Audio first, always
Viewers forgive a soft image and leave instantly on bad sound. A clip-on mic costs less than one boosted post and improves every video you will ever make. If you have no mic, get the phone within an arm length of the speaker.
The whole kit, honestly
You do not need a camera. You need four small things and a habit.
- A clip-on lavalier mic that plugs into the phone.
- A tripod, so shots are steady and you can be in frame alone.
- One softbox or a window, with the light in front of you, never behind.
- A clean lens, wiped before every shoot, which fixes more than people expect.
Shoot vertical, film in the room you actually work in
Full screen vertical, 1080p, thirty frames. Film in your shop, kitchen, or classroom rather than a blank wall, because the background is free proof that you are real.
Give the editor room
Start recording two seconds before you speak and stop two after. Film each line twice. Those extra seconds are what let an edit feel tight instead of clipped.
Bad line, good line.
Filming with a window behind you, phone across the room.
Facing the window, phone an arm away, clip mic on your collar.
A blank white wall as a background.
Your actual kitchen, workshop, or classroom behind you.
Worked example: an NPR 4,000 kit
Three inputs, ranked honestly
Face a window, never a ceiling bulb.
Get the mic within an arm’s length.
Any recent phone is already enough.
Good light and clear audio beat an expensive camera every single time.
Three things you can do now.
We do this every month for clients.
Scripts, filming, editing, posting, and a simple monthly report. Our prices are on the pricing page.
