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Some thoughts from an audio-first podcast & music producer who has been exploring the world of video for the past couple of years.
Still frame pulled from a recent show in Houston. This is what the 20mm 1.8 lens looks like on the Sony A7C camera.
If you’ve been following along with my journey for awhile, you know I’ve been deep in the weeds of audio production since 2012. I was a full-time podcast producer and editor between 2013 and 2018, over 1000 episodes recorded, edited, mixed & mastered, 10,000 hours in Logic Pro, etc.
But I’ve also been paying attention to the rise of video content over the past decade, and understand how important it is for connecting with the modern internet audience. So I’ve been developing my skills in that department too so I can better support publishers working in this space.
It’s been slow progress since it’s not my main job, but I’ve been having a ton of fun and building skills I know will be valuable for the rest of my career as a producer.
So here’s a quick rundown of my gear and workflow for producing video now.
My main camera is a Sony A7C. It’s a small, full frame mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, and the battery life on this thing is incredible. I regularly get over 2 hours of 4k video from a single battery. I like this camera so much I bought a second one so I can get a second camera angle if I want.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1592776-REG/sony_alpha_a7c_mirrorless_digital.html
Newer iPhone video quality is outstanding. It doesn’t quite reach the same quality level as the A7C, but I don’t think the average consumer really cares about that as much as I do. And it’s easier to shoot with, basically just point it at the subject and hit record. No need to mess with focus, exposure, ISO, etc.
I bought three prime lenses for the A7C: 20mm, 35mm, and 85mm. The 35mm lens is my favorite, but the 20 is great for wide angle shots, and the 85 for when I know I’m going to be further away from the subject. Having a full frame camera that shoots in 4k means I can crop in super far if I need to and it’ll still look amazing.
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G Lens: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1549627-REG/sony_sel20f18g_fe_20mm_f_1_8_g.html
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM: Lens: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1613424-REG/sony_fe35f14gm_fe_35mm_f_1_4_gm.html
Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 Lens: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1317562-REG/sony_sel85f18_fe_85mm_f_1_8_lens.html
I’m using a Sennheiser MKE 200 for a slight improvement over the built-in camera mic on the A7C, but it’s really not as good as using external mics to record and then syncing the audio to the video later in Final Cut. That’s what I do most of the time, but if I can’t record audio with a separate microphone, the MKE 200 is decent and easy.
Sennheiser MKE 200: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1577554-REG/sennheiser_508897_mke_200_camera_mount_directional.html
I was shooting with the A7C handheld for awhile, but I got tired of having to do stabilization to the footage later in software in post-production, so I went ahead and got a gimbal. Took about an hour to get it set up, but I love how easy it makes getting smooth, professional looking shots when I’m not using a tripod. Game changer for sure.
DJI Ronin-SC Gimbal Stabilizer: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1492980-REG/dji_cp_rn_00000040_01_ronin_sc_gimbal_stabilizer.html
I know all the cool kids are using Devinci Resolve these days, and I’m gonna learn that at some point, but for now I’ve just about got the basics of Final Cut down. I can add and edit the footage, do color correction and grading, and add some basic effects if I want.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/final-cut-pro/id424389933?mt=12
There’s so much to learn when it comes to recording and editing video, but it’s better to get started with whatever you have and improve as you go. Don’t wait to get everything perfect, just get in there and start making stuff. Spend some time diving down a rabbit hole if it’s interesting to you. It’s super time consuming at first, but it gets easier as you get familiar with the process and the tools.
If you’re interested in seeing what I’ve been making with all this stuff lately, you can check out the TikTok channel I started up last year for my band here: https://www.tiktok.com/@koltonmoore_thecleverfew
Happy to answer any questions, you can reach me at coldwaraaron at gmail.com, or find me on your favorite social platform.
Hope you’re doing well, and I’ll catch you next time!
Aaron Dowd
September 6, 2024
