Being a vlogger or a content creator is slowly becoming a professional choice for the youth. If you produce creative and engaging content, it’s a way to generate income and begin your career as an influencer. During the video streaming site YouTube’s early days, only a handful of vloggers are famous enough that people can name.
But now, every suggested video features a thumbnail containing an up-and-coming content creator. Vloggers usually showcase their lives, create product reviews, react to content, or stream live game matches. With the past months focusing on preventing the spread of the virus, most individuals were either watching vlogs or uploading personal content.
If you’re planning to shift from content consumer to creator, here are some pieces of equipment you’ll need:
Camera
Unless you’re planning on recording a podcast, you’ll need a premium quality camera to record the scenes you want to share with your viewers. Phone cameras are at par with professional cameras these days, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can begin your vlogger career with your smartphone. As you continue, you purchase more recording equipment like action cameras for your adventures, a drone for aerial shots, or a DSLR with an interchangeable lens.
Tripod
When recording, you must capture scenes with as minimum shaking as possible. Some cameras have stabilizers, and you can decrease movement in your footage during the editing process. But you can make things easier by recording with a lightweight, sturdy, and travel-friendly camera stick and tripod.
Microphone
Audio is essential when capturing footage. Some people listen to vlogs while doing other tasks, making audio as crucial as video. To correctly record high-quality sound for your vlogs, you can choose between USB and non-USB microphones. Your choice of microphone depends on what kind of content you’re shooting. If you record in a stationary position, having one powered through a wire is fine, but wireless ones are perfect for you if you’re shooting outdoors.
Lighting
As with microphones, lighting also depends on your shooting environment. If you’re shooting outdoors, you can tweak your camera’s ISO and aperture to get the ideal lighting. But if you’re indoors, you should use lamps and ring lights since high ISO levels can result in grainy footage and poor lighting.
Backdrop
Though the focus of your videos should be your content, an appealing backdrop can enhance your setup and make your content better. Other vloggers film in their rooms, enabling them to be more relatable with their viewers. In contrast, some use a green screen to edit captions easily and use a different background for every recording.
Storage
Once you have established the kind of content you want to publish, plus your schedule for uploading content, you can film in advance and keep your followers up-to-date with your everyday life. High-quality edited videos average on large sizes, so having your phone or computer as your sole storage will not be enough. To protect your footage and keep your devices in optimum condition, you can use memory cards, external hard drives, and even cloud storage.
Wireless Shutter Control
Starting your journey as a content creator means you’ll probably operate as a one-person team. When you go on outdoor shoots or even just in your room, one inconvenience you’ll encounter is starting, pausing, and ending your recording. Instead of running back and forth to access your camera’s buttons, you can use a wireless shutter remote, so you can easily record snippets, which will make the editing process a breeze.
Organized storage
Even when you’re recording scenes indoors, you still need to protect your shooting equipment, and you can do this by keeping them in a neat organizer. So you can be ready for outdoor shoots anytime, it’s best to keep your equipment in a backpack that has several compartments for your camera’s body, lens, battery, memory cards, and tripod. Getting a padded bag and one made from water and dust-proof material is ideal since it safeguards your tools from scratches and bumps.
Editing Software
iOS and Android phones, as well as Windows OS, often come with built-in editing software. If you’re planning to upload content where you’ll only need to cut, copy, and paste clips, plus add captions here and there, the programs in your phone or computer will do. But if you want to add more effects to your content, you have the option to purchase Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. To upgrade your content, you can also get the help of a film production studio or company specializing in creating quality stories and visuals.
Whether you’ll be vlogging so you can have memories to look back on in the coming years or want to share your lifestyle with the world, you still need to have the best equipment to start your journey. With high-quality tools, you can create premium content and amass followers in no time.
