You must have heard that, in the digital space today, content is king. Yes, content is truly king, but we sure know that there are different types of content you can find on the internet, be It websites or social media. These include pictures, copy (writeup), audio, and videos.
If pictures tell a thousand words, can you imagine what a video can do? Yes, you get the idea now, the most popular content on the internet today is video! Several content creators have become famous and are even cashing out from creating video content.
In this article, I would give a step by step process to how you can become a video content creator as well as the tools and basic skills you need to become a video content creator.
So, let’s dive in…
With the popularity of video-sharing social platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and even Whatsapp, video content has become more in demand for entertainment, education, and even business in the form of adverts and campaigns.
You must have come across countless videos on Youtube and Instagram or even your Whatsapp status timeline. These videos are created daily by people just like you and they are called video content creators.
What does it take to become a video content creator? Do you need a degree or some special course from one of the Ivy League universities? Well, maybe or maybe not. Haha, Just kidding.
Truth be told, to become very good at creating video content, one should attend a media school or get a media-related degree from a university or higher institution of learning, but another truth that must be told is, most of the best video content creators out there today never attended a media school, neither do they have a media-related degree!
So you see? Anyone can become a good video creator, with the right steps, determination, some good tools, and of course a basic knowledge on how to use such tools. The advantage with these tools is, the more you use them, the better you become at it.
Let me share my story very briefly…
I am a video content creator with proficiency in video editing, 2D motion design, camera handling, lighting, and a little knowledge in digital sound engineering. Did I learn these from any school? No, never, I am actually a graduate of Medical Physiology from one of the best universities in Nigeria.
So, how did I learn all of these and became a video content creator?
The answer is practice! I fell in love with video content back in 2016, this led me to join the media team at my church, from there I made friends with students and graduates of Film schools and Television College.
Because I couldn’t afford a camera and all the other stuff used in creating video content, I decided that whenever they wanted to create videos for my church video announcements, I would show up and watch them do it. Whenever they were done, I would stay back and try my hands on the camera, when I get back home at night, I would go on Youtube and watch videos on how to use DSLR cameras. I did this every week for a year, but by the third month, I was already getting a hang of it, by the eight-month, I was already creating videos and getting paid for it. Today I can confidently say I am a pro in video content creation.
Feel free to use my technique in your journey to becoming a pro, join a media team, and volunteer if you can’t afford to buy your own equipment right now.
For those who can afford the equipment, I would give you a list of the tools you need to become a video content creator.
DSLR Camera
To become a video content creator, a camera should be top on the list of tools you acquire.
Every video you see was shot with a camera, there are different types of cameras, but the most popular cameras right now are DSLR cameras. These cameras are pretty easy to use, even as a beginner, with a little direction, you would learn and master how to power on your camera, focus your lens and press the record button.
Want to buy a good DSLR camera? You can find one in our camera store here.
Lens
Without a lens, your camera is as good as useless. Every camera you use has a lens, though you may not see it. But for DSLR cameras, the lens can be detached and changed. DSLR cameras come with a kit lens which is basic. As you advance in creating video content, you would begin to understand how other lenses work and when to use them. But for now, the kit lens that comes with your camera is just fine.
As you advance in video content creation, you can upgrade by buying better lenses. Whenever you are ready to buy a lens, you can find durable camera lenses here.
Mic
Your video content is only as good as the sound. Have you seen those great videos with bad audio quality? Even though you really want to watch the videos, the poor quality of sound puts you off and you can’t help but skip the videos. That’s what happens when you don’t use a good microphone when shooting your videos. For a great video to be worth the watch, you must use a good microphone to capture sound, so go ahead and get yourself a good microphone.
Check out our collection of mics here.
Memory Card/Storage Device
A memory card or storage device is where your camera stores your videos when you shoot them. You can’t record a video without storing them, else you would just be wasting your time. Most cameras typically won’t work without a storage device in them. There are different brands and storage capacity of memory cards out there, pick one depending on how long your recordings would last.
We have durable memory cards for sale in our camera store, you can check them out here.
Lighting
Most beginners in video creation don’t understand how lighting works. The way your eyes perceive light is almost always different from how a camera lens perceives light. A camera usually needs more light than your eyes can see, this is why it is always necessary you add extra light to your set when shooting. Lighting is a broad topic on its own, but for a start, one or two ring light should serve. You can check out our collection of light here.
Background
The background in your videos matter. For your videos to be beautiful, interesting, or catchy, you must make conscious efforts at “designing” your video background. No, don’t get scared, I am not saying you should go into set design and all that, just put a flower vase, a beautiful painting or just sight a space that looks good and use that for your video, we all love to see an interesting and beautiful space, don’t we?
Editing Software
Those beautiful videos you see on Youtube, Televisions, and even tutorial videos were not shot in one take, most of them had to take several cuts here and there. It is during the editing (called post-production) that these cuts (or takes) are joined, trimmed, or even have texts added to them.
This part is done using a computer and any good editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro (for Windows users) or Final Cut Pro (for Mac users). There are lots of other editing software out there, just get the one that works well for you and do your thing!
So, there you have it, have you been wondering how to get started as a video content creator? I hope this was helpful.
One Response
Aduragbemi Johnson
Thank you ❣️ this helps à lot