that costs around 20 USD a year, which is really reasonable.
But it’s not a must to start off with.
Now it’s time to wrap this article up.
Conclusion
The goal of this article was to show you how much it costs to produce a Youtube video. Which is very little as long as you have a smartphone or laptop.
Lighting is important but as we’ve seen natural light is the best. Even night filming can be done with a ceiling light bulb and two lamps.
We’ve looked at getting the framing right which involves no more than stacking books to get the camera at eye level and positioning ourselves at the right distance.
When it comes to necessary expenses and filming on a laptop about all you’ll need is a USB microphone but even they aren’t necessary to start with.
Then you wear what you feel comfortable in and say what comes out naturally.
Like I said at the start we want to create a natural video that feels like our audience is in the same room as us having a conversation.
Doing authentic videos will separate us from the rest of the crowd on Youtube and make us really stand out.
If you’d like to learn how to make great videos on a budget then check out this free introductory course.
Thanks & see you soon.
Chris, founder of Affiliheart.com
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