Have you ever thought about Vlogging? Vlogging is another way to say video blogging and is actually a combination of both words, even though it’s only the first letter from “video” that made it to “vlogging”. Just like a blog, a video blog is a frequently updated platform where the owner or vlogger talks about whatever they like, except this time, it’s in video format.
Let’s take a look at how to get started with your very own.
Step 1: Decide what you want to talk about
Nearly 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every day! This means there is a good chance there’s someone out there who is already talking about exactly what you intend to, but then again, maybe not. The only way to find out is to check YouTube yourself. If you’re using your phone, look for this app icon.
If YouTube isn’t already installed on your phone, you can find it for free in the app store for your phone. It only takes a minute or so to install.
If you’re using your computer, open your browser, type www.youtube.com in the navigation bar and then press the enter key on your keyboard. Once you are on the YouTube website, find the search bar which should be right beneath your browser’s navigation bar. Type whatever subject you intend to cover and press the enter key. Here, we search for “vlogging tutorials”
You might search for “cooking” or “movie reviews” or “comedy.” Whatever the topic, look at the other videos in the category. Think about what you can say or teach that’s a little different that everything else out there.
Maybe instead of just cooking, you’ll address baking, or specifically baking cookies.
Step 2: Get your equipment
Many professional vloggers use fancy HD cameras and high-quality microphones to get the premium quality videos. Lucky for you, you don’t have to go through the trouble of getting top notch equipment to make watchable videos. The majority of mid-to-high range mobile phones on the market, including iPhones and Androids, allow you shoot video in HD, which is perfect.
To keep your mobile phone steady when you’re recording, you’ll need a tripod. It’s really not nice when there is a lot of movement in a video, some may find it irritating enough to go watch something else!
Good video is only one side of the equation as you’ll need to capture good sound as well. There are two ways to record audio. The first is recording audio and video using the same device, which could be your phone or camera. This way your audio and video are automatically saved in a single file.
The second option is to record audio separately using an external microphone. This means your audio and video will be recorded and saved in separate files. You really don’t need to do this if the sound quality from your phone or camera is fine.
Lighting is another element you need to make your videos look superb. If you are going to be recording your vlog outside, maybe on a porch, you won’t need an artificial light source. If you are not too keen on the neighbors wondering what you’re doing and possibly interfering (how nosey), you would likely want to record indoors. You can use lights and lamps that are around you and if you have to, replace your incandescent bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent bulbs).
Step 3: Make your first video
Before you set out to make your first video, make sure you test all your equipment and understand how they work. This way, you won’t have to stop midway because of a problem you could have avoided. You should also make out time to practice by making mock videos to see what the videos will look like eventually and to get used to the flow before you hit the vlogosphere.
Before you start, make sure you have pressed “record” on your phone or camera, and make sure audio is rolling as well if you are recording that separately. Once you’re done, edit using an easy-to-use editing software and you’re ready to publish!
Tomorrow in part 2 of this article, we’ll look at how to publish and publicize your video.
~ James Cummings