Tips for Filming YouTube Videos | Where to Start

I would like to begin that I am very new to YouTubing. I am by no means an expert, and do not claim to be. I began filming videos three months ago after a lot of research and many years of watching YouTubers that I admire, including allthatglitters21, missglamorazzi, laurenbeautyy, essiebutton and many more recently!

The world of YouTube can be a daunting one to enter. A lot of bloggers baulk at the idea because they are shy, or don’t know where to begin. This post is to help you conquer the very basics of starting a YouTube Channel.

Camera

The first obvious item you will need for filming a YouTube video is a camera. To be able to compete with other YouTubers, it is wise to be able to get a camera that will allow HD filming. I personally use a Lumix DMC-FZ150. I also use a tripod that I bought off eBay for aorund $80 AUD. It really helps with keeping your camera steady and at the same height for every video.

Lighting

You can either use natural or artificial light in your videos. I prefer to use artificial light, purely because I have a day time job, and it is simply impossible to film during day light hours. Many YouTubers prefer artificial light because it stays uniform for all of your videos, and it’s not a disaster if the sun decides to go behind a cloud! I bought my two lamps off eBay for around $50, and it came with two. I only use one, it’s definitely bright enough on it’s own!

Editing & Uploading Videos for YouTube can take some time!

Movie Software

I don’t know a great deal about video editing software for PC users. I use a MacBook Pro, and it comes with iMovie preloaded onto the computer. I watched some tutorials on YouTube on how to use it (how convenient!) and it really helped out with the basics. I am still very new to editing, and practice does make perfect! After you have finished editing, you then need to Finalise your Project, and then upload it to YouTube. The process of filming the actual video, editing, finalising and uploading can take upwards of 8 hours. It’s quite a long process, but not as gruelling as you would think.

Being yourself doesn't mean being perfect!

Being yourself doesn’t mean being perfect!

Confidence

As a self-confessed shy person (I can be extremely awkward in social situations) I can tell you, it’s a lot easier to film a video than you think! After two practice runs in front of the camera, the shyness simply melted away. I like to imagine I am talking to my sister, or a good friend. It’s a great deal easier that way. It’s important to remember that everyone gets tongue-tied. Just take a deep breath, and start from where you left off. You can always edit out mistakes later (I sometimes leave them in, because they are funny).

Be the best YOU that you can be!

Camera Presence

No one is happy all the time. That is what makes us human. But again, we don’t log onto YouTube only to be brought down by a depressing or angry video. We watch videos to learn something, watch about a topic that interests us and to make us feel good. A lot of people (including myself) worry that we may come across as fake or annoying if we act overly excited about every single lipstick we review. It’s important to BE YOURSELF, but also to try and be the best YOU that you can be! I must also stress that if you are bored/pissed off/PMSing/whatever, it may be best to take a deep breath and save the filming for another night (or tuck into some chocolate!). I have many videos that I have scrapped simply because I looked or acted like I was in a foul mood - no one needs to see that!

Be honest about products you love! (and products you don't love)

Be honest about products you love! (and products you don’t love)

Content

Any blogger will know that content is key. This applies the same to filming YouTube videos. Ensure that you do your research on products and be honest with your viewers. If you aren’t going to repurchase that cleanser - it’s ok! Just tell the truth. You got sick of the scent is a perfectly reasonable answer!

I bet A LOT of people cringe at my RAD Beanie. Owell.

Honesty

As mentioned above - honesty is key. If you are being sponsored to talk about a product, let your viewers know in the description box. If you find a certain brand of lipsticks that everyone has been raving about is absolutely vile - let your viewers know why you don’t like them. Viewers appreciate honesty, and will respect you more if you don’t sing praises for every single product you come past. Nothing works for everybody, this means YouTubers too!

I hope this starter kit has helped you make a step in the right direction with starting your very own YouTube channel! Feel free to check out my channel here! Please let me know if you found this post helpful, or if you have any questions about YouTube! Also feel free to link your YouTube channel in the comments, I would love to subscribe to some new YTers!!

Cheers,

Kate

3 thoughts on “Tips for Filming YouTube Videos | Where to Start

  1. Hey, I was wondering if you still have a link or the shop name on eBay where you bought your lights, would love to snag some myself :) Thanks for the tips

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