Are you someone who is interested in making videos, but you struggle with tech?
If technology is not your forte and you get a bit overwhelmed with the technology required to do a video, then here’s an overview of the five technology basics you need to know about.
The five areas to become familiar with are:
- Camera
- Lighting
- Audio
- Background
- Video recording and editing software
Camera
If you’re using a laptop, the quality of the inbuilt camera is generally not that great so I recommend using an external webcam. You can plug it into your computer and place it on top of your screen, whether that’s a laptop or desktop. Logitech do some great webcams.
However, recording a video on your phone is an even better option because the camera on your phone is of higher quality.
In terms of how to use your camera, think about your camera angle – how you look into the camera. It’s best to be at eye level with the camera so that you’re not looking up or down into it.
If you use a phone you can use a tripod, or if you’re using a laptop you could prop it up on some boxes or get a stand for it.
Lighting
Lighting for videos can differ from when you do online presentations depending upon the place you want to film your videos and also the position you’d like to be in when you film it.
You may choose to stand rather than sit, or choose a room that’s not well lit or lacks space in order to have the right background for your video.
If your room is well lit and you’re facing the light you may not need much, if any, additional lighting (just be sure you’re not overexposed).
And of course, the best lighting is outdoors so you could also consider doing some filming outside.
One consideration to keep in mind is that if you do depend on natural lighting you’re limited in terms of what time of day you can do your filming.
However, if you’re anything like me, I prefer to do my videos indoors. When I first started I placed two LED lights on either side of the camera but I ended up with shadows behind me. If this happens to you, you need to stand further away from the wall but the way I had things set up that wasn’t possible so I still had the shadow.
I now use two softboxes and found that the lighting is just perfect every time and I never have shadows. If you’re interested in getting a pair of softboxes, you can purchase these from Amazon.
If you want to lighten up your videos you can also do this at the video editing stage, but you do need to get the lighting right for the actual video too.
Audio
It’s a good idea to use an external microphone to plug into your phone or computer as the sound quality will be significantly better.
If you film your videos on your phone you can just get a lapel microphone; I use the BOYA lapel microphone.
If you record your videos from your computer, you can either use a USB microphone that you can position near your computer, get a lapel microphone that you clip onto your shirt or use the headphones with the inbuilt microphone that came with your smartphone.
My personal preference is to use a USB microphone that I simply plug into my laptop and position next to me on a stand.
Be sure to do a soundcheck before recording your video to ensure your microphone is working properly.
Background
The main thing to remember is to get your background as clutter-free as possible so that it’s not a distraction for your audience.
You can use a plain background if you wish or you could add something in the background that is representative of yourself, your brand or your values to show your audience more about who you are. It depends on the setup you have.
However, don’t spend too much time trying to get it just right before you post your videos – your content is what’s most important.
Your video doesn’t have to have the perfect background before you start posting your video. There is no perfect background, it’s just about what you choose.
If you choose to use a virtual background that can add colour and make your setting look more professional and interesting, then be sure to use a green screen and use sufficient lighting.
Also, ensure your computer has the right specifications for using a green screen. You can check here.
Video recording and editing software
An easy way to record your videos on your computer is by using Zoom. Simply click on ‘new meeting’ and once it’s open click on record. You can then import the recording to your video editor.
However, as mentioned above, the quality of your smartphone camera will be pretty good so you may choose to record it on your phone.
There are lots of free and easy video editing software available. I recommend Shotcut for editing videos on a desktop. It’s free and really easy to use even for those who struggle with using software.
If you’re someone who likes using your phone and would like to edit your videos there, then Inshot is excellent for that. It’s also free and fairly easy to use.
Once you become more familiar with these five areas – camera, lighting audio, background, and video recording and editing software – you’ll start to feel much more confident about making videos and sharing them with your audience.
