The Ultimate Video Production Toolkit: Software, Gear, and Creative Must-Haves
The Creation process for filming videos is a wild landscape to try and walk through, and every type of filming has a different way of doing things, from YouTube to short content to feature films. Each one is very different in the way it is produced and shot. Along with that, every studio, company, and creator has their own tools and ways of filming their content. Here we will go through a few ways to make videos and dive a little bit into the creation process, types of gear, software, and philosophy of how we at Stanis Creative use to make our videos.
As with most video creation, you need to start with a plan. You could just have an idea and hit record; it’s a completely valid way of doing things, but if you want to upgrade your production quality, you’ll need a plan. That is what Pre-production is for.
Pre-Production
In pre-production, you’ll be adapting a script for the screen, storyboarding the shots that you want, casting any characters in your film, building any sets, scheduling everything, and a whole lot more as you get more and more professional.
There are many ways to write a script and create storyboards, such as using Google Docs, Pages, or simply writing on paper. StudioBinder and Final Draft are good resources to help you format your screenplay more easily.
You can really use any program to storyboard as long as you can identify what you want from each shot. PowerPoint, Keynote, the notes app, Canva. All work fine for storyboarding. At Stanis Creative, we like to use Procreate as Liv is experienced in using it on their iPad.
Production
You’re not going to get that beautiful bocah around those dewy eyes with your smartphone.
There are many different cameras and gear to choose from, so many that you might not know where to start. We started with the most essential, the camera. Starting out, there is nothing wrong with using your smartphone. Apple uses its phone cameras for commercials and full movie production, but you may want to move on to dedicated camera equipment to give you more control, quality, and features. When thinking about cameras, it’s good to think about buying into a specific camera system (e.g., Canon, Black Magic, Nikon) as each system has its own system of cameras and lenses. While body technology changes, glass (lenses) can remain solid for much longer. We went with Canon because we have decades of experience using Canon Cameras, starting from the original Digital Rebel DSLR, and still use lense we bought from then.
For other types of gear, we would recommend getting some sort of stabilizing system for clean, stable, and professional shots. For fixed shots you are going to need a tripod. When you want to get into camera motion there are many types of stabilizing systems, such as gimbals and steadicams. These reduce bounce and shake so you don’t make your audience queezy, as well as add a level of quality.
Pro Tip: When using a handheld gimbal camera while walking around, hold the camera in your hands by the handle, and not connected to any other part of your body. The gimbal can only handle a certain amount of wobble from your movement, and your arms will work as a shock absorber for the gimbal, giving it a smoother motion. The footage will look like you are floating through space as you walk.
Post Production
Animaiton and video editing in the Stanis Creative studio
For post-production, there are many editing and visual effects tools; we use Premiere Pro to edit our videos. We are most comfortable with the software, and it is a good program with lots of useful tools to make editing easier, though it is pretty pricey. Davinchi Resolve is a great free alternative with good editing capabilities and even more color grading software, allowing you to adjust the color and look of shots to your liking. And if you are an Apple user, Final Cut Pro is a great software as well.
In the end, there are endless possibilities when it comes to making videos, from the process to the gear used to the editing software the film is cut with. We’ve provided and will continue to give you insight into our process and equipment. You have to find the ones that work for you to tell great stories.