Need to Know: Video Content

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Looking to start creating video content for your brand? Our freelance videographer, Isaque Moresco, wrote everything you need to know about how to start making your own video content.

This article contains link, but we do not have affiliate accounts, meaning we don’t make any money from these links. We included them because we firmly believe that they are going to be beneficial.

Everything You Need to Know to Start Creating Amazing Video Content

In the last decade, digitalmedia content has pretty much taken over the world. In the last five years, video content has skyrocketed to the king of all content. So, let’s talk about some of the steps you can take to enhance your video content online. We will be discussing some budget friendly options and as well as, “the sky is the limit; money is not an issue” options.

First, let’s go over some of the fundamentals to creating video content. Obviously, you will need some type of camera that captures video. This can be anything from your mobile phone, a digital SLR/mirrorless camera, or even a cinema camera. Literally, anything that can capture video. The beauty now a days is that our phones can capture some really good high-quality footage. Most of them have the capability of capturing a resolution of 4k, up to 24, and even 60 frames per second. Which we will talk about later.

Second, you will need some adequate lighting. This can be as easy as using a big window light or buying some cheap LED lights that’ll help you get the job done. I will be linking some of the products once we dive a little deeper in this topic.

Third, and this is the one area where a lot of people don’t invest enough time into, audio. This can make or break any type of video content. Think about any of your favorite movies. What are some of the key things that made it enjoyable? 9 times out of 10, people are blown away by not only the image quality, but also the music choices and the sound design. It’s why hundreds and thousands of us invest in surround sound systems in our homes. It gives us a more immersive feel to the movies and videos that we watch. You won’t be having to worry so much about sound design in your videos but capturing good quality audio will help your audience become more engaged and keep them from scrolling on so quickly.

Lastly, but certainty not least, you will need some type of video editing software. This part can be a little intimidating, also a little costly. But I will be linking some resources and even some free software to get you started on the right path.

Cameras

80% of the time you will be able to get away with filming your video on your mobile phone, but there are ways you can enhance the quality of your capture.

Now I am using my iPhone for this tutorial, but I’m sure any Android or Google phone for that matter has options for you to change the settings natively in your phone. But if not, don’t fret! I’ve got a solution for that too.

  • In your phone settings, find your camera and tap “Settings.”
  • Next, click on “Formats” and make sure “High efficiency” is checked.
  • Go back and click, “Record Video”. Here you will choose either 4k at 24fps or 1080 at 30 fps (the reason we use these settings is because these fps (frames per second) give us the most accurate motion blur, which is more natural to our eyes).

And that’s it!

You are now ready to film video content right from your phone! Another thing to take note of is that when you are in your camera app, you want to lock your AE/AF. This can be done by simply selecting and holding down on your subject with your finger until you see something like AE/AF Lock. To take your phone filmmaking to the next level, you can invest in third party apps that help you manipulate every aspect of your phone’s camera, just like on a regular camera. Apps like Filmicpro and the Moment Pro Camera app can help you with that. 

Now if you would like to go the camera route, there are several really good cameras out there that will get you some high-quality footage that I will link below, from cheapest option to most expensive. Keep in mind that you will also need to invest in certain memory cards to capture certain resolutions of video.

These are just four of many great cameras out there now. Depending on your budget you can find cheaper or more expensive cameras that fit your needs. You can always do the research yourself and find a ton of YouTube videos that will help you decipher your specific needs.

Lighting

Having a good light source can make a cheap camera shine into a high-end camera—pun intended. Having adequate lighting is essential to making sure your camera’s sensor is well exposed on the image that you a capturing. Otherwise, your image can look flat and noisy depending on the scenario. This can be achieved by simply sitting in front of a large window. On a sunny day, you can use a light curtain or sheet to help diffuse the light. While on an overcast day, leave the window wide open, that way you can be sure you are getting some good lighting on yourself or your subject. Here are some cheap lighting options you can get on Amazon. 

Audio

Now, it’s like I said at the beginning of this blog, this is the part that can make or break your video content. Nobody likes to hear the echo of your room or muffled/distorted audio. This can be easily fixed by getting a microphone for your iPhone or camera. 

You want to always keep an eye out for your levels. Most cameras and phones will have audio meters to show where you are peaking. The meters will be shown in 3 different colors. Usually if you’re in the green area, you are good. Yellow means you can still pass but you are reaching the point of distortion. Red, well that’s the territory you don’t want to be in when recording audio. Also, make sure you’re in a room with either carpet or a good amount of furniture. Sound travels, so if there are ways to block it from bouncing around the walls, that would be the best.

Video Editing Software

Now, this is the part where I lose most people. When it comes to editing video, people can feel really intimidated and slowly lose interest. Unfortunately, if you are unable to afford a video editor or get a volunteer to help you edit, then it’s all up to you. But I promise you it’s not as intimidating as it seems. There are several tutorials that you can learn from for FREE on YouTube. Even little things like trimming the ends of your video clip can be beneficial to giving your audience a nice clean look. There are apps that you can get for your phone along with your computer that range from free, to a reasonable monthly/yearly subscription. 

First let’s talk free. If you’re an iPhone or a Mac user, Apple offers a free product called iMovie. It’s a free download on the mobile and computer app store and a great way to learn how to video edit. They make it super user friendly for anyone to use.

Another alternative to iMovie is Movavi. It works for both Mac and PC. 

Another free software is a product that Blackmagic Design offers called Davinci Resolve. It’s a completely free product and if you decide you love it, you can upgrade to their Studio Version for a one-time fee of $295. But, most times it’s unnecessary.

Some paid alternatives are products like Adobe Premiere Pro which require a monthly or annual subscription. 

And there is also Final Cut Pro, for a one-time fee of $299, but it is only exclusive to Mac’s.

And that about does it for some of the basics for video content creation. I highly recommend using YouTube as a resource for learning more about filmmaking/video content. There are several YouTuber’s such as Peter McKinnon, Matti Happoja and many, many more that teach the basic fundamentals of filmmaking and video editing. Hope this helps you on your journey of video content creation!

Need video content created for your business? Contact Isaque!

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