What’s the hottest form of content on the internet during recent years? No doubt that most internet users will agree vlogs are the content of the moment. You might have experienced the vlog revolution vividly in life around you – all of a sudden, every college classmate carries a small canon camera while running between classes; every friend at dinner puts a mini tripod on desk and asks you to say hello to the camera. A video blog can be filmed and edited as a cherished memory to be kept privately or nowadays a commercialized product, driven as an ad-revenue machine.

No matter if you wish to record daily’s & memorable life moments or pursue this as a possible career path, vlogging is a fun and creative (but challenging sometimes) process for anyone interested. Therefore, in today’s article, we will be introducing everything a newbie needs to know about vlogging – How to Vlog 101!

Equipment

As much as we feel that it’s not about the equipment when wanting to start vlogging, sometimes it is still helpful to have a basic gear set which allows a beginner to get on hand quickly and produces content with better quality. We’ve put a list of a common vlogger starter pack in below only for your reference, since it really depends on equipment budget, investment plan, and individual purpose of vlogging.

Planning

If you wish to edit not only for yourself but also later to put online to share with more internet viewers, it might be better to take a bit more time to think about what you’re going to film before the actual shooting. Viewers crave authenticity, but sometimes that also takes a little planning.

Theme & Style

Decide the vlog theme and style first. Broadly speaking, vlogs are conducted in two main styles: a “talking-head” vlog (e.g. product reviewing, experience sharing) where the vloggers sit steadily in front of the camera and keep talking throughout the whole time; a “follow-me-around” vlog (e.g. spend a day with me, travel vlog) where the vloggers carry cameras around and film as they go. Consider which style you’d like to film ahead will facilitate the following vlogging process.

Outline

Shooting a vlog is very similar to writing an essay. Once you decide the vlog’s style and theme, it is always helpful for either a beginner or a professional to make a vlog outline as it eases the nervousness and prepares the speaker in front of the camera.

Try to outline with the mind map structure with XMind if you are going for a “talking-head” vlog. It is a simple and efficient way to organize the overall vlog structure which gives you clear guidance throughout the shooting process. For example, if you are planning to talk about a makeup product review (classic!) for followers, then a well-connected outline before vlogging might make your video more authentic, prepared, and enjoyable.

If instead planning to take the camera and shoot a “spend a day with me” challenge, you could use the timeline structure with XMind and outline the daily routine and main activities throughout the day. A random and fragmented version of your day is not likely to attract more viewers, but a well-connected, planned and seemingly natural presentation of your day would. All of the most viewed YouTubers’ vlogs which seem random and unintentional take at least some behind-the-scenes planning.

However, even though some tips above might sound standardized and demanding, we wish to remind you that all of the equipment pack/planning tips are not essential at all as there’s no right answer for everyone. An iPhone with some ideas and you are good to go. Vlogging is all about unleashing ideas and inspiring creativity, so the most important thing is just to take it easy and produce something you will be proud of.

Filming

Filming used to be more of an exclusive and professional project in the artistic field, but thanks to the rise of vlogging, shooting now has become an accessible hobby for anyone. However, the actual shooting does require certain basic techniques in order to produce “watchable” contents in the beginner trial. Therefore, we’ve made a checklist below about some general tips which are more likely leading to high-quality videos.

Besides this checklist, keep in mind a cliché that practice makes perfect. The more often you play with your camera, the better angle & lighting you will find and the better content you will create up with.

Editing

When it finally comes to the editing stage, we want to first congratulate that you’ve almost done with your first vlog! Some may think that this editing stage is optional since the most important part – video content is filmed already. This sounds true but however underweights the necessity of editing. Editing allows the vlogger to organize the storyline, trim clips, attach music, add stylish titles – a magically creative process that draws the story, sets the aesthetics, and makes the contents more entertaining.

The most commonly used editing software includes iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere. We suggest any beginners with an iOS system to use iMovie first (as it is free and intuitive to navigate) and think further if it is worth the investment before purchasing other professional software (with higher pricing). And as for some video editing tutorials, you can find YouTube as a great & free resource to learn from. If prefer a more systematic learning journey, check out some professional websites with paid online editing classes available. Play with editing, and don’t afraid to make mistakes as every mistake is a chance to make your vlog more meaningful.

Thanks for your time reading this How to Vlog 101. We wish this article helps anyone who is attempting to step into the vlogging world. Remember, have fun with it ☺

Resource: https://porch.com/advice/setup-perfect-space-home-diy-social-media-videos