Video Recording Equipment

Your phone

Most (all?) of us have smart phones, with cameras that are very good at recording video. One of the technological limitations of our phones is that the recorded audio quality tends to not be as good as the video quality. Otherwise, they're great! Except when you record in vertical orientation (more on that later).

Your laptop

You can also use the camera on your laptop to record yourself, if you want it to look more like a vlog or YouTube video. Just remember that this is a specific aesthetic - and does that aesthetic match with what you're trying to communicate with your video?

Bluetooth headphones with a mic

If you have bluetooth headphones that have a built in microphone (like AirPods), you can get pretty good audio recordings even when in a noisy space. Just try to hide the headphones behind your hair or a hat.

A stack of books / magazines / tables

Steady footage is important. If you're using your camera, and you don't have a tripod handy, find a way to prop it up so that you don't have to hold it while you record.

Canon camcorder

High-quality camcorder for video recording. High-quality video is currently standardly recorded at 1920x1080 resolution (resolution refers to how big, or how many pixels, there are in the image) and 30 frames per second (fps). Record up to 12 hrs of video onto the 32GB internal flash drive and connect to your computer to retrieve the files. Features include a touchscreen, 32x optical zoom and an excellent image stabilizer.

We recommend borrowing and using a camcorder instead of your phone, when possible! The quality is better and it makes the video look more professional.

Tripod

Set up your camcorder on a tripod to make sure your footage is steady. Always use a tripod if possible. Handheld shooting with panning and zooming make your project look more like a home movie than a professional project

Lapel microphone

You can improve the audio quality by borrowing a lapel (aka lavalier) microphone.