Hey guys what’s up welcome back to the channel. First of all, I wanted to say sorry for being
away so long. A few big things have happened in my life recently and I didn’t have time
to post as much as I wanted to. But anyway, we’re back and things are going to speed
up from here I promise! So I’ve been uploading videos to this channel
for a few months now and one of the biggest requests that I still seem to get is for me
to do a video on how I make my content So that’s what I’m going to do today,
I’m going to show you guys exactly how I shoot my videos from start to finish.
Now there’s a lot to cover here so I’m going to split this video into 2 parts.
The first part (this video) is going to cover the filming aspect of making the videos and
the tools and equipment I use to achieve this. The second part of the video which will come
soon is going to cover how I come up with my YouTube ideas as well as how I edit and
then upload them to YouTube with some hints and tips along the way
As usual, I’ll also make sure I link to all the gear I’m using in the description
so check that out if it’s useful and if you guys have any questions just let me know
in the comments. So let’s get into it.
First up let’s talk about how I actually film my videos
So firstly as you guys probably know by now my main camera is the iPhone 12 Pro. It’s
just such an awesome camera and it’s so easy to use. The 12 pro actually has 3 lenses
on the back, a standard wide lens, an ultra-wide angle lens and a zoom lens. One of the main
reasons I use an iPhone camera vs a more professional camera is the ability to just pick up and
shoot quickly without any complicated settings. So if you’re just starting to film things
on mess around then this is brilliant camera to start with. It also has an amazing auto
focus capability which is something you only really notice when you compare it alongside
other cameras and it also has awesome low light capability as well as great image stabilisation.
I have an S10 and an S20 and neither come close to the camera quality of the iPhone
in my opinion. Also, because of the clever colour algorithms running in the background,
using an iPhone means you don’t have to spend hours colour editing and correcting
in post production, which speaking from personal experience can be a real time sink.
So it’s worth mentioning that whilst the iPhone is my primary camera, sometimes I need
to use a different camera for example if I want to take shots of the phone directly.
To do this I’ll either use the S10 or the S20.
When it comes to the settings I use, it can vary depending on the shot but generally for
consistency I’ll always try and shoot in 4k at 30fps unless the shot demands something
different. For example if I’m doing mostly wide shots these often look better and more
cinematic in 24fps, but if I’m shooting directly down on my iPad or on a screen, 60fps
is a much better frame rate to go for. Also a small tip here, I have mine set to high
efficiency mode in the settings. The picture quality of high efficiency is slightly better
but I if you are getting laggy footage during the editing process then most compatible might
be a better setting for you. So apart from the iPhone let’s talk about
some of the equipment I use and there’s not a lot to cover here but what I do have
is really important. Firstly having a good microphone is absolutely
key. It sounds really counter intuitive, but sound quality in videos tends to be a lot
more important than video quality, so investing in a good microphone is one of the first things
I’d recommend and it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. I use the Rode video micro
which I’ll link to below. Considering how small and cheap it is it’s an absolute beast
of a microphone and I use it for all of my videos. It also comes with a deadcat which
I take on and off depending on the shots I’m doing. So if you’re looking for where to
invest your money first then this is what I’d go for. P.s. side note, I pretty much
always record the audio of my clips separately after I’ve finished shooting. It’s definitely
a lot more work, but I personally think it makes for a much better result. If it works
for blockbuster films then it works for me! Just something to mention here the standard
aux cable that this mic comes with is designed to work with digital cameras and not with
smartphones. So what you’ll need to do is buy a separate cable called an SC7 which I’ll
link to below and also then have an aux to lightning converter. It’s a bit of a faff
but unfortunately that’s the quickest way around it.
The next most important bit of equipment is a tripod. Now unfortunately there’s no getting
around the fact that good tripods are expensive. And I would not recommend buying a cheap one
because you’re going to end up being dissapointed with it. I have the Manfrotto 190 which was
about $170 and I’ve been really happy with it. There’s actually multiple manfroto options
available and it can be really confusing if you’re trying to figure out which one you
want for the first time, but if you want to cut through all of that then just get this
one and you won’t be disappointed. It also has the added benefit of being able to work
as a horizontal column, meaning you can hang this over things to shoot down. This is pretty
essential unless you want to mount a camera from the ceiling. Be warned though, if your
camera is on the heavier side then the balancing of this can be a bit tricky. I wish the tripod
was more weighted at the bottom to stop the tripod tipping. To keep things simple, I actually
just use some ankle weights which I have lying around in the house to counter balance.
Finally when it comes to the tripod, the other slightly confusing area you’re going to
have to navigate through is which head to buy, because there’s numerous different
head options to go with the tripods. Some are better for still photos while others are
better for video. Because I knew I was going to be doing a lot of video I knew I needed
a head that could shoot fluidly, I also wanted a head that would be able to support a digital
camera as I knew that at some stage I would probably want to upgrade from using my phone.
So this is the Manfrotto Pro Fluid Video Head. At about $150 it;s not cheap, but it’s brilliant
for video and can pan and tilt in several directions fluidly whilst with the inbuilt
handle and you can also lock in any position. It takes a bit of getting used to, but trust
me if you want a professional looking flow to your videos then this is what you should
go for. Another tool worth mentioning that I occasionally
use with my tripod is this flexible arm clamp. I found that very occasionally when I was
filming it was useful to have another arm involved to achieve certain shots. So whilst
this has come in handy for me and is also very cheap, it’s not something that I’d
recommend has a high priority purchase in the beginning.
If you have a tripod you’re going to need some sort of iPhone clamp to hold you’re
iPhone in place whilst you’re filming. I actually have two of these. I got a simple
one when I first started which is actually still my favourite, it’s the Manfrotto MCLAMP.
But despite this being super sturdy the big limitation was that you can’t mount it horizontally
so I had to upgrade to the Manfrotto Pro Smartphone Clamp, which is more expensive and I actually
much prefer the cheap one, but the pro allowed me to mount horizontally, but also, allowed
me to slide the mic on top easily. And as usual I’ll put links to all my equipment
in the description. So other than the equipment, the other thing
I wanted to talk through today was lighting. You’ll see all sorts of Youtubers telling
you that you need to buy lighting equipment which personally I think is just no needed.
Especially if you’re just getting started. Basically all you need and all I use is just
really good natural lighting. Make sure you film near a window and also try to film at
the right time of day when the light is nicely diffused but still bright. You don’t want
glare or direct sun so just consider the time of day that works for filming, usually for
me that’s between 11-2, but you can also get some amazing light at dusk or dawn.
So guys that’s it for this video. I’m going to split this into 2 parts because there’s
just so much to cover and I wanted to give you guys a chance to digest the shooting side
of things before I go into the editing / uploading side of things.
Let me know what you think in the comments below and really keen to hear whether you
guys do anything differently and if there’s anything in particular you wanted me to cover
for the next video! I hope you enjoyed the video and remember
to subscribe for more!