Next, I need to mention – Tripod. Often overlooked with beginners, but a MUST if you are taking video from a still perspective. Yes, you can get tripods for iPhone and Android (for any camera).
It is also worth mentioning that you can now buy Glide Cam Adapters For iPhone Makes Moving Camera Shots A Breeze. A glidecam is a fitting you attach to your recording device to achieve a floating effect as you move the camera. There are a lot of added attachments that were previously reserved for professional equipment you can now pick up for at a nice price.
Out of these extra attachments you are definitely going to need an external microphone. You can get a lapel mic or you can get a shotgun mic that fits onto the shoe (on the top) of your DLSR camera ($150-$300) or you can get a lapel-mic iphone attachment for around $60 (download a free app to use) or a similar Go-pro version. If you are recording with a webcam you also NEED a USB microphone.
Don’t even think about skimping on this because the built-in microphone in your recording device is rubbish. OK, it’s not bad… but video sound quality is so incredibly important so don’t risk it – especially if you are shooting a sales video. This one secret often trips up beginners… they go to all this effort only to realize at the end that something isn’t quite right… the audio sucks. (don’t fret as much about this for your testimonial videos… sometimes poor sounding audio gives it more authenticity)
When you are reaching out to a prospect, it’s not the post-production effects or expensive video equipment that will catch their full attention – its increased audio quality. You want to try and get the audio so clear it sounds as if you are speaking into their ear. Advanced tip: If you have made a few videos and feeling confident and shooting a video that takes a lot of time and effort, be sure to set up two microphones – one lapel mic and one attached to your camera. This way, if the audio fails on one, you have backup audio – and all is not lost!
Ideally, if you are moving around a lot within your shoot, a wireless lapel mic would be perfect. But these microphones do cost a little more… So don’t worry about this if you are trying to produce video on the cheap (the lapel mic for iPhone is a good alternative).