Video Blogging - Creating a Career Online
In the 21st Century, many people know have created a career using online platforms a social media. The growth of Websites such as YouTube have seen a rapid rise in the increase of people making a living by Video Blogging, or ‘Vlogging’. And as people now have careers making videos and uploading them for the world to see, making sure that they are made to a high production value and stand out is a necessity in order to continue with this form of work. Using professional lighting equipment and accessories can help to make any video blog catch the eye of potential viewers. In this Blog, we look into what equipment is currently available and how it will help to improve any Video Blogging Set-up.
Lighting
Whilst most cameras these days are more than capable of recording at a high-quality, sometimes the addition of extra lighting can help to make the subject to stand out and look more professional. As this would be found video shooting rather than still shots, continuous lighting is the only real option available here, with LED being the optimum choice. We understand that there are different types of Video Blogging and that these can be either on-the-go or is a single constant location, so we have a few different product recommendations that will be able to match these needs.
On-The-Go Video Blogging
When recording out in public or spontaneously, it’s not always convenient to carry around large and heavy lighting around. Being battery powered is a must, as it may not always be convenient to gain access to mains power. Making sure that the lighting is small enough to carry with you at all times and lightweight enough to make it comfortable to carry where ever it may be required is important. But making sure that the quality of lighting is still to a professional standard whilst also being bright enough is very important also, so finding the perfect balance can be difficult, but we have a few products available that meet these criteria.
LED170: The LED170 LED Light is small, lightweight and portable, which is ideal for lighting on-the-go. Featuring 170 LED bulbs, this light can produce up to 10W max power and have a brightness of more than 2700lux at 0.5m, meaning that there will never be a lack of lighting when required. It comes with a hot-shoe attachment, allowing it to simply be slide on top of a camera and held in place. The head can be tilted in order to better help angle the lighting onto the subject to capture the best quality shot. Being battery powered means that it is the perfect solution for when lighting is need on different locations, with it being able to be powered by 8x AA batteries for up to 1 Hour at a time or Sony NP-F batteries (sold separately) for up to 4 hours at a time. Dimensions of 17x11x4.2cm means that it wouldn’t take up huge amounts of space either.
Smartphone LED Ring Light: Smartphones are also a viable source for Video Blogging, and this Smartphone LED Ring Light offers that extra little bit of lighting. 3W of power and a Colour Temperature of >95 helps to give any recording that little bit extra vibrancy whilst making sure that the natural colours of the world are still powerful and noticeable. The adjustable clip means that this LED Ring Light is capable of attaching to most new Smartphone, up to 11mm in thickness. Three levels of brightness allow adjustment in the brightness of the light to best suit any location required. With a diameter of 8.5cm and a weight of just 42g, this light is the perfect solution for portability and storage, and it wouldn’t take up a lot of space when travelling.
Single Location Video Blogging
When recording in the same place consistently, being able to use mains power for the lighting is the ideal option, as it is much simpler and easy as there wouldn’t be different batteries and chargers scatter around. As it would be left in the same place, the lights themselves are able to be slightly larger, more professional and offer a brighter and better light quality. Being more professional also allows the potential use of different modifiers and accessories to help adjust and manipulate the light into a way that better suits any Video Blogging scenario.
RICO240 LED Ring Light: Coming with 240 Daylight Balanced LEDs offering a maximum power of 55W, the RICO240 LED Right Light is a great lighting source for Video Blogging. With a CRI of >90 and a Colour Temperature of 5500K, the quality of light produces is of the best quality and helps to create a vibrant and sharp video every single time. The power of the RICO240 can be adjusted from 100% maximum power all the way down to 10% power, meaning that it is possible to adjust the lighting to suit any possible shoot. The ability to attach different brackets means that it is possible to attach a camera or smartphone in the centre of the ring light and keep it in place to achieve the same angle at all times. With the camera in the centre of the Ring Light, it also helps to create appealing and interesting ring-shaped catchlights in the eyes of the subject.
Daylite60D: The Daylite60D is a 60W LED Studio Light which has an equivalent brightness of 600W Halogen Lamp whilst only using 10% of the power and running much cooler due to the built-in cooling fan and heat dispersion. The ability to adjust the power from 100% to 10% allows the light to suit any possible video shoot it may be required in. Coming with Bowens S-Type fitting as standard, this light has the possibility to be used with many common and easily accessible modifiers, such as beauty dishes and softboxes, in order to adjust and soften the light on the subject.
Backgrounds
The use of a background helps to make any Video Blog look more professional or help to make the subject stand out more for the viewer. Some Bloggers may be able to keep the backgrounds up at all times but some may require their background to be put away and stored when not in use, so finding the best solution for different requirements is important. Some set-ups may be limited by the size of the space they are being recorded in, so having a range of different sizes and shapes is important to suit any particular shoot.
Telescopic Background Stand & 3x6m White Muslin Background: This Background kit comes with everything required in order to achieve a high-quality Background. The Telescopic Background Stand is made from light-weight and durable aluminium which makes it reliable and sturdy enough to hold up to 8KG backgrounds. The two stands are able to adjust between 100cm and 280cm in height and come with a 5/8” Spigot with ¼” and 3/8” thread, to allow attachment of many different equipment. The Crossbar is able to be extended between 120cm and 300cm, which allows it to be used in conjunction with many different sized backgrounds that may be required for any particular shoot. The Background itself is 3m in width and can be rolled out to up to 6m in length, which can be useful in larger shooting spaces. Due to the Chroma-Key fabric having a matter finish in nature, it is virtually reflection free. Being made from high-quality 140g/m2 Muslin material, it is very sturdy and can be used vigorously without the need to replace and if it does become dirty, it is possible to machine wash this particular background.
Collapsible Black/White Background Board: This Collapsible Background is dual sided, White & Black, helping to offer the user the ability to adjust their set-up to match the requirements during any particular shoot. Being 1.5x2m in size, it is large enough to cover a wide area neatly and properly, but it can also be folded down to approximately 1/3rd of its actual size to fit inside the included carry bag, which is helpful when it comes to storage and transportation of the Background. The extremely durable double-riveted frame and the high-quality Muslin cotton material used in the creation of the Background means that this Background will be able to survive heavy use and won’t need to be replaced frequently.
Modifiers/Accessories
Sometimes the lighting being used may be good, but not perfect, and that can be helped with the use of Modifiers & Accessories. Different modifiers can be attached to the lighting in order to alter the light being produced to better suit the subject. Modifiers such as beauty dishes and softboxes can help to create a softer and more diffused light, so it falls nicely onto the subject. Accessories can help to give that little bit extra to and shoot, and help to improve the overall look and feel. These things will help to make any Video Blog look better and to stand out against the rest.
190cm Foldable Lightweight Stand: As this stand weighs only 1.2KG, it makes it lightweight and portable, meaning that it is much easier to more and adjust when needed. Even as this stand is lightweight, it can still hold up to 3kg in weight, which should be enough for any modern LED Lighting. It can adjust its height from the maximum of 190cm to a minimum of only 49.5cm, meaning that it can be used either as a floor stand, or simply placed on a table, to suit any Video Blogging set-up. The 5/8” spigot with a ¼” thread that comes included with this stand allows the choice to connect a wide array of different lighting, modifiers and accessories.
65cm 16-Sided Easy-Open Softbox: This 65cm Softbox is the perfect addition to any lighting. It features 2 layers of diffusion, mean that it creates a soft and evenly spread light, whilst also making sure to focus the lighting on the subject. The 16 heat-resistant durable rods help to offer a strong and sturdy frame, so it will be able to keep up with more rigorous usage. This frame also helps with the set-up of the softbox, as it has an umbrella-like opening mechanism, so it is quick and simple to set up or to put down for storage when not in use. One major benefit to this softbox is that it also comes with a removable deflector dish, allowing it to be used as a beauty for when a a more contrasting light is required.
Extendable Leg Mini Tripod: This Mini Tripod is a wonderful addition for any Video Blogger who finds themselves out on location but wants to create a quick and simple set-up. It weighs only 110G and can be folded down to 16cm, perfect for travelling as it doesn’t take up much room and has minimal weight. It can also simply be placed onto of a table in a studio, if it is decided that a full-length professional stand is too cumbersome and takes up too much space. The ¼” thread that comes as standard means that it is possible to place a camera onto this tripod, or even a small and light-weight LED light, when that little bit extra light is required.
Kits
Having gone through what would be required for high-quality and well-presented Video Blogging, it can be a little overwhelming. Making that all the correct equipment has been chosen can be confusing, and can also be quite expensive for all of the individual parts. We here at PiXAPRO have designed a few kits that come with everything required in order to achieve the best possible Video Blogging set-up, without needing to go over-budget.
Video Blogging LED Lighting Kit: This Video Blogger kit has been put together to meet the needs of Video Bloggers. Included in this kit is 1x RICO240 LED Ring light, which can be used as the main light on the subject, creating a soft lighting due to the built-in diffusion, and helping to create pleasing ring-shaped catchlights in the eyes of the subject. The maximum output of 48W and the CRI of >95 helps to create a sharp and vibrant light source which will look of the highest quality in any Video Blog. Being dimmable from 100% down to 10% allows for much more control over the lighting, which will help to suit any required lighting needs. Also included are 2x GLOWPAD350 LED Light Panels. These panels offer 45W maximum power each and can be used as backgrounds lights or rim lights to help to separate your subject from the background to help them stand out. It’s slim profile and weight of only 1.1KG makes it easy to move to offer the best lighting, whilst also being easy to store away when not in use. Each GLOWPAD offers a diffused lighting, which can help to make it look softer yet still remaining focused on either the subject or background. One benefit it has is that not only is it possible to power with mains power, each GLOWPAD comes with two battery plates, enabling the use of Sony NP-F Series batteries (Not included), in case the lights aren’t able to be connects to a plug socket.
GLOWPAD350S Three Head Kit with Black/White Collapsible Background: The GLOWPAD350S is a 45W LED Light Panel with 136 high-quality LED’s built-in, to offer a superb standard of lighting. With a Colour Temperature of 5500K and a CRI of >95, the light produced will be vibrant and sharp and we make your subject come to life during the Video Blog. The slim design and weight of only 1.1KG help to make it much easier to adjust the lighting when required, and the tilt-head allows even more control and freedom of the lighting. Included in the kit is a 1.5x2m Collapsible Black/White Background, made from 100% Muslin cotton and an extremely durable double-riveted frame, which helps to make it survive harsh and constant use. One benefit of this particular background is that it is possible to fold this down to approximately 1/3rd of its full size and be stored in the included carry bag, which is extremely useful if it isn’t possible to keep it out over an extended period of time.
Summary
Video Blogging is a very viable means for a career now, and many different people are now trying to make this their goal in life. Making sure that they all stand out and are noticeable is so important in order to achieve success in this field. So now that the knowledge for the required equipment has been gathered into one place, this helps to make that dream become a reality.
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