TOOLS YOU NEED TO PRODUCE QUALITY VIDEO AND AUDIO
So many musicians who capture their own music and video miss key production steps that can make the difference between a video people will watch once and one they can return to over and over, recommend — and even be willing to pay for. In the world of streaming shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, people are increasingly willing to pay for video content.
Make it worth their while with storytelling and recording quality that removes all the annoying snaps, crackles, pops, and jitters that come with production problems.
First, set up your video so you can either do a live cast with good audio and lighting, or a “multi-camera” shoot that you (or a video editor) can assemble into a seamless, beautiful, evergreen product that will generate revenue for you separate from gig income.
GETTING VIDEO RIGHT
Mount cameras to get coverage from different angles. Experiment with the angles to make sure what you need is in the frame. Unless you’re specifically shooting for Facebook or Instagram only, you’ll want your cameras (and smart phones and tablets) to shoot in “letterbox” format. Avoid vertical video for that cinematic, epic, story-telling feel.
MOUNT YOUR CAMERA ON THE WALL
If you have a DSLR, you can use this as it is. If you have a smartphone, you can add to it an adapter that will securely hold your smartphone. An adapter like the one on the PEYOU (see next item) will work.
PRODUCT DETAIL
PRICE: 32.00
Arkon’s CMPHD006 Heavy-Duty Aluminum Mount with 8” Multi-Angle Arm and 4-Hole AMPS Drill Base is designed for installations where mounting a camera to a wall or other flat solid surface (including car dashboards) is desired. The mount base uses a 4-Hole AMPS pattern to attach to the wall (screws are included) or other surface. (Formerly an industry standard, the 4-Hole AMPS pattern consists of four holes located in a rectangular pattern spaced at 30.17mm by 38.05mm, measured as the center-to-center distance between holes) CMPHD006 offers a 1/4”-20 mounting bolt for attaching compatible cameras, such as close-circuit television (CCTV) or security cameras, in-vehicle camera systems, POV cameras, point-and-shoot cameras, camcorders, or any device with a 1/4”-20 threaded mounting pattern. This mount includes Arkon’s Heavy-Duty Aluminum Mount with 8” Multi-Angle Arm and 4-Hole AMPS Drill Base. This sturdy 8”mount features three adjustment knobs at 2.5” intervals on the mount arm for easy positioning. Two additional 180° adjustment points at both the top and bottom of the mount provide additional flexibility in positioning the camera.
MOUNT your camera on a tripod
For smart phones and tablets, a good total solution includes a tripod, a bracket for your device, and a carrying/storage case.
PRODUCT DETAIL
PRICE: $25.00
PEYOU Compatible for iPad iPhone Tripod, 50" Lightweight Aluminum Phone Camera Tablet Tripod + Wireless Remote + Universal 2 in 1 Mount Holder for Smartphone (Width 2.2-3.3"),Tablet (Width 4.3-7.3")
mount your camera on a mic stand
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PRODUCT DETAIL
PRICE: $30.00
IK Multimedia iKlip Xpand Adjustable Holder for Tablets/iPad. Take the guesswork out of stand mounting your tablet with the IK Multimedia iKlip Xpand. This spring-loaded clamp comfortably expands to fit virtually any mobile tablet, including iPad, iPad mini, and various Android platform models. Better yet, you don't even have to take off your tablet's protective case. You can attach your iKlip Xpand to just about any microphone stand, boom arm, or similar kind of stand you'll find at Sweetwater. And, thanks to its locking ball joint, you can comfortably tilt, angle, and orient your tablet however you like.
DOLLY SHOTS FOR EASY, HIGH PRODUCTION VALUES
With a smartphone and tablet set up using the mounting systems above, you’ll have coverage. To create more interest visually, if you have someone in your space who can help you (please don’t expose either of you to the potential for COVID-19, please!), you can have them use any extra smartphone on hand to capture dolly shots. This technique is used in Masterclass productions (see Netflix): Two fixed cameras are supplemented by a camera that moves left and right. The smoothness is yours to have if you have a medium-height bookshelf, or two chairs and a board, along with a micro dolly.
The Portable Pico Flex Table Skater Dolly Rig with Ball Head 360 degree Pico Travel Size Case Pico 591BH ($50) is a fine solution for DSLRs and with an adapter like the one from PEYOU, it works beautifully with smartphones. To smooth the way for the micro dolly, Pico sells a dolly surface mat (25.00) You will need a head to place on the dolly. Lots of options exist (see the one in the photo on the left as an example, which is possibly the P&C tripod ball ($22). You might try the Pearstone 7.5” Articulating Arm for a value priced option that might give you additional angles and options as you experiment.
VIDEO SOFTWARE
You can use built-in video capture tools in smartphones and tablets, but you may be faced with learning how to set focus and exposure so that it doesn’t change as you move around the frame. That’s possible on iOS, and if your budget is limited, take time to learn how.
We recommend using FILMICPRO for iOS devices, though. You won’t need most of the features at first, but it does brilliantly well at allowing you to set focus and exposure, manage your video library, and set shutter speed. It also support DJI stabilizers if you have someone in your household willing to help you produce next-level video.
Whether you use your smartphone’s built-in video tools or FILMIC PRO, you’ll produce video files that may need to be uploaded for a video editor. We recommend DropBox or Box.com. DropBox can be integrated right into Filmic Pro.
To find out more about Filmic Pro’s features, see the video below.
LIGHT IT RIGHT
You have two main choices we recommend for lighting your setup. If you plan to remain relatively still, you can have a single very bright, diffuse light in front of you. This can be from a window if you can put a sheet over it to keep direct sunlight from falling across you. Direct sunlight generates shadows, which may not look offensive to the human eye, but in camera work, shadows create unattractive — even unwatchable — results in most cases.
The other choice is to do a three-light setup (but see our alternative below for a third option that MAY work OK). The three light setup has a bright light in front, often nowadays from a mounted LED pack; a side light with a diffuser (“soft box”), and a light from above and behind that defines the hairline. These three lights may seem excessive, but you’ve actually seen this kind of setup in virtually every TV show, interview, or movie you’ve enjoyed (although film and TV productions have dramatically evolved their lighting design over the last 25 years). Once you get the three-light setup in place, you’ll be shocked how natural and beautiful it looks.
The third option is a soft box on one side of you and a front light just off at an angle from center. This may generate a few shadows, but they will probably not be harsh and distracting. By having the soft box off at a slight angle, the light can pass “behind” you, to give the perimeter of your head and body a little more depth. (A fourth option? Have your front light be diffused light through a large window in your home, use the soft box on the side, and the third light mount above and behind your for the hair light.)
SOFT BOX
We recommend the MOUNTDOG 1350W soft box kit ($40). It provides two bulbs (so you have a spare) at 5500 Kelvin, an attractive light that simulates daylight. This is useful if you use diffused daylight for any of your other fill light, because during most of the day, this light will match. Also, if you shoot using diffused daylight in one shot and need to match that shot later after the sun goes down, the MOUNTDOG kit will help.
The three light kit contains three soft boxes and is $90. If you have enough room where you’re shooting video, this is an excellent option to make sure you have plenty of light.
FRONT LIGHT
We normally have used Neewer or similar LED products with 5500 or 5600 Kelvin LED panels and tall stands. These are great, and do consider them. Currently in vogue, however are ring lights, and that competition is bringing down prices.
The Neewer Ring Light Kit has an 18” diameter ring, in the middle of which is a mount for a smartphone. At $90, it is less expensive that other LED stand-mounted lights. Do keep in mind that it is highly directional light in a narrow range, ideal for one person (which is of course the right crowd size under current conditions). Post-COVID, you may want to get a pair of other stands with LED panels giving more light into a broader area.
You’ll notice that the clip for the smartphone easily supports the horizontal (letterbox) format.
If you want a more formal and professional “three-way” lighting setup, normally you’d want a front (or “key”) light, a fill light from the side (sometimes soft, sometimes hard, when it’s called a “kicker” light), and a hair light, which goes behind you to light your shoulders and hairline slightly. This helps you stand out from the background. This is a step up from the three soft-box package mentioned above.
One inexpensive solution is also from Mountdog. It includes two of its soft boxes plus a hair light on a boom stand with a counterweight for the boom. You get plenty of bulbs and extras, and a carrying case, and it’s all incredibly affordable. You’ll want to consider getting a couple of A/C power strips, some gaffer’s tape to secure cables to the floor without sticky residue, and a light meter app on your phone to make sure you light evenly. (It’s hard to tell with just the eye.) The entire package is $116.
NEXT LEVEL VIDEO
Green screens, well-lit, can be easily replaced by a video editor with a background of your choice. For some of you, eliminating background clutter is as easy as putting up a green screen and asking your video editor to replace with black. If you’re going to be doing a duet with another musician, if they also have a green screen, the green can be replaced with related images (or both black) to create a believable illusion that both of you are in the same space. This can reduce the unconscious psychological “bump” of shifting between shots that have different backgrounds and light quality.
Green screens can be complicated or simple. Here’s a simple solution ($170). Valera Creator 95: Collapsible Green Screen for Streaming. It’s 75” x 58” and lifts up from the bottom carriage like old-fashioned home movie screens. It’s very light — only eleven pounds — and sets up in less than a minute.
You’ll need two LED work lights, one on each side pointing at the green screen, positioned to give it even cover. A tall one like this PowerSmith PWL2140TS can cover most of the top half. A small one like this Ustellar 60W LED can cover the bottom half “enough”. (Get two of the small ones if you want extra coverage).
Valera Creator 95
Collapsible green screen for superb, professional results.
AUDIO
Most musicians have microphones. Capturing audio well is a key goal of our setups. If you’re working with a DAW, or with an engineer for your session, most common condenser or electret microphones available today for $200 or less will sound perfectly fine in the mix. EQ, compression, and other effects easily can obscure the difference between an inexpensive microphone and an expensive one.
Many musicians do not have audio interfaces to accept audio into their computers. Just like microphone quality at low price has never been better, the same is true of audio interfaces.
For now, consider using a condenser microphone that can handle the sound pressure levels of your instrument. In the case of pianos, some electrets work fine. Used microphones may be hit or miss, but if you source well, you can get an excellent used microphone for a good value. Microphones we can recommend for all around use include the Rode NT2A, Behringer B2Pro, AKG214, AKG Perception 420, Studio Projects B1. To allow you to attach quality microphones to your tablet using built-in 1/8” jacks, check out the iRig Pre.
Interfaces for one or two microphones should have phantom power to support condenser mics, and a headphone jack so you can check levels and/or listen to reference tracks as you record. Luckly these are inexpensive and better than ever. The Behringer U-Phoria 404HD is well-reviewed and fully-featured, USB-compatible, and resolution of 24 bit audio at up to 192kHz. It handles MIDI, four mics and four instruments (electric guitar, bass DI, etc.), and direct, zero-latency monitoring.
It may be more than you need (and it costs $180). For $160, you can get the Behringer U-Phoria 202HD, a C-1 condenser mic, and a pair of headphones. This may be all you need.
These links go to Sweetwater, where you may be able to arrange for payments.
For a lapel microphone with Lightning connector, which works well on iOS devices, we recommend the Movo LV1-DI Digital Lavalier Omnidirectional Clip on Microphone here. Or you can use the LavMicro DI Lavalier Mic here. If you need a 3.5mm (aka 1/8” or mini) jack lapel mic, you can check out the Boya BY-M1 here.
When you plug the lapel mic into your iOS device using FILMIC PRO (see above), you can select that mic as your default input device. This audio track, combined with your musical tracks. give an engineer plenty of options in mixing voice and musical content.
Most lavalier mics (also called lapel mics) are fine for spoken word. If you will be singing or playing an instrument, I recommend a good condenser mic and the iRig Pro. This will cover you for spoken word and music.
NOW WHAT
Once you’ve set up your audio capture equipment, tested recording levels into a DAW, GarageBand, or similar software, it’s time for a test run.
Record a good performance. Keep it, you may want it later.
Check how it sounds. You should hear as little room tone as you can manage by placing the mic correctly — but avoid overloading the mic, because you may clip your audio as you record, and that sound is generally unrecoverable. If you cannot eliminate room tone — and especially if room tone is prominent — record JUST room tone for about 30 seconds. This can allow the engineer to do a number of things to match your room tone with the room tone of your duet partner.
Check how things look: Wear the outfit you want to use, get all the lights set up. Take stills to determine how to frame the video and check for areas that are too bright or too dark. (Photos capture a bit more of what the camera looks at than video, so this is not a perfect test.)
Send acceptable stills to the person you’re doing the duet with. Challenge them to match the light and framing.
If you’re using the green screen, do not wear anything green.
Now, do a dry run. Generate audio and video. Send it to your editors of choice and ask for feedback. Take their advice. Make adjustments.
Then, with your set list in hand, record your parts, capturing everything. If you’re recording one part first, to be accompanied later by the other party, don’t be bashful about capturing video with you wearing headphones. Everyone will get it. If you prefer to do video takes without headphones (essentially “faking” the live performance), do the very best you can. We don’t want the audience ever to believe you are indeed “faking” it.
In fact, all this effort in getting lighting, camera work, and audio right is to eliminate all the bumps that normally would take a viewer out of the moment. We want them in the moment, with you.