All the Gadgets and Accessories You Need to Pull Off Professional Video Production from Your Home Office

The camera quality of the latest iPhones can take the average user’s content from mediocre to eye-catching, but we recommend employing the help of a few other tools and products to ensure that your videos look as professional as possible. Since so many of us are working from home for the time being, these tools will help you ensure that your at-home video production is top-notch.  

For starters, you’ll need a good camera phone.

Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro Max both offer solid video capabilities. The iPhone 12 Pro Max features the newest camera system from Apple that includes an Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto camera. It also records in 4K HDR video with Dolby Vision, making the finished product crisp and clear. Alternatively, the iPhone 11 Pro Max also excellent for creating professional videos. With great stabilization capability and a 12-hour long battery life, it provides a solid option for filming professional videos at home.

In short, you’ll need a device that is capable of creating high-quality footage and that will last throughout your shoot without having to constantly pause to charge it.

Next up, you’ll need somewhere to place the phone.

A quick way to make your video feel unprofessional is to hold your phone out with your arm while you’re filming yourself. Another not-so-great option is to simply prop your phone on a stack of books or windowsill. This can disrupt sound quality and create unflattering angles of you or your subject matter.

Instead, we recommend investing in or renting a solid tripod. There are plenty of tripod options on the market, which can make it difficult to choose the correct one. We suggest using a smaller, flexible option for filming yourself relatively close up. For example, Joby offers a super-lightweight option that can grasp onto various objects or stand on its own. It pans 360 degrees and has a 90-degree tilt capability and can be mounted overhead, if you need that capability. It’s one of the most versatile tripods on the market, in our opinion. We also recommend a full-size tripod that allows you to more easily capture subjects at a distance, if your video won’t utilize many close-up shots. You’ll need one that is sturdy yet light enough for easy maneuvering.

Good lighting is where the magic lies.

It’s no secret that lighting is really important — and for good reason. Lighting may be the element that takes your at-home production from amateur to polished, and there are options for manipulating your lighting setup.

You can take advantage of natural light streaming into your home, if you’d like. There are a couple of potential issues with this, however. First, your post-production editing may be more difficult. If you notice that there are shadows across the room throughout filming and you end up needing to change the order of your shots, you will run into an issue. Secondly, it may be difficult to find the ideal light or day for shooting in your specific place. If your office is dark, for example, it likely won’t lend itself to a successful shoot in natural lighting.

Alternatively, we recommend utilizing an artificial light when filming at home. This makes your video feel more consistent, makes editing easier, and can ultimately make your production feel higher quality. For an affordable option, we recommend a ring light that reduces shadows and highlights your or your subject’s face. If you need solid lighting for a wider shot, GVM’s studio lighting kit offers bi-color range from 2300k to 6800k which provides more color temperature options. It also utilizes a mobile app that can be easily synced to your smart phone when shooting.

Double-check your sound setup.

For an at-home video shoot, you’re going to need a microphone of some sort. Again, you’ve got options with this. If you’re working on an interview-style or streamed piece, a wired lav microphone should be ideal. It cuts down on excess noise and captures sound from all directions. Another option that is ideal for streaming as well as corporate videos or audition tapes is Movo’s small boom microphone. If you’re working solely on an iPad or iPhone, a directional video microphone should do the trick. Basically, we recommend utilizing a professional microphone system because without it, you may pick up on sounds that are happening elsewhere in your home or viewers may struggle to hear you clearly in your video. It’s an easy way to level up your at-home production. Pro tip: add a few soft elements to the room in which you’re recording to cut down on echoes. If you’re dealing with hardwood flooring, bring in some blankets and throw pillows to help absorb sound.

Finally, you’ll need a nice-looking backdrop.

This likely goes without saying, but to produce a professional video at home, you’ll need to pay attention to your setting. If you have a blank wall, consider sprucing it up with a few nice, but not distracting, decorative elements that are in line with the feel of the video you’re making. Tidy up and ensure that you’re not capturing clutter or messes in your shot. Another option is to purchase a backdrop if your home doesn’t have an ideal location for your shoot.

When your shoot is complete, you’ll need reputable iPhone video editing software.

Again, while there are plenty of options on the market,  we are big fans of Filmic Pro. With this app, users can take a raw iPhone video and make it into something that looks professional. It has features for more advanced photographers and videographers, but it is navigable and intuitive for amateurs alike. Whichever app you decide to use, we recommend editing your final piece to help make it feel as professional as possible.  

There are countless options on the market when it comes to at-home video production tools. At minimum, we recommend utilizing the options we laid out above. Just about every element on this list is rentable from eTech Rentals — and we’d be happy to discuss your unique video production needs today.

About eTech Rentals

eTech Rentals is a national technology solutions provider located in Southern California specializing in rental technology integration. eTech is committed to long-standing client relationships and consistent, reliable local service, trusted by expert event planners, film and entertainment production companies, and businesses in California and nationwide.
Learn more about eTech Rentals at: https://etechrentals.com/