Here at Render Perfect Productions, your video marketing experts in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the most frequent questions we are asked in regarding equipment. Anyone who wants to post content on YouTube or Tik Tok wants to find the best ways to produce high-quality video in 2021. With that in mind, we created a simple breakdown of gear to help with that very question.
Equipment to Consider:
Though videos are basically about content, the production quality plays a major role for the viewers. If you are looking to step up your video production strategy, here is a checklist of a few items that can help you create high-quality videos in 2021:
- Camera: This is the most essential of all the video production items. Depending upon your budget and requirement, they are available in all shapes and sizes in the market. Let us start with the basics. A DSLR camera will get you the videos but not like the professional level ones. It is cheaper and can deliver videos in 1080p, which is the standard for high-definition online videos. There are many DSLRs that can record in 4K as well. To get even better in camera features and better quality, it is best to invest in a high-end video camera like Canon XA11. It provides better zoom focus, image stabilization, and an improved pickup of sound. Besides video cameras, having a portable camera will help you in capturing videos and editing and uploading them and place.
- Tripod: This is another piece of equipment that will help in stabilizing the video content of your camera. No matter how good the stabilization of your camera is, even the smallest of the shakes are visible in a video. A tripod helps improve the quality of even your basic camera, turning it into a better video marketing tool. To get those perfect tilting and panning shots, it is best to get fluid head tripods for your video marketing agency.
- External microphone: Though the video cameras, as well as DSLRs, have good audio pickups, they still leave quite a lot to be desired. After all, they have captured videos and not high-quality sounds. There are external microphones for the same. After all, great audio is one of the major differences between an average and a high-quality video. They become even more important when you are filming interviews, courses, video lessons, or basically anything containing speech. There are several types of microphones available in the market from which you can choose to depend on your requirements. There is an omnidirectional mic for capturing sound from all directions. Directional and shotgun mics capture sound from a specific direction.
- Lighting: Though the lighting is often considered being a lower priority for many video creators, it makes a tremendous difference in the quality of your video. Getting the right lighting for videos is a complex process where you need to consider the shadows, background and foreground lighting, different light, and many others. There are different lights for different needs and budgets. You can choose the reflectors as a cost-effective solution or soft boxes for powerful and versatile lighting.
Hardware and Software to Consider:
Besides recording equipment, the computer on which the videos are being edited, as well as the editing software too, plays a major role. Let us look at their importance.
- Video editing hardware: Though videos can be edited on any device, including smartphones, a fast computer with enough graphics power can make a vast difference in our speed. Lower end laptops and graphic cards can make editing extensive files a cumbersome process.
- Editing Software: It is absolutely necessary to have efficient editing and video production software at your disposal. They help you in not just inserting text and editing the vocal pauses but also navigating through complicated cuts and color correction. These are enough to take your videos to high quality from amateurish.
Last Pieces of Equipment to Consider:
Other additional equipment that can figure in your list depending upon your requirements can be listed:
- Gimbal: Gimbals are camera stabilizers. They come in all shapes and sizes for all cameras. It uses pivots and weights for stabilizing your shot in case you are moving. It is especially helpful in case you are moving around. For a more stable and lighter gimbal, you need to invest in a more expensive one. Make sure that the one you get is compatible with your camera. However, if you plan on making more stationary shots, you do not need to worry about it. With moving videos, the video quality improvement through the usage of gimbals is quite notable.
- Lavalier mic: If you plan to include people talking in your videos, it is best to invest in lavalier mics. These are small collar or lapel microphones providing a high-quality sound with no background noise. However, if your videos do not have any talking people, you can have them on your list of ‘someday equipment.’
About Render Perfect Productions:
Render Perfect has been built from the ground up to service growing businesses and help them realize their full visual storytelling and digital marketing potential. We’ve created a service offering and skill-set that spans video production, post-production, motion graphic design, 3D animation, web development, and video marketing strategy. Our insight and experience allow us to help clients make better planning decisions and get more out of their video production effort.