So you’re going to be a video star, are you? Whether training videos or marketing videos you’ve selected a media that is as close to live as you can get. A media that is both flexible and powerful. But what equipment do you need to get started?
The answer will depend on what type of videos you want to make. There are two basic types for you to choose from. And chances are you’ll have need of both types. In this article I’m going to concentrate on the traditional video.
Think movie. Not the big production or your father’s attempts at the home movie. Think YouTube, television and educational television. These videos can be anything from a single person carrying around a Flip camera to several people in a studio. For the beginner starting small is a great idea and can be done for under $1,000. In fact, you can even do it for $100 or less!
The first thing you need is a place to make videos. You don’t need anything complex. One guru I know likes filming in his car. Actually thinking about it several seem to. But really that’s a dangerous thing to do. Much better to pick a park or beach or other secluded area.
All you require is three things. First that it be accessible to you. Picking a park in Toronto isn’t a great idea for winter filming (it is for the rest of the year though)! Second it needs to be reasonably quiet. A local airport is probably not the best place to film regularly — although it might be great for some marketing videos! Third, you need to be able to film there without being disturbed. The entrance to a secret military base is probably not the wisest place to choose.
Next you need a camera. All you really need is a half decent camera. Prices for these have dropped radically lately. I’ve seen them for as low as $37! But given the relative prices an HD camera — for example the Flip — is a good investment. These can be obtained for around the $100-$150 range if you are careful.
The Flip style pocket camcorder has the advantage of being able to be used by the same person who is being filmed. However, you should consider buying a good tripod to make filming without an assistant easier. These go for as low as $10 if you are a careful (and cheap) buyer.
Although a camera is more flexible and a better choice there is another alternative. The good old fashioned webcam. While you can work with a medium quality webcam (which can be had for $20) you are probably better off with a good quality one. A good quality one will not require the perfect lighting that a poor one often does. A good quality webcam can run you roughly the same price as a pocket camcorder. While the dollar reason has more or less disappeared it is a viable option that needs to be mentioned. Especially if you have a webcam already.
Which leads us to the next piece of equipment you will need. A computer.
Once you have the video you still need to fix your mistakes and upload it to YouTube or your website or other site. To do that you need a computer. Even the cheapest computer nowadays can copy, edit and transfer videos. However, you are best to select a midrange computer in order to be sure that the power to edit videos is available going into the future.
In addition to the basic software you will need video editing software. Microsoft makes a product called Windows Movie Maker which is free and will create a basic movie fairly easily. Nero also has a number of similar tools. Jahshaka is a free open source editor with professional level editing facilities. Adobe Premier Pro CS4 is a powerful (and expensive) alternative. But to start all you need is a camera, a computer and Windows Movie Maker.
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