Ever since I discovered the Vlogbrothers, and by proxy, YouTube, I have been fascinated and obsessed with 'YouTubers" - the videos they make and how they make them. Back in 2007, all you needed was a webcam, a decent internet connection and iMovie and you were up-and-running. You could make a new video every day with minimal effort, and if your content was good enough you could land up on the front page of YouTube and become relatively well-known overnight.
Nowadays the "front page of YouTube" doesn't exist and it takes a lot of time, money, effort - and even more luck - to get "discovered" and make it in the YouTube universe. #YouTubeDrama aside, I love the process of making a video - the flicker of a lightbulb idea in the middle of the night; the fleshing out of a coherent, interesting script; sitting in front of the camera and creating something out of nothing - it's always exhilarating. Even editing, although tedious, makes me feel as if I have accomplished something significant when I watch the final cut.
Last weekend I, along with my new partner-in-crime Jana, filmed two new videos that will be on the YouTube channel in the next few weeks. While I was setting up Jana took some pictures showing exactly what goes into making one of my videos.
My Equipment
The most important and most underrated part of a YouTube video is the audio quality. About two years ago I got myself an M-Audio Nova condenser microphone. Since I sometimes record vocals for music videos and record a weekly podcast with my friend Ryan, I use the same mic to record my audio for all my videos. Most vloggers tend to use a RØDE mic that attaches to their camera, but I can't use that kind of mic for my music or podcasting which is why I opted for the Nova instead. Unfortunately it can sometimes take a bit of maneuvering to make sure the mic is out of shot, but the difference in quality between that and the camera mic is well worth the cost. I use either Cubase 5 or Audacity to record my audio - and I use the M-Audio fast track (not pictured) as a sound card, just in case you were wondering.
I also bought an SL-448 LED light panel last Christmas so that I can film at any time of day and not have to rely on mother nature for light. Lighting is also often forgotten about, but makes such a big difference when it comes to the final quality of a video.
As for my camera - those things are expensiiiive! I was lucky enough to be given the Canon EOS 600D as a gift and I absolutely love it. It may not be the top of the range (in fact - I think it is the cheapest of the range that records video) but it is perfect for what I need. The quality upgrade from a cellphone is amazing and it takes incredible still photos too (I even took it to Europe with me last year and took some amazing pictures - all I had to do was click).
After all the equipment setup is done, it's time for me to get my serious face on and film the actual video. This one was all about my anxiety and going off the medication I was taking (with a doctor's permission of course!) I'm hoping to have it edited (using Adobe Premiere Pro) and online sometime in the next two weeks. Make sure you are subscribed to my channel so you don't miss it!
