Recording yourself on video
In this virtual world, you might get a request to submit a video of yourself for a presentation or event. A lot of the videos we've seen were recorded using zoom, and the quality is usually pretty bad...
We recommend using your cell phone as your camera using the equipment below, following the tips in this episode of Pop Live!
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
📱😁 Check out our Gear Talk episode for more on equipment options for your home studio 😁📱
Gimbal + Tripod
Mini tripod (get the phone clamp too)
Phone clamp (get the mini tripod too)
Microphone for your phone
This microphone is great for recording with a phone or DSLR camera. We’ve been using it instead of a regular shotgun mic because it’s so sensitive and Nolan really likes the quality of the sound.
To Connect the Above Mic to Your Phone
The little mic above comes with a cable that connects it to a DSLR camera, but if you want to use it with a phone you’ll need this patch cable, along with a headphone adapter that works with your phone (search for “headphone adapter for” and the type of phone you have).
These lights were discussed in a previous episode but they're also handy for recording your own videos. More at 👉 How to Look and Sound Better on Zoom
Desktop key light
Ring Light
This is the light we use for our desktop setup. It works great to light one person. If you’re wearing glasses, raise the ring light up a bit and point it down to minimize the reflection.
Color Lights!
These are Nolan’s FAVORITE. He uses them in the background of our live streams, and also to enhance the background for our client videos (i.e. adding orange to enhance wood paneling or a hint of blue to add dimension to a white wall). We have two, each one is mounted on a tripod and that’s enough to splash color on a large area of background.
Check out our podcast! It's a talk-story session with people here in Hawaii, some well-known and some regular folks like us.
Nolan also has a YouTube channel which is part everyday life, part mental health journey.
