3 Video Tools You Don’t Need

Have you noticed that it seems the whole Internet is aflutter with the importance of video content?

We’ve all seen first hand the power of film to connect people to a vision or an idea. Take, for example, the Numa Numa dance video from 12 years ago. It was just a guy in front of his computer with a webcam, dancing to a song in Romanian like no one was watching. But they were watching. That video was seen more than 700 million times before things like YouTube + social media made the world of sharing content so much more accessible.

But people connected to it. They related to it. This guy was having fun, and in turn, it brought joy to a whole lot of other people. You can’t manufacture emotion with fancy equipment or the latest gear. It comes from YOU and the passion you have for what you’re sharing with the world.

I’ve heard from so many creative entrepreneurs and bloggers that they want to be creating videos, but they get hung up on the technical side of things and end up not doing anything at all. Here is your invitation, from a professional videographer, to let all of that go.

Today I’m sharing three things you don’t need to make compelling videos.

1. You don’t need a fancy camera. What you DO need is something that shoots HD video – but that can be your smartphone if you want it to be. When I’m traveling or shooting a vlog for Swept Together, I mostly use my iPhone. I’ve even recorded some quick video postcards on my iPhone.
2. You don’t need a million lenses. I have three lenses, but most of the time I only use one of them during a given video shoot. Seriously.
3. You don’t need expensive and complicated software. Yes, the kind of functionality you can get with Adobe Premiere Pro (my tool of choice) is a huge step up from the free and more user-friendly options. However, iMovie is perfectly fine for basic video editing. Simpler still, there are apps for iPhone like Splice, which means you can take, edit and share video content all without ever leaving your phone.

So what DO you need to shoot great video? Here’s a hint: you probably already own everything already.

So here are the essentials, in all of their happy simplicity:

1. You need a camera that shoots HD. Most smartphones now shoot in 1920 x 1080, which is the format you’ll want to be filming in. Many DSLRs will record in 1920 x 1080 HD video as well. This number is telling you the number of pixels on each edge of the video – it’s 1920 pixels across and 1080 pixels tall. This setting will get you crisp footage for sharing online in HD on whatever platform you choose. Keep in mind, though, that the front-facing camera on your phone takes video at a lower resolution than the back-facing camera (even if you’ve adjusted your settings on your phone), so use it sparingly.
2. You need stabilization. That’s a fancy way of saying “a method to keep your camera from moving around while you record.” The primary thing I notice that distinguishes a professional film from a more amateur-looking video is the absence or presence of shaky footage. Set up your camera on something stable, whether a tripod or a monopod or a stack of books. My favorite stabilization tool is this easy smartphone gimbal by Zhiyun *affiliate link*.

I’m hoping this makes the process of creating videos a little less scary. There are endless ways to uplevel your video production, including hiring a professional (like me!) to do the dirty work for you, but remember: the emotion and heart behind your video content cannot be manufactured with even the fanciest of equipment. Which means you can communicate it with the simplest of setups.

Your life is busy enough as it is. I know, as a fellow creative, that the to-do list is seemingly never-ending and sometimes completely overwhelming. There is always that next new thing I want to be implementing. But I also know that if I want to get anything done, I need to make it easy on myself.

Video content can be straightforward and still be engaging. Don’t let fear keep you from sharing your story with the world. Use what you have, and you’ll discover that it’s more than enough. So pull out your iPhone, set it up on a stable surface + share your heart with the world. Your people want to see you; they want to KNOW you. That is the miracle of being a small business. You aren’t a faceless big-box store. You are unique! And we love you for it.