If you are wondering what it takes to become a video content creator, read through this guide to getting started. I list tools that I use to create content and provide thoughts on what makes videos successful. If something is missing or isn’t clear, email me.

Getting Started

What camera should you use?

The one in your pocket. Seriously! Don’t buy a camera until you have made several videos using your phone. Selfie-side cameras are also perfectly fine, especially on more recent phones. I started my YouTube channel with an iPhone 6+. Wait to make any significant investments in equipment or software until you have published 5-10 videos. If you get a new phone and plan on using it for video, max out the memory option.

Learn what makes a good video

Ashley Kennedy’s course Introduction to Video Editing contains invaluable information related to the mechanics of editing a quality video. You will learn the big points you need to keep in mind when editing videos. Ashley uses premiere pro in the course, but the concepts are applicable to any editing software. I recommend this course because it is the one I took before starting my YouTube channel in 2015. It was originally part of Lynda.com, but now is part of LinkedIn Learning. There is a 30-day free trial.

Pick an editor

You should select a software based on your technical requirements, operating system, and budget. Lower cost software may not have as many features as you may eventually need. Starting out, almost any video editing software will be fine. I started with Cyberlink PowerDirector but switched to Adobe Premiere Pro when I needed multiple camera support. I recommend starting with Premiere Pro since there is a 7-day trial and you can follow along with the Introduction to Video Editing course I mention above. iMovie, PowerDirector, and Premiere Essentials are all solid choices.

Training for your editing software

You should take training specifically for the editing software you select. I recommend Premiere Pro CC 2018 Essential Training: The Basics by Ashley Kennedy if you will be using Premiere Pro.

Things to Consider

I have my opinions about what makes successful video. Some of these things make a video great to watch. Some of these things attract an audience to watch a great video.

Thumbnail

A thumbnail is the still image that is displayed before a user clicks to start the video. A compelling thumbnail is THE MOST important part of a successful video. The greatest video ever created will not get viewed if the thumbnail sucks. Spend time making sure the thumbnail matches the content of your video while drawing viewers in. They have lots of choices so make it easy for them to choose your’s over someone else’s.

Story Telling

After a great thumbnail draws a viewer in, the story is the next most important aspect of a successful video. The video editor’s job is to integrate video assets into a compelling story that captures the audience’s attention. This is true if the video is a 2 hour feature film or a 2 minute how-to video on making your bed. Story telling is the essence of video production.

Search engine awareness

Search engine awareness is important to help blog posts perform their best. Similarly, keywords, tags, titles, and descriptions are important for videos to perform their best. Use a tool like kwfinder or VidIQ to help you compile relevant keywords and craft compelling titles and descriptions.

Dedicated filming location

Try to find a consistent place for filming. I would love to have a dedicated filming location, but it just isn’t possible since I film all over my shop. It would be deluxe to have the lighting, camera, and acoustics addressed. Efficiency sky rockets if you can just go to work: come in, turn on the camera, and start capturing great video.

Scripting

Especially if you generate website articles to correspond to videos you produce, consider scripting your voice overs at a minimum. If you do, your blog post is essentially written, and your voice-over can be captured in a single take.

On-screen presence

My personality is quieter, more reserved, and less excitable than average. Unfortunately a more animated, energetic, and excited presenter is able to better capture an audience’s interest through video. I have to actively remind myself to be more engaging when on-screen. If you have a personality like mine, you may feel uncomfortable as you develop your more dynamic on-screen personality. Your audience will thank you by watching longer and engaging more often with your content.

Channel Topics

An editorial calendar will help you plan video content with a consistent theme, feel, and voice. Consider fleshing out your next 5-10 video topics on paper and organizing their order. There may be opportunities for call backs or previews of upcoming content. You want to create a universe of thematically consistent content in which your audience can lose themselves or rather find themselves.

Identify your mentors

Find 3-5 video creators who are successfully delivering content to the niche you want to serve. Make them your mentors–you don’t need to let them know or formalize the relationship. They are your virtual mentors. Watch them, follow their platforms, emulate their approach and style. By emulating successful content creators, you will emulate success. As you grow and your channel matures, you will find that your own style grows from where you start and emerges distinct from the style and approach of the mentors you chose when you were first starting.

Growth Expectations

To grow a YouTube channel, you need to do several things. You need to produce reasonable–not impeccable–quality videos. The topics must be thematically consistent. The videos must be appealing to your audience. You must publish consistently–a video every week or two. If you do these things, accumulating 1,000 subscribers in about 6 months is reasonable. At that point you will likely be able to apply as a YouTube Partner and start to monetize your YouTube channel with Adsense advertisements.

What I Use

Below you’ll find my affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a commission.

Tripods

It is important to hold the camera still…or at least steady while filming. I have an assortment of tripods many of which came from garage sales. The articulated small tripod, a floor standing tripod, and phone clip for each are the minimum equipment I recommend. I also have an electronic gimbal for my phone, but I don’t use it a lot currently. It is great if you move around a lot while filming.

Cameras

  • Canon EOS Rebel T6i with macro lens- (current version is the T7i – https://amzn.to/2HP1lrE )
  • iPhone X (max memory)- I use my phone for capturing videos to share on instagram and live video
  • Canon EOS Rebel T5i with 18-55mm lens- I don’t recommend this model (go with T7i) because audio capture with a passive mic is poor. I use this for 85% of my footage only because I have an active mic.
  • Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 V – https://amzn.to/2VcnLXf
  • USB Webcam –https://amzn.to/2HP6q3c

Lenses

I use the lens that came with the t5i kit, a 18-55mm lens. I also have a macro lens that my wife bought for photography. It is installed on the t6i because I damaged the 18-55mm lens by using an angle grinder with sparks flying at the camera. That brings me to filters, if you will be filming in even a moderately harsh environment use one. A UV filter screws onto the threads of the lens and blocks UV light. More importantly the filters are MUCH cheaper than lenses.

Storage

I generate a lot of video filming at 1080P 30fps. I generate about 12-30GB of video per day in my shop. A 32GB SD card is sufficient for my needs. At the end of the day, I transfer footage to my primary 2TB USB drive and backup that drive to another 2TB USB drive. I fill one 2TB drive about every year. You should consider how much footage you will generate and how long you wish to retain it when you contemplate your storage solution.

Microphones

Audio is equally important to producing a great video as the actual visual quality. If you are recording video it is nice to capture the audio with the video, this is only possible if you use the onboard mic or connect a microphone into your camera. Otherwise you will be syncing up the video with the audio.

A lavalier microphone is the most efficient way to capture the voice of an interview subject. I use a Zoom recorder to capture the audio from the lavalier mic. I made a custom belt clip so I can wear it the Zoom recorder and route the lavalier mic cable over my shoulder to clip on my collar. Unfortunately this means I have to sync the audio and video, but Premiere Pro makes this easy.

A directional shotgun mic is good if directly miking a subject isn’t possible. An active microphone makes capturing great audio much easier.

A simple microphone stand, a pop filter, and a decent USB mic are all that are required to generate good voice overs. Make sure you don’t setup in a room with bare walls. Echos from the walls will detract from your ability to capture clean audio.

Lighting

I have several lighting solutions, but I still make use of poster board to reflect, diffuse, and block light in the shop. I really like my Neewer LED light panel with barn doors and variable intensity and color temperature. I have an umbrella lighting kit, but it doesn’t really put out enough light to serve as primary lighting for video. The umbrella kit is does OK for photography, but again I like variable intensity lighting which is not possible with CFL bulbs.

Backdrop

Because I work in a shop and have to move equipment or projects around, a black and white collapsible background ( https://amzn.to/2YDVavJ )is an essential tool for me. I can use it to isolate the subject for still photography to get a great thumbnail. For video sometimes it comes in handy for blocking distracting clutter in the shop.

Teleprompter

My teleprompter ( https://amzn.to/2Um7qBZ ) doesn’t get used as much as I thought it would. Although it helps me always say all the words that I script, I still end up doing multiple takes to get the emphasis or delivery like I want it. It comes with an adapter that threads onto the lens or the filter of a DSLR camera.

Hosting

I host videos on YouTube primarily and embed them in posts on my blog. If I intend to put videos behind a pay wall, I host on Vimeo.

Live Streaming

For live streaming I use OBS. This software gives me the ability to integrate video from my laptop’s onboard self-facing camera, my USB webcam, and video assets–either from my iPhone or my DSLR cameras.

Stock Footage and Music

I have stopped buying third party music for my videos. Third party copyright trolls kept flagging my videos using Content ID. I get it. Stealing content isn’t cool. The videos are demonetized until I contest the copyright strike and provide the receipt through YouTube to prove I purchased a license to use. Just too big of a hassle for every video with a 15 second intro clip–ain’t got time for that. I will eventually start using music again after researching sources that won’t hassle me after I give them my money. My audience doesn’t seem to mind for now.