Main Street Marketing Machines 2 Fusion Part #6: the equipment

1

All The Video & Audio Equipment You Need

MSMMreview.com MSMMreview.com/FacebookMSMMreview.com/Twitter MSMMreview.com/YouTube

2


This article will give you an overview of the video and audio equipment Mike Koenings proposes you use when you shoot a video. This is just the basic setup one should have to be able to create great professional looking videos.


3


So let’s get to it:First of all you will need a computer. These days even modest hardware PC configurations support video editing, Macs are even better at this and Mike is a huge Mac fan but if you are using a PC, like me, rest assured the result is pretty much the same on both machines.


4


If you can afford it you should get some kind of teleprompter software although you could get away without one and just using Powerpoint or Keynote (on the Mac) to display your notes while you are recording your video.


5


It is my opinion that in the beginning it would probably be best for you to just use the presentation software anyway since you could only put your script bullet points on there and that would make you sound more natural where as having everything written on your teleprompter could make you sound a little bit mechanical at least until you get the hang of it.


6


You will of course need a camera. You could obviously use a web cam but the result will most probably be under par. What you would ideally want to use is a high definition camera with an external microphone input.


7


The price range for this specification is quite wide but a great and affordable choice is the Kodak Zi8, it’s a great compact, camera, comes in lot’s of nice colors, it has the external microphone input and its video quality is really really good.


8


If you are a PC user you might need to transcode the video to a different format in order to edit it but this can be done with free utilities such as MPEG StreamClip.


9


The whole point of your camera having an external microphone input is for you to be able to use one of those small lapel microphones. These come with a long enough wire to run under your shirt and clip it to your shirt. Not only does it look professional and allows for you to move around but it also sounds professional.


10


A great and affordable choice is the Audio Technica ATR-2250 microphone. The only problem you might encounter with this microphone is running out of batteries since it uses hearing aid batteries and if you forget to turn it off at some point you mind find that it has run out of juice next time you try to use it, so you might want to pay a bit more and get one that doesn’t need batteries.


11


You will also need a tripod to set your camera on. It should be able to raise the camera up to your eye level and maybe be even a few inches higher. A great choice is the Manfrotto 785b which is high enough, very light but sturdy, goes through security and is affordable.


12


To edit the videos you shoot you can use Screenflow for the Mac or Camtasia which is available both for the Mac and the PC. The editing process is a bit easier and streamlined on the Mac but the result will be, as I mentioned earlier, the same on both platforms.


13


A last thing you might want to add to your setup is a Blue Yeti USB microphone. It is a table top microphone you can use to record audio voiceovers for your screen capture videos or webinars. It provides great quality recordings that can’t be matched by the built-in microphone of your laptop.


14


A last piece of advice is to try and record your videos under reasonably good lighting conditions and invest in a set of lights and a green screen as soon as you can. It is an investment that will multiple the value of your videos since you will be able to create even more professional looking videos.


Learn more and leave your comments on

MSMMreview.com

Make Sure You Click To Receive All The Latest Videos

Like Our Facebook Page @MSMMreview.com/Facebook

Follow Us On Twitter @MSMMreview.com/Twitter

Did You Like This Video?Click The Button

Business

Main Street Marketing Machines 2 Fusion Part #6: the equipment