The Ultimate Video Setup

I think it safe to say by now that video content is where the world is heading. It is only a matter of time before Google comes out with some technology that allows it to crawl the actual video for search engines.

You may have also noticed that many marketers are ditching the traditional long drawn out text box for video.

I have been recording videos for sometime now for my various sites and projects, and people have been asking me what equipment I use. So here you go…

1. Video Recording – When I am actually recording myself or some scene I use a Sony video camera that I just happened to have. Many people might recommend to find the best camera out there, but, to be honest, as long as the content of the video is good and people can tell what is going on, then there is no need to rush out and get the best camera yet. Once you start making some money, then you can go out and get a good HD camera.

2. Screen Recording – For my stock trading sites, I usually record videos of me analyzing charts; however, for people to actually see what is going on I need to do screencast. In other words, I am only recording  what is going on with my screen. When I was first recording on my PC I used a program called CamStudio, but the ability to edit was just too complicated; however, if you are just starting out it can still be a solid option. Now that I am using the Mac for all my recording I use a program called IShowU HD. It allows you to record HD screencasts, and for a reasonable price.

3. Microphone – Obviously if you have a Mac, then you could always use the built in microphone, but the quality is not always the best because you cannot block out the background noises. I have also used several headphone/mic combinations, yet they always seem to clunky, and if you are recording yourself, then you don’t want a headset in the picture. That is why I just recently started using the Blue Snowball. It works with both Macs and Windows, and it is a USB microphone. The sound quality is definitely far superior than anything else I have used (trust me I have used a lot).

4. Video Editing – Determining the best editing tools for you is really all about your needs. If you are just doing something simple where you record and post. Then iMovie and Window Movie Maker should be a viable option for their respective operating system. For those looking for some more editing juice I use MAGIX Movie Edit Pro for the PC and FinalCut Express for the Mac.

5. Sharing – You can never have enough video sharing sites, and you should probably upload videos at all of them because you never know who will see them where. Some sites include: YouTube, Vimeo, Blip, and Viddler. They all offer different things, so find the one that meets your needs the best.

Side note – I also have a green screen, but I can’t remember where I bought it. I know a lot of people who just use green blankets, and that works fine as well too.