Video editing for beginners

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We recently did the same thing for the same reason. In all we probably came out spending a little over $6k for all our equipment.

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biggest keys are probably going to be good lighting, equipment like tripods to steady the camera, and planning your video out in advance.

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This. This. THIS. THHHIIISSS!!!!

Most people don't realize how much pre-production goes into a good quality video. The more you pre-plan, the less work you have to do once you start shooting and editing.

As for equipment, a good cell phone will "work" at the outset but probably won't be a good long-term solution for you. If this is something you will be doing a lot of, consider a good mirrorless camera and a decent lens. We ended up going with a Sony a6400 and it has been great for the price. Also, look at getting a pair of lights and a background with stands unless you have a good looking wall to use. B&H Photo is probably going to be your best bet in getting all the stuff together. You can find it on Amazon for a little cheaper but B&H's service is worth the extra money you'll spend.

You'll eventually need a good PC or Mac. You'll be able to get by with a pretty powerful off-the-shelf model as you are learning but you'll need something more specialized before long. You'll be looking at at least $1500 but be prepared to spend easily over $2k. Google "best computer for video editing" or check out CG Director for a good overview of the components you will need to consider and they have a PC Builder that will guide you through it.

Any software that you can be self taught will likely not give you the professional results you really want. Adobe Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve are going to be the 2 you really want to look into. Getting an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription will give you access to all their other apps which you will be able to use in your business. Resolve is free yet professional grade. Both have their positives and negatives so it will be a personal preference thing.

Whichever one you choose, there are a ton of YouTube channels with great tutorials. For Premiere Pro, search for Cinecom.net. The guys are really quirky but they have good stuff. For Resolve, look for Casey Faris. They both also offer paid courses you can take to learn even more.

Good luck!

Go buy a Red Helium 8k with a 50mm Zeiss prime.

Next cry.

I don't feel like cell phones give good video quality. Someone has to have a dslr on hand to film with. That will give you a much better picture. I use shotcut but in all reality you can just use the windows movie editor if you have something not that complicated.

Or you can have some Apple savy person just do it all on their phone. According to their commercials it's completely possible.

I bought a Panasonic LUMIX. It is a $800 camera and I got the plug in power source for it so I don't have to worry about batteries. Camera
With cameras it is all about the lens though. The lights make a massive difference though.

I also bought 4 soft box lights with tripods. 2 was enough but just in case. lol lights

For sound recording I bought (2) wireless packs. These are pricy. Sound

For the editing I use https://www.openshot.org/. It is free and simple.

For audio editing I use Audacity

I also do overhead shots with WEBcam


My youtube channel is YOUtube

Note: I am not a professional. I have a lot to learn about the camera settings and video editing. This camera is amazing when the settings are taken correctly. I have not nailed these down yet. But I am learning and you can see the difference from the first videos to the most recent.

Now the Iphones take amazing footage now. But I would recommend at least getting the audio stuff.

A new iPhone 11 or 12 pro cell phone with a wireless mic solution like Rode Wireless Go, tripod, and go on Amazon and spent about $150 on lighting would probably be fine.

(I’ve gotten by with a phone, DJI Osmo Pocket and Osmo action for making videos at my work and you can barely tell the difference to the professional crews we hire for our bigger commercials)

Editing wise, I don’t think anyone has mentioned LUMAFUSION (iOS only) .... but it’s a fantastic product, easier and more intuitive to learn than the others mentioned and you can edit everything by hand on an iPad. Plus if you only shoot in mp4 files, you can probably direct transfer then files over via Bluetooth and create a much easier workflow that saves a lot of time and hassle.

I use an iPad Pro and edit everything from interviews at work to weddings I shoot on the side with it.

Newer equipment that won’t break the bank but give a good pro look:

DJI Osmo Pocket 2 w/ pro kit, I just upgraded to it and the wireless mic that comes with it is fantastic and the sensor is much better than the OP1.

Sony ZV-1 camera. It is a point and shoot but video centric and is a pretty solid product for under $700

GIMP