Tools Needed to Make a Digital Video

Video Transcript

"Let's take a look at some of the tools you need for your video production.The most important thing is obviously the camera. The quality of the picture comes from the camera. Pick a camera that not only fits your budget, but also yields the highest quality that you're looking for. Today it's a lot more confusing because you have dv, hdv, and then you have hd cameras altogether. Pick them wisely and also consider the future of where video is going, which is mostly hd. If you already have a camera, then there's no excuse for you not to know everything about it. Just in case you forgot, in the next segment we're going to talk a little bit more about your camera. Your computer is the element of bringing in the video and editing. Once again, the most important thing is, get a computer that you can afford and that has relatively high speed. Really the number one thing that you need to save your money for when you buy your computer is ram. Get as much ram as you can afford. That is essential for handling those big video files. Another thing you might want to consider, when you buy your computer at another point, possibly down the road, is to buy an external hard drive to store your videos. The reason is, video files are very large. That's number one. But really, number two is, you don't want your video files on the same hard drive that your operating system is on. It has a tendency to have stutter steps and things that happen when you edit because your video is on the same hard drive that your operating system is on. Consider, at some point, purchasing a external hard drive to do your video editing. Lighting. Definitely invest in some kind of a lighting kit. Digital video is very unforgiving, extremely unforgiving, with dark scenarios. One of the reason is it can't really tell the difference between dark grays and blacks. So when you get into a dark room everything looks kind of mushy. Or if it's not lit well. Really, one of the best points I can give you, when we get to the section on lighting we'll talk a little bit more, is to understand that good digital video really depends a lot on good lighting and of course you the operator. A tripod is a must. If you're going to shoot any kind of video, buy a tripod. It doesn't mean you can eliminate, that you can eliminate the hand held scenario, but the most important thing is for those industrials that you're doing or weddings or, you need to have a solid shot. No matter how steady your hand is, you got to go for it. Those are a few things. Also real quick, audio wise, always monitor it. Let's look at the camera."