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Production On A BUDGET Good day you beautiful creative people!! A little birdie told me that you’re in the market to buy some lighting equipment for your next social media video project. But I can see that you’re a little overwhelmed with all of the choices and all of the brands. Perhaps you’re even wondering “How much light do I really need for my blogs and self made video?” Well…."Yay! You’re in total luck!" Today’s blog is all about product recommendations of light enhancing equipment that you can purchase for your video projects. They’re easy to use and they won’t break your bank. Read til the end and you’ll see a bonus DIY light Project that I created for my very first video shoots. You can buy the elements from your local hardware store and assemble them right on the spot.
Lets get started… My first recommendation is This awesome little selfie phone light case called the Lumee Duo Phone Case with front and back LED lighting for your iPhone 6, 7 and 8. If you’re shooting close to your phone and you need a little light boost to flatter your face this shock proof phone case will beautifully fill in those shadows For around $50 (CAD) You’ll never take a horrible selfie video again. Check out this link https://amzn.to/30tfVvG if you’d like to purchase this lil gem. MY second recommendation is the Ring Light: I shot this interview with the light you’ll find at this link https://amzn.to/374vYT9 It was a video producer friend’s 18 inch ring light that came with a stand, a remote and a handy carrying case. Please note: While there are varying sizes of ring lights out there, I recommend that you splurge for the larger version. It’ll throw the light that much further. This light was just the right temperature and it lit up our subjects perfectly. Even when shot at about 6 feet out. And the third recommendation: And this option is one that I’d used on all of of my professional shoots for the first 5 years is this soft box kit. Click the link to purchase the very same one I did. https://amzn.to/38jDcme It works amazingly well for your video blogs or testimonials. Especially if you have a permanent SET where you can leave them in the perfect position every time. For under $150 this Kit comes with everything you need:
A note: If you’re buying another soft box kit, some don’t come with bulbs and you may have to purchase them separately. Also, aim to buy these lights with 4 bulbs each. They are worth every last penny. And that’s it for your 3 equipment recommendations. for some great lighting equipment that won’t stress your pocketbook. And for those that hung out with me til the end, I’ll share with you the DIY Project of my very first video lights that I built myself. I made from regular shop lights. You know, the long ones that hang over a shop bench that you can get from any hardware store. I lit them up with fluorescent full spectrum daylight bulbs that they use for growing plants. and voila! I had a beautifully colour temperature lamp that I hung vertically with it’s existing chains from hooks that I screwed into the wall. I wish I could show you a picture of them but…that was so many years ago. If you want more info or have a question specific to lighting... Click the link to book a Zoom Call. https://CaroleParsons.as.me/solution I'd love to help. See you next time. CP~ Hey, there crazy creatives! Welcome back to my blog & video blog! If you're here, it might be that you're in the market to buy sound equipment to attach to your smartphones, tablets, desktop or laptop. Don't you find the infinite choices all so confusing? Who could know what all that tech jargon is about, and what fits with what? Seriously! When did everyone become tech geeks?!! Well, I'm here to help you wade through the muddy tech fields to recommend three sound upgrades for your devices that won't drain your bank account and are generally easy to use. Who could benefit from these? Anyone that speaks on stage creates podcasts, does facebook lives, captures testimonials and, in general, anyone who creates social media video content with their personal devices. My first recommendation is … The Lapel Mic You'll be able to attach this one to your smartphone and for under $20 you can get a great noise cancelling clip-on lapel mic. If you're using the latest iPhones or Android, our product suggestion would be the You Mic. These babies are great to use if you'll be 4-6 ft away from your phone because that's how long the cord is. If you're shooting a testimonial, close up video blog or Podcast this little guy does the trick. It even comes with a pin adaptor to attach to computers, laptops, cameras and external audio recorders Here's the link to purchase this very one. https://amzn.to/376j5rD Oh Yes! You'll want to read to the end of the blog if you're considering an external mic for your computer or laptop. I'll share a secret from my audio pro friend Stu so that will get your BEST sound out of your Device. Next is the... Audio Recorder This is usually a small device meant only to capture sound, and because audio files take up so much less room on an SD card, it's easy to use and small enough to put in your pocket to hook up your lapel mic and get some great clear sound. Especially if you are on stage speaking and someone is filming your talk with a cell phone. After pouring over some audio capture devices, you'll see my recommendation in this link. https://amzn.to/374dl1L It's a great little, well-rated, digital audio capture device and priced just over $100 I do want to caution... Purchase This only if you are prepared to sync the audio with the video during the video editing process. If you're not familiar with this Sugar C Media www.sugarcmedia.com Can undoubtedly help you out with any of your video editing needs. Here is a great little digital recorder you can buy with lots of fantastic reviews. https://amzn.to/374dl1L And finally # 3 If you're on a Desktop or Laptop shooting your blog or podcasts, use a Desktop Cardioid USB Mic I asked my excellent former radio host and sound pro friend, Stu, which one he likes best and his suggestion was the Audio Technica 2020. Go here to purchase the very same one https://amzn.to/375WKue And…. Stu had another little gem of a tip for you troopers that have stuck it out to the end of this blog. From the "Settings" of your Computer or Laptop, optimize your external Mic as well as your internal Device Microphone input. This could make all the difference in the levels you get from your Device  That's it for sound equipment recommendations.
If you want more info or have a question specific make you sound better... Click the link to book a Zoom Call. https://CaroleParsons.as.me/solution I'd love to help. See you next time. CP~ BETTER Video SOUND with NO money SPENT 5 tips for great audio with no cash Hi there everyone Sound, when you're making video on-the-fly can be tricky. From wind to screaming sirens, I've probably heard it all and "MacGuivered" my way through it ...on location or in the editing bay. Today I'l share with you, 5 simple audio tips to make your video sound better if you’re on a tight budget. First let me declare! "Clear audio is sooooooooo Important!" Ever been at a conference doing a Facebook Live and you’ve watched the replay? You could barely hear yourself over that background noise. Or you’ve recorded your video blog at home and in the video your voice sounds tinn~y? or Echo~y? With these Five fabulous audio tips you can Improve the sound of your video with no money spent. First Locate your device’s Microphone! All of your personal devices have a microphone on them. Your desktop, laptop, phone and tablet. Lets play a where’s Waldo and look for the microphone on your device! Right now. Go! Or…Do what I did! Google it. Here’s where the microphones are located on my iPhone.  You’ll see it has multiple locations depending on what side of the phone you are recording
Once you’ve located the mic, keep your hands or stands free of the microphones depending on if you are holding it or using something else to stabilize the device with. Secondly Stay as close to your device as you possibly can. Or, if you’re shooting a subject, stay as close to them as you can. This will give you the clearest sound that you can possibly get with the phone, tablet or camera that you’re using. Thirdly For those of you on the run shooting lives, testimonials or content video where the background noise is out of your control. Find places to shoot that have less people noise but are still lit up like bathrooms or hotel hallways. Just make sure someone doesn’t flush while you are shooting live. (You can laugh…I did when I played back my video ;) When at conferences or events you can possibly go to the back of the room to steer clear of the amplifying speakers so you don’t get a sudden blast from the emcee telling you where lunch is located. Fourth~ly (is that a word?) Stay outta the Wind Outside audio is always a tricky beast. Wind is one of those things that seems to find you every time you shoot. One trick is to find something to shelter you. It can be a tree, bush, gazebo or a front porch. OR If you have a friend with you, ask to hold up a coat or sweater then shoot as close to the camera as you possibly can. And finally Fifth If you’re setting up a vlog in your home and you find that it sounds especially tinn~y or Echo~y and you have wood, ceramic or laminate flooring, try adding a rug with under-padding and a few more cloth furnishings to absorb the echo. That’s it for our 5 Tips to better audio with no money spent Subscribe to the video blog so you don’t miss out on any juicy tidbits and If you want more info or have a question specific to YOUR video Click the link below to book a Zoom Call.https://CaroleParsons.as.me/solution I’d love to help. See you next time. CP~ Welcome future (or current) video creators!
I wanted to create a blog post on how to select the perfect camera equipment for you. My clients who are looking to shoot their own video and video blogs ask me frequently “What kind of Camera should I use.” And, of course it all depends on lots of things so in turn I ask them (and you because you’re reading)
If you’re just starting out with low to no budget my advice is “Don’t buy anything new.” You can shoot video blogs, social media live video, video podcasts and also things like testimonials and on-the-fly content right from your phone, tablet or laptop. With the right stability, light and sound enhancing equipment you can create video on the go with almost any of your personal devices. If you’d like a little more flexibility when using a camera on your desktop or laptop, there’s external USB hookup Cameras that will clip nicely to these devices Click this link https://amzn.to/2NA6qWx to buy a cost effective little camera to use. Giving you a better flexibility for your stationary Desktop or Laptop. I’d show you mine but my Daughter borrowed it to do her Facebook lives. Sheesh…Kids! If you want more and have a moderate budget your best step up is a DSLR Camera. It looks like a regular 35 mm Camera but some have amazing sensors giving you beautiful crisp footage. They are light and compact allowing you to take it almost anywhere. The only downfall to the DSLR camera is that their onboard microphone is usually not stellar. And you’ll not be able to capture audio farther than about 6 feet even with a shotgun mic attached. For example if you’re setting up to shoot yourself on stage this isn’t a great way to go. The better solution to capture onstage performances is a prosumer Camera or Camcorder with the ability to hook up a wireless lapel microphone (the little clip on microphones) My favourite brand is Canon. Of the 3 Brands I’ve used it captures the richest colours. My camcorder is a few years old but the model closest to the one I love is this one https://amzn.to/2roujaW And that’s it for my recommendations on your best video cam. Click on the links I’ve provided if you’re looking to check out the upgraded cameras. Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVtWBDYDvk8ijrPAKfysp-Q so you don’t miss any juicy tidbits you’ll need to make your own fabulous video. Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you again verrrrry soon. CP~  Click to Watch The Video Blog!Well hello again
Thanks again for hanging out :) As per the title "Writing Your Script to Sound like An Expert" I've decided to teach you a little bit about writing a script to read from the teleprompter. If you're a beginner and it feels a little weird to write for video, I've devised 10 helpful tips on how to get the best results when writing out your script. A side note. It may take a little practice, but I'm so confident that you'll pick it up quickly :) I invite you to watch the video blog as well to see the difference conversational writing *sounds*. That said… Wouldn't it be great to have all the words in front of you to read? You'd never have to wonder whether you'd missed anything again! Have you ever tried to write this way? Say the next sentences out loud and pay attention to how different they sound. "Here is a sentence that I would write If I wanted to write for an article" AND "I'd write this sentence if I wanted to sound conversational." Hear the difference? The first sentence is formal, passive and rigid. It contains no contractions. The second is loose, active and informal. Now to help you out a little further, here are another 10 Tips that will loosen your lips and keep your conversation coming: Tip # 1 Write Simply. Keep your flowery adjectives to a dull roar. Reserving them for your best poetry instead. Tip # 2 Cut Up your sentences. Sentences running too long aren't natural. Shorten them, and It'll make it easier to punctuate the video with your personality. Tip # 3 Ditch the "I" and write for "your audience". Sounds weird huh? However, repeating "I" did this and "I" did that sounds like you're speaking for yourself. Positioning your audience as the focus creates a relationship and lets them know you that you care about them. Tip # 4 Use Active words. That'll enable you to create shorter, more impactful, action-oriented sentences. Active words example is taken directly from this video "Positioning" yourself", "Write" simply" and "Record" yourself Tip # 5 Ask questions! What do I mean "Ask Questions?" Exactly that! Engage your audience, allowing them to feel included in your chat. Tip # 6 Contractions are key Using Can't, won't, It's, and you ensure that your language stays comfortable and informal. More like talking and less like an essay. Tip # 7 Spice things up with a little slang A little slang injected into your video helps your audience relate to you easier. It reduces informality and allows you to show your personality. Tip # 8 Repeat yourself for punctuation To create a conversational script Keep It Short Keep it real and Keep it engaging See what I did there? Using repetitive phrases like "Keep it" gets your point across directly and effectively. Tip # 9 Record yourself explaining something to your closest friend. Just record yourself talking with your cell phone. Now Play back the recording and write out how exactly how you've spoken word for word. THIS is how you speak! Try to mimic this when you are scripting. Tip # 10 Read what you've written out loud Does it sound right? If not…try a few other ways to say it. It takes a bit of getting used to writing this way if you've never done it. Now It's your turn! Using the 10 tips, create your script and practise reading it in front of the camera. Have fun with it. Subscribe to my YouTube channel If you're worried about missing more great tips and tricks to getting your best video. See ya soon, CP~  Hey there, friendly folk :)
I’m glad you’re joining in today!! It’s gonna be a doozy. Today's blog came about because I wanted to share three scripting techniques for entrepreneurs who are beginners to making video to feel a lot more comfortable on camera. Even more than just comfortable, I wanted you to get the best *natural* speaking footage that shows you as a confident expert (even when you feel nervous). I’ve had plenty of clients assure me that preparation for their video shoot wasn't necessary. They'd swear that they knew their material and had it down pat. “I could talk about this in my sleep” They say. And they did! Until the camera started rolling. So without further explanation, lets talk about scripting for nervous beginners & intermediate entrepreneurs that still want great footage. Scripting is when you write out the words or ideas that you want to get across in your video. Have you ever gotten to filming day and felt like you’re completely unprepared? I can’t tell you how many times people I've worked with have said that they wanted to script their own video only to arrive frazzled because they are trying to memorize something they’ve written out the night before. Most were not used to being filmed and couldn’t predict just how stressful the experience was going to be. Don’t get me wrong I’ve worked with professional actors who have spent years training to memorize hours of scripted text and, even they will produce some memorable outtakes. For those with less experience in front of the camera. I am here to ease your stress. So before you have to look deep into the abyss of the dark lens let me show you 3 types of scripting that will ease filming day woes. 1 Full script and read from a teleprompter: If you’re already a great speech writer and confident reading out loud and can remain natural while doing so this can be a great way to go. As I’ve seen from footage or testimonials that I’ve had to edit into sizzle reels, this technique isn’t for everyone. If you looks like you’re reading with no personality and no emotion, your video isn’t engaging and frankly…quite boring. In my experience…leave this technique for those that do it all of the time. It takes practice to build the skill to relay personality while reading. The next 2 scripting techniques are how I get most of the footage with my clients. 2. Create an outline with talking points and put it on a prompter. The majority of my clients are often comfortable speaking on a stage so they have their concepts prepared ahead of time and usually they just need the outline to make sure that they cover everything they want to say. This technique is especially successful for speakers or educators with years of being in front of an audience. And Lastly 3. Use *Off Camera Questions* To engage You in natural conversation. For those that have a special unease around being on camera this works wonderfully. To do this questions are prepared in advance. Questions that inspire informational conversation that positions you as an expert. I basically work backwards from the points we want to make, asking questions around those points and allowing the person in front of the camera to ease gently into conversation. Side Note: This requires a little more in the editing process as we then go in and remove the voice of the person asking the questions off camera, leaving only the information you need. There you have it. 3 different ways to script your video depending on your skill and comfort level in front of the camera. Try each one out! Practice with your smart phone to see which technique looks and feels the most natural. You can even share your best one with close social media friends and get their feedback. Have fun with it! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss all the other ways to prepare and plan for video that gives you results. Enjoy your day! CP~  Watch the Video Blog!Welcome Back, Everyone!
Great to see you again :) If you've never read or watched any of the blogs before! You've come just in the nick of time! Today's info is fantastic. Ok…I think it's incredible and it's my blog;) Today I'm gonna reveal a little bit about your Video's Action Plan. You know. The Call-to-Action! Its that thing that you'd like the person that's watching to do when they finish your video. So many of my clients come to me with the idea that their call-to-action is just an after-thought. For example; "Oh, I thought I'd just put my email at the end with my website URL." And to them I usually say; “What's the purpose of your video? Where will you be putting it, and how do you measure the success of your video?" This accurately describes what I usually see. ***A look of a Deer IN Headlights*** So I want to prepare you.
Now we can engage those folks to take you up on your suggestion of what to do when they've finished watching. Because It is all about building a relationship with your audience, speaking their language, anticipating what they need, and then finding ways that you can help them. Like I'm helping you right now. My call-to-action at the end my video will depend on where it sits on social media. YouTube is my main place to party, so the "Subscribe and Ring the Bell" allows YOU to stay in touch and hang out with me while I pass on some great little tidbits that can help you. Otherwise, I'd be here all by my lonesome speaking to my lil self. However, If I place this video on Facebook (where some of you hang out), I might ask you to participate in a fun contest by asking you to like my Facebook page and then post the most "Outlandish" call-to-action that you can come up with. or If the video is on LinkedIn, I might send you to a specific place on my website where there are tons of downloadable tools and more video blogs that are related to the one you've just watched. I invite you to first get clear on your purpose and then get creative, making your call-to-action fun and engaging and using strong action words that get to your point quickly. You can do things like:
Oh yes! Here's my final NOTE To make sure your call to action is successful, make it measurable. For example,
Or
Because…. It's the success you have by achieving results towards your purpose or goal that makes YOUR video valuable. And that's it for Creating Your Call to Action! Thank you so much for joining me here! If you don't want to miss more great tips and tricks, subscribe to my youtube channel Here! See ya'll soon CP~ If you're looking for help to begin your Vlog journey or general guidance on creating great video....Click here and find a service that's right for you. Download the printable template below to help you make your next 2 minute video.
Ultimate Template to Making A 2 Minute Video
Hi there you video making friends Today I’m going to chat about a result driven Video Structure Template that you can use to create any 2 minute video or video blog. It’s a guide you can always use to Storyboard your video to Keep the flow Keep Your audience entertained right to the end Get your point across. And have watchers take part in your Call to action. Have you ever started to film yourself and well…got a little lost. Ya know, Felt that you were rambling and even forgot what you were talking about. That’s never happened to me (Oh yes! It has! Many times) Planning the structure before you sit down to script can help in so many ways. Your look remains consistent, It keeps you to the point You get all that you wanted to say “out there” so that you position yourself as the expert that you are. And as a bonus later you can even use your template if you are outsourcing your editing to a professional. Lets go over the elements to your Video Template. I’ll give you an estimated time for each if we were creating a two minute video. If you wanted to create a longer video…just change the times that you take to outline your challenge and provide solutions. To bulk out your solutions for longer videos you can tell personal stories that you know the watcher will relate to. ****As a side note****. I encourage Videos no longer than 2 minutes for most Social Media platforms. Unless you’re platform is YouTube and that will be a whole other series (And Tic Tok also is a different video time…also another series) Here are your elements The Animated Intro (Max 7 seconds) It’s your overall introduction sitting in front of every one of your videos to identify your brand The Title (approx 2-5 sec) It’s the name that describes what is in your video. It can be narrated as well as having text over a slide. The Introduction to your Topic (Max 30 sec) This is where you will reveal to your audience what your video title is all about. The Pain Point (30 sec) Outline a Challenge or Struggle that you know your audience has about the subject. It helps to grab your audience because now they can relate and are hungry for a solution The Hook (10 Seconds) Put somewhere in the middle of your video to encourage your viewers to continue watching, the hook is sometimes formulated as a promise that juicy things will be offered if they can just stay tuned until the end. And here’s my hook for you in this video blog. Read tile the end I’ll give you the link to download this Template Video Structure pdf to use for all of your 2 minute videos. The Solutions (60 sec) The bulk of your video will now be on the Solution or information you have to solve the problem that you spoke of earlier. This can be done with a story or examples. In a 2 minute video I would keep this to about 60 seconds. Your Conclusion and sign off (10 seconds) This can be one phrase that signifies that your video is complete giving you a chance to identify yourself or your brand once more before the call to action. Call to Action (5-10 sec) A quick 5 to 10 second, powerful and to-the-point narration or slide with music that tells your audience what to do next. Because the success of your video will depend on the action that they take. And that’s all for Creating the Structure for your Video Here’s the link to the downloadable PDF version you can print out when you’re planning out your next video series. Have fun making those videos :) CP~ Other Social Media Content to Fill In your Video CampaignHiya All Check out my bonus blog that I wanted to share with you in the Pre video and Pre Video Blog Series. It’s all about the other Social Media content that you can create that will compliment your video strategy. Lets face it! Although Video is a huge part of your overall Social Media Strategy It’s the best way to get across
However, video production takes time and most of the busy entrepreneurs & leaders that I know don’t have the time to create video posts for every day of the week. Your consumers and the platforms they’re on might favour a more bite sized content offering. It could look like a funny meme or perhaps even a poll to your audience. We’ve made it much easier now that you have a year’s worth of topics and titles because all you have to do now is focus the rest of your content to compliment the weekly titles and monthly topic theme. For example: If you’re a health coach and the first monthly topic is Getting started And you will have 4 titles in that topic. (For more info on creating topics and titles...Click here To see the previous blog/video on Creating Topics and Titles for a Whole Years Plan) The first week's video title is “Journaling Now for the Effective Results” The rest of the social media content could be the following:
Here’s a link to a .pdf list I've created for you of over 40 content creation ideas. Download it to get inspiration for your next social media campaign. It’ll give you all kinds of different ways to create social media content to compliment your video marketing strategy, All you have to do is fill in around the video plan you’ve created with all of the rest. And that’s all for today Thanks so much for coming by. Be sure to download the Content Quick Pick sheet to use as part of your yearly strategy And I’ll see y’all soon. CP~
Well hi there.
This is a part 2 to creating a whole year’s strategy for Social Media. In the previous video blog called Building out A Years Worth of Topics I showed you how easy it is to create 12 topics. One topic monthly for a full 12 months to reach a predetermined goal to make more money. To recap: 1. You set a yearly goal. 2. You figured out the formula of how video content will help you reach that goal. 3. You broke your year out into 12 monthly Topics. And now We’ll walk through an example of how to build out 6 months of those topics into “Weekly Titles” so that you’ll now have an idea of how to do it for your own strategy. Here’s YOUR recap I’ll Go over the example once more Goal: I want to make an additional $48000 selling my Educational Training Package by posting 4 videos each month, once a week. We made up a fictitious Title for your Educational package called “Changing your Mindset to Feel your Flow and Create Abundance”. Avatar Building: And your target persona is Rachel: A married Woman over 45 With Children Going through life changes. running their own business. Pain Points Your Avatar Is time starved. Has a hard time creating wealth. Where Online Your Avatar is likely hanging out On Facebook Under the fictitious title you built a year’s worth of topics which were the following
Starting from the beginning of your Educational Package and building out Course title = Changing your Mindset to Feel your Flow and Create Abundance Topic 1 Where you are now
Topic 2 Starting on the path
Topic 3 Tools of Change
Topic 4 Self Care
Topic 5 Evidence Of Success
Alright! I’m sure you can now see the logic in the build out. Can you imagine building out your own yearly topics and titles this way? I know you can :) Thanks so much for reading. Hit Subscribe for video tips every single week and check out my Facebook page for updates. If you’d like help strategizing the specific topics for your business, click here to book a zoom call. I’d love to help. CP~ |
Carole ParsonsA YouTube video blog to speakers, educators and coaches focusing on how to tips and lessons to create the most impactful Video. Producer, award winning director (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9739807/) and media strategist, Carole Parsons, shares her wealth of knowledge in this YouTube Video Blog to help you get results from the video that you make. Archives
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