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The SITS Girls

The Secret to Success is Support

How To Set Up A Home Video Studio

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Video is becoming more important for social media influencers every year. It’s a great way to connect with your followers and it’s something brands and sponsors are looking for. We know it can feel overwhelming to get on camera, especially when you don’t have a fancy video studio set up in your home or office, but that shouldn’t hold you back from creating videos and going live on Facebook.

We recently reached out to some of our favorite video-creators to find out what tools they are using behind the scenes when they create video magic, and I tested out some of their tools during a Facebook Live broadcast series in our Sway Facebook group. Today we are going to share some secrets to help you set up a home video studio so you can conquer video.

How to set up a home video studio to make videos for your blog or social media channels. Includes tips for food videos and live broadcasts.

How To Set Up A Home Video Studio

A video studio doesn’t have to take up a lot of space in your home. It’s great if you have a space with natural light where you can shoot both video and photographs. In a dream world, you could set up this studio space and leave it up all the time, but that isn’t practical for most people. Today we are going to focus on tools that don’t take up a lot of room and are easy to set up and tear down as needed. Note: this post contains affiliate links which give us a commission at no additional cost to you.

The Perfect Stand for Selfies and Facebook Lives

If you are doing a Facebook live you have to have the right lighting and stand.  Portability is a must so you can shoot anywhere. This is our absolute favorite light!It clips on to any ledge or table, and has different kinds of lights, and holds your phone.  The price point is also amazing! At under $20 you can not beat it!

The Perfect Light For Video Shoots

It doesn’t matter if you are shooting hands-only food videos or setting up for a Facebook Live, you need good lighting when you shoot video. Our favorite light is the Diva Ring Light, it provides that soft, flawless professional look to make your videos extra special. There are several versions of ring lights out there, but this one allows you to not only adjust the brightness of the lights but also the color temperature, to make sure you are getting the best tone for your skin. It comes with a tripod and is easy to set up wherever you need to shine the perfect light in your home video studio. We are all obsessed with this light, and plan to use it for photo shoots as well as video.

You Can’t Shoot Video Without A Camera

There are a lot of options out there for creating video – you can use the video mode on your phone (especially on platforms like Facebook Live), you can use the video mode on your camera, or you can use a webcam. That last one was probably unexpected, but webcams have come a LONG way. We are loving the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920. It’s perfect for Facebook Live (this tripod will help you set it at the perfect angle), and I’ve been using it in my recent broadcasts, but I was surprised to her from Nate at Wanna Bite that this is also the camera they are using to create all of their amazing food videos.

It’s great to know that you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on a camera to get started in the food video space. Nate also gave us a couple of tips: when you are setting up your space to shoot video, think like a producer and make sure you are being creative with your food staging. Those delicious beginning and ending shots are key to beating the Facebook algorithm and getting people to share your videos.

Tripods Keep You Steady

Want to use your DSLR camera instead? Jillian from Hello Splendid uses the Manfrotto tripod with her DSLR, especially when she is shooting kids or pets. This gives your camera a sturdy base and allows you to set up a scene. For ease in adjusting and panning the camera, you need the Manfrotto ball head and quick release plate, because a slight adjustment to the angle of your shot can make a big difference.

Jillian also uses PicMonkey to edit all of her photos. When it comes to blogging, she advises outsourcing when possible (hire a virtual assistant or other help) and talking to your family about what you will share online.

Erickson Surfaces for photography and video

Beautiful Surfaces For Food And Flatlays

If you are shooting a food video, or shooting flatlay images, you need a beautiful surface, and it’s great to have variety so every image or video you share isn’t shot with the exact same background. Whitney from WhitneyBond.com creates beautiful food, and uses surfaces from Erickson Surfaces in all of her shoots. What we love about these surfaces is that they are double sided, and you get to customize which finish you want on each side of the board. *If you use this link and the code Sway10 at checkout, you will receive 10% off your purchase! These are great for hands-only videos or for still shots.

Whitney shoots all of her photos with natural light by setting up next to a large window. She recommends that you always shoot in manual, so you can adjust your exposure settings to achieve your desired look. And for food styling, she goes to outlet stores, garage sales, and thrift stores to find individual pieces to use in her shots.

Making A Viral Video

For more tips for using your home video studio to it’s full potential, check out this post on how to make a viral video.

Tips for making a viral video from the video creator behind TipBuzz.

About Tiffany

Lover of college football, sushi and historical fiction. Mom to a teen and a toddler. I am a real life summer camp director and President of Influencer Management at Sway Group.