If you want to turn a decent video into a really good, professional-looking video, you need to do two things. Get a good microphone and use a tripod.

I’ll save the tripod lecture for another time and focus this one on the microphone.  If you ever plan to do any kind of interviewing, a good microphone is a must. If you record someone talking and you’re using the microphone that’s built into the camera, the audio is going to sound as if the person is in a tin can.  It sounds awful.

If video is going to be a big piece of your communications plan, spend the money to get a good microphone.

The first microphone I would recommend is the Rode Wireless GO. This is a fairly new system and it’s brilliant.  The microphone is right there in the transmitter.  This means there isn’t a cord that doesn’t quite get plugged in. Or wires that fray over time. Basically, you can’t mess it up. If you don’t like the boxiness of the mic-and-transmitter-in-one, the kit comes with a lavalier.  My only complaint is the boxiness of the microphone, but I’m sure they’ll work it out.  This retails for around $275 which is a great price.  We have two of these for the video production class and so far, we’re really pleased with the quality of audio we’re getting.

If you have a little bigger budget, I’m a big fan of Sennheiser products.  The audio quality is always very crisp. Also, the microphones we use get used a lot by students. These microphones at left are very durable, easy to use, and have yet to let us down.

 

A really good investment I made several years ago was in the kit at the right.  It’s a Sennheiser boom microphone kit. I call it the big fuzzy, because the wind screen looks like a fuzzy stuffed animal.  I use this microphone more than any of the others.  The audio quality is top-notch, and I don’t have to worry about hiding a lav or its cord, I can take it out in the wind and it still sounds good, and there are lots of mounting options to easily get the audio you want. It also comes with a bag to put all the stuff in.

 

Of course, these are just my suggestions based on my experience.  Always do some shopping around and look for the system that works best for your operation and budget. The important thing is that you make the effort to get good audio.  Once again, the built in microphones on cameras and computers are not very good.  Spend a little money and get something to enhance your audio.

Also go buy a tripod.

 

What??

I’m talking about your smart phone or your tablet. The cameras in smart phones and tablets are amazing, and you can shoot wonderful videos – not with a camera – but with your phone.

For example, Steven Soderbergh recently directed an entire movie, Unsane shot entirely on an iPhone. The movie stars Claire Foy. You may know her as Queen Elizabeth II. If you haven’t watched The Crown on Netflix, I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. I’ve watched both seasons twice and you should too.

Anyhoo, you too can shoot video using only your phone or tablet.  BUT, you need a few pieces of fairly inexpensive equipment to make good video great. I’m going to use iPhone examples, but you’ll get the general idea. I’m kind of a snob about Apple products; however, there are other smart phones that (gulp) may have a better camera than the iPhone.

Image Stabilization

The most important thing if you’re going to shoot good video with an phone. This stabilizer is equipped with a Gimbal, meaning that it has a pivoted support so that you can capture all sorts of angles and movements, but the camera stays stable and the picture stays smooth.  This particular one runs about $70. It’s worth your investment.

There are also lots of tripods out there for smart phones, so just take your pick. The important thing is that you find something to stabilize your image.

However, if I had a limited budget, I would spend the majority of my funds on something like this that’s hand-held.  You have so many more options and can do so much more when you’re not limited to the tripod.

Sound Enhancement

Get a good microphone. It’s so, so important.  This little mic is available on Apple’s website, it’s made by Rode, which is a very reputable brand, so you know it will do good work. You can plug this right into the Lightning connector on the iPhone.  You can record sound by itself through the audio recording app, or you can record sound and video through the camera app.

A different suggestion for audio recording is to get a standalone audio recorder, such as this one from Tascam.  Your audio will be recorded separately, which is what the big dogs do; you can monitor sound separately from the video, which will only enhance the quality of your video; Tascam is an audio company, so you know you’re getting a great mic; and you can use this for other things, such as radio/podcast interviews or qualitative research. It’s a little expensive ($88), so if your budget is limited, then find a mid-range microphone. Almost any microphone will improve your sound quality when compared to the phone’s on-board microphone.

Lens Improvement

There’s only so much the phone can do because of its built-in lens.  But, you can get external lenses that will allow you to shoot phenomenal video.

I found this four-pack of lenses from Sandmarc. It contains a telephoto, wide, macro, and fisheye lens. They slide right over your phone’s existing lens. They’re so cool!

These are also a little expensive ($300). Cheaper options are available. To be honest, I haven’t played with these much, as I would rather use and improve my shooting on my DSLR.  But I know several people that have used this type of lens, and they’re impressed with what they can do.  Also, you don’t have to get the four pack. Just think of how the phone is hindering your creativity (I can’t seem to get close enough, I can’t get a wide enough shot), and order the one lens that would work best for you.

Lighting

This would be the last thing I would buy on a limited budget (that’s why it’s last. Inverted pyramid. Get it?). But there are lots of options for an eye light that connects right to a smart phone. This is a cute little Lume Cube that Apple recommends as an accessory to the iPhone. There are lots of other choices that may be cheaper.

Honestly, though, you can do a lot with natural light and a reflector, which will run you about $40.  Again, the extra light would be the last thing on my shopping list if I were given a budget for gear.

Keep in Mind

Accessories similar to these are available for tablets too. Just do a Google search for your device and what you’re looking for.

Also, I’m not necessarily endorsing these brands.  Two of the products above were found on Apple’s website as an accessory for the iPhone. If Apple endorses it, I feel pretty confident that it’s good. However, the products I pictured and listed are known to work well, and that’s why I included them.

 

 

I love to hear from my department’s alumni. About once a month, I get a question regarding video equipment.  Usually it’s along the lines of “my boss told me to order video equipment, but didn’t give me much money.”  Sometimes it’s “You taught me that we need to have an external microphone. Which one should I order?”  And rarely (but it does happen) “my supervisor told me to order what I need. What should I get!?!”

I love to help with these requests. In this post, I’ll focus on purchasing equipment on a low budget. I’ll write about microphones and larger budgets in a later post.

Keep in mind. These are my opinions only. Don’t treat this list as your shopping list. Take my advice and then do your own shopping and purchase what works for you and your budget.  Using a smart phone or tablet can yield great video as well. That’s another post for another time.

Camera.  You can’t really have video equipment without a camera. At the moment I use a DSLR camera, the Canon 80D. I love this camera, and for the most part it has served me well. A year ago, I would have urged you to order one. It retails around $1,000, you can find refurbished models for less than that. And the big selling point is that it shoots beautiful video AND photos.  I still love this camera, but there may be better options.  Camera manufacturers are now making mirrorless cameras. What that means is they don’t have a mirror.  For a better comparison, look at this blog post from Photography Life.

From what I have read, the mirrorless cameras are better, and Canon hasn’t been the industry leader in this field. Sony has. The drawback on mirrorless cams is the prices. It’s new technology, meaning it costs more.  You WILL get great footage and photos with a DSLR,  but if having the most cutting-edge technology is important to you, invest in mirrorless.

Cameras almost always come with a battery and charger.

Tripod.  I hope my former students have my voice ringing in their heads that says “USE THE TRIPOD.” If you’re not going to invest in a good tripod, don’t bother with video production.  I don’t have a recommendation here. The brand isn’t so important. Just make sure you have a solid tripod (don’t get a dinky one) that will stabilize your camera. Decent tripods are reasonably priced. So don’t get the cheapest, don’t get the most expensive either.

Occasionally online retailers will bundle cameras and tripods. Better than that, find a local camera shop and physically go look at their selection.  I like to shop at and support Armadillo Camera here in Lubbock.

Microphone. If you shoot even one interview, you must have a microphone to plug into the camera.  I’ll go into more detail in a later post. Just know that great mics cost money. But even an inexpensive microphone will sound better than that on board piece of junk microphone that comes on the camera.

Reflector.  I won’t recommend lighting kits in this post. If you’re on a budget, just purchase a reflector. It makes a huge difference. I got mine for about $40 at Armadillo Camera.

There are other little things: SD cards, batteries for the microphone, extra camera battery, lens cleaning cloth, headphones, and others. But these can be low cost, and you may even have these items anyway.

Happy shopping!