HOW TO: DIY Video Shoot
- Hannah Sacca
- Oct 21, 2019
- 4 min read
Ever have an idea for a cool video, or want to start a Youtube Channel, but not really sure how? You don't need all the fancy equipment and expensive cameras to make content that you'll be confident enough to post on the internet for everyone and your mom to see!
Learning how to set up your own video shoot can be beneficial in a number of ways. It can aid teachers in creating an effective online course, become a creative outlet for those interested in sharing their passions, or even as a way of marketing your product - hint hint. Humans are attracted to visual aspects, which is why many companies have focused their marketing plans on video aspects.
Not everyone has the time or money to purchase all the equipment or multiple people/crew it takes to create a professional, television quality production. Today, I will teach you how to fake it 'til you make it.
STEP 1: Build your Studio
1. Find your "Studio" Space
Find a place in your home that has good natural lighting and a background that you're comfortable with your viewers seeing. You want a good window, and an clean space. You don't have to clean your whole house okay, just a portion of the room you choose, it will take 10 minutes at most... hopefully.
You can also create a DIY Backdrop with a curtain or tapestry! You can totally avoid the whole cleaning thing entirely. Try to avoid white, and stick with black or darker colors for this. White can wash you out.
2. Find your Camera
You don't need to buy a camera for this. It's 2019! We all have smartphones and if we're lucky, a laptop! Figure out which one has the best quality and boom, you just saved at least $200. Most newer editions of the IPhones and ... sigh ... Androids, have just as good as cameras as a DSLR. If you don't have one, borrow from a friend.
Shoot with your phone horizontal, or your laptop upright. You want a widescreen shot. If shooting on your laptop, make sure it's at a 90 degree angle to make sure you look your best.
A couple tips while shooting on your laptop or phone...
- Clean your lens! Use a cleaning wipe, or if you want to be even more cost efficient, a breath and a wipe of your shirt sleeve will do.
- Check your camera settings. Three common settings are
1080p at 30 fps (frames per second) which gives it a more fluid feel and more life like
1080p at 24 fps is the most popular, and standard for most cameras. This frame rate is just above the low end of what our brains are able to perceive as a fluid video, which makes this popular among film makers. You might have to download an app like Filmic Pro that allows this frame rate.
1080p at 60 fps gives you an even more fluid looking video, but raising the frame rate allows you to capture good slow motion video
- I'm sure some phones and laptops can shoot at 4K, but honestly, 1080p is good enough and will be quicker to import and download.
- Check to see if your camera has image stabilization. If you're holding your phone with your shaky hand, it will help stabilize the video to reduce that wobbling and blurriness. You can even use Instagram's Hyperlapse app at 1X speed for help with this!
3. Create a Tripod
There are some cheap tripods on the market, but you can also create a makeshift one out of some stacked books or use some duct tape to plaster it to a wall. You want your phone or laptop to be at face level.
4. Download an Editing Software
If you have a Mac or Iphone, it automatically comes with iMovie, which is free and easy to use.
Blender and Lightworks are also great, free apps that you can use on your laptop.
Are you a student at a University? Your school might have editing software available on their computers in the library or media center that you can use for free! Currently, I utilize Adobe Premiere Pro offered to me through my college. Otherwise, I would be paying $20 a month!
5. Use Another Device as a Microphone
If you are using your laptop to record video, use your phone to record the sound, or vice versa. It can be more difficult than talking to the device you're looking at, but creates a huge difference in sound quality.
Make sure to place the microphone device close to you, and OFF camera! ALSO, make sure to CLAP after pressing record each time. You don't need a fancy white movie clapper thingy when you have your own two hands. This makes it easy to sync up the audio and video later in the editing process. You simply match the tall spikes in audio levels from each media.
6. NEVER USE THE ZOOM FEATURE
This makes the picture blurry. If you really need to zoom, do it in post-production, but I recommend just avoiding it entirely.
7. Stop the Echo
If you have a large room or apartment, you want to use household items like pillows, rugs, couches or anything fluffy or soft to counteract the echo. It will absorb the sound. Simply throw some pillows around your lights.
8. Lighting
First things first, don't try to DIY artificial lighting with your old lamp. Use a window like we talked about earlier! Natural light will produce an even better effect. Bad lighting can produce weird shadows or make you look sick.
You can also purchase a ring light for under $30, which is ideal if you're getting serious about makeup or hair tutorials!
These are the absolute basics for video production. If you end up getting more serious and want to produce even higher quality content, I suggest doing your research and investing in a microphone, camera, sound panels, and a professional backdrop. Some editing softwares are free, but if you want more creative freedom, definitely look into purchasing Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.
Other tips for your production process are to consider framing and always test your equipment. Make sure it's recording your video and audio correctly. Do some planning before, and maybe create a rough script to make the filming and editing process easier. A DIY studio can be a great place to start and now you have no excuse for starting that YouTube channel!
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