Congratulations! You have finally decided that you want to jump onto the video bandwagon and create beautiful videos for your brand. You have also decided that you want to take that jump into video production and do it yourself. However, to create the video that your brand deserves, you need the right production equipment that will ensure your video will hit the sweet spot for your viewers. Because no one wants to watch amateur-looking videos with low production quality, right?
So where do you begin?
By getting the right equipment, of course! Here’s a list of 5 essential tools for video production that you would need to make sure your video looks professional.
·Your camera can make or break your video
To create a professional video, you need a good camera – your phone may have a 40 Megapixel camera, but more often than not, that’s not going to cut the ice. But if you go onto the internet, you would find a lot of options. So which one should you go for?
If you’re just starting, a good DSLR might just do the trick. While the DSLR is not a professional-level video camera, it does give you great quality footage in 1080p resolution.
However, if you feel you want to take your video production to a completely professional level, you would need a high-end camera that not only gives you great quality but also offers a better focus on zooming in, image stabilization, and a host of other options. Keep in mind, though, that a high-end professional-level camera is going twice as expensive as a mid-level DSLR.
·Keep it steady with a tripod
Your camera can have great image stabilization, but it will be all for nothing if your hands are unstable while shooting, especially when you zoom in and focus on your subject matter. This problem has a simple solution- the humble tripod, that can improve the production quality even with the most basic of cameras. Tripods range from basic to high-end ones, which are lighter, are more portable, and have smoother panning.
·External mics are a sound choice
No matter how good your camera is, it will not give you the sound quality that your video requires, because built-in mics simply cannot capture high-quality sound. Investing in external microphones is your best bet. This is especially important if your video is going to have speeches, dialogues or interviews. Be mindful of the kind of mic that you are going to purchase as it will depend on what kind of video you’re shooting. For example, directional mics capture sound from one particular direction and are great for dialogues, while omnidirectional mics capture sound from all directions, and are great for scenes that require ambient sounds.
·Light up your video quality with good lighting
Good lighting is essential for a great video. Lighting sets the mood of your video and plays a crucial role in determining whether the result would look professional, or not. Getting the lighting right, however, is a tricky task. You have to take a variety of external factors into consideration, including your shoot location, along with the different types of lighting that you would need for your video – foreground, background, reflectors etc.
Lighting equipment can be expensive, ranging from a basic reflector that uses ambient light to a 5-in-1 reflector that comes with 5 different surfaces to a Softbox that gives you versatile lighting solutions for your video.
·Finish it right with the right post-production hardware and software
Basic video editing can be carried out on any device, even your smartphone. But to get a professional job done well, you might want to consider upgrading your hardware. Most editors use Macs for video editing, but today’s Windows PCs also come with similar processing power when it comes to graphics. All in all, make sure that your device has enough graphics power and a high-end graphics card to let you carry out your editing process without any hiccups.
And while you’re upgrading the hardware, do not forget about video editing software. To create a professional video, you would need the right software that can help you smoothen your transitions, make the right cuts, aid in colour correction and give your video the finesse it needs. Two of the best and most widely used professional video editing software are Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X. For beginner-level software, you can always experiment with Adobe Premiere Elements.
These 5 production tools will go a long way in helping you create a professional-looking video. If you still have queries and want to get your video created from a reliable production company, you can always look up organisations like Shootsta, which has offices all across the globe, including Sydney, London and San Francisco.
Click here to learn more about Shootsta Sydney
Happy shooting!