GEAR / APP RECOMMENDATIONS

Just a reminder that some of these are affiliate links meaning if you click through and choose to make a purchase I (Tom) will receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you.

TRIPODS

• Here is a very affordable tripod that comes with a bag, smartphone holder and a Bluetooth remote: https://amzn.to/2BS87vc

• The tripod above will be great for videos on your smartphone, but if you plan to use a DSLR at all then I’d go for something more like this: https://amzn.to/3ijufiF

• Though if you buy that second tripod and wish to use with your smartphone at some point, you will need a phone adapter like this: https://amzn.to/2YNs4ME

• Here is also a mini tripod, which is great for if you are out and about and want to place your phone on something to record: https://amzn.to/3gdthCQ

MICROPHONES

• Here is a low-cost option for a microphone: https://amzn.to/2BZ4mnz

• Here is a higher cost option for a microphone, I own two of these and they have served me well on some client projects: https://amzn.to/2YMY9nW

LIGHTS

• Here are a couple of LED softbox lights, which give a nice even distribution of light, though they are large and take up some space. You could pick up these here: https://amzn.to/3imzcrh

• Here is a ring light that is much smaller so great for travel. It won’t give you anywhere near as much light or as good quality but it’s portability is a huge bonus or when working with limited space: https://amzn.to/3dRz1R2

GIMBAL

• These are a REALLY great tool for keeping your camera steady while out and about. They come packed with a ton of cool features and will really improve the quality of videos you post! This one, in particular, comes with some handy accessories, or they have a cheaper version with the gimbal on its own: https://amzn.to/2NTqmmE

MAKE UP

• Just a simple matte powder that will completely rid you of any shine on your face: https://amzn.to/2Zxpo4V

EDITING APPS

All editing software essentially does the same thing, they just vary in feature sets or layouts. Ultimately it will come down to your personal preference, so you might try one then find you want to try another before settling with one that fits you best. I have included a list below of various options whereby you can read further, but have also recommended the ones I would go for, based on a beginner level, with a view of becoming slightly more advanced in the future.

Also, there is an absolute ton of easy to follow tutorials on how to use these on YouTube.

FREE EDITING APP on a smartphone, try QUIK

FREE OPTIONS for editing on laptop/desktop: iMovie or Video Pad

• PAID OPTION for editing on laptop/desktop, I’d recommend using Filmora9, user- friendly, great for beginners and advanced, great UI and tons of features. It’s about 90 USD for a lifetime license: https://filmora.wondershare.net/video-editor/

• BEST EDITING SOFTWARE LIST (FREE): https://influencermarketinghub.com/free-animation-software/

• BEST EDITING SOFTWARE LIST (PAID): https://www.creativebloq.com/features/best-video-editing-software-for-designers

TELEPROMPTER APPS

• FREE OPTION, I recommend PROMPTSMART LITE. https://promptsmart.com/products/prompsmart-lite

• PAID OPTION, I recommend PROMPTSMART PRO. It costs £20 and I’ve used it on tons of shoots. https://promptsmart.com/products/pro

CAPTION CREATION SOFTWARE

• For a piece of software that will not only create captions of your video, but also package them in a square format, then I would recommend looking at CLIPSCRIBE. I know a few people that use this and achieve GREAT results.

• Alternative Apps for quick and easy Caption creation:

  • Rev.com
  • Quicc

Hope that helps!