So you want to create your own content for social media, what do you need?

Your phone.

The end.

Now that’s probably the shortest blog ever, so I’ll elaborate. Your smartphone is an incredibly powerful tool, and if you have nothing else in your arsenal, your phone can do just about anything. There are three important aspects needed to create good content. You need to be clearly seen, clearly heard, and clearly understood.

1- Be Clearly Seen (Video, Lighting)

If you’re an actor, you’ve probably heard this phrase from any casting director workshops you’ve attended regarding your self-tapes. You need to be well-lit with as crisp of an image as you can muster. When you’re just starting out, as I mentioned before, your phone, regardless if it is an iPhone or Android, has excellent cameras. They keep competing with how many cameras they can slap on the back of them these days. The front-facing camera works great, but the rear camera produces a clearer, crisp image.

Now, you need something to hold your phone. There are plenty of successful content creators who hold their phones in their hands. It creates camera movement which is interesting for an audience, but maybe you have content ideas where holding a phone isn’t feasible, so you’ll want to invest in a tripod. When I first started creating content I bought a cheap $15 tripod from Amazon, it’s been 4 years and it still works great! It also collapses to a very small size, making it easy to take with me when I need to shoot in different locations.

When you’re first starting out, you really don’t need much, but if you want to up your game you can invest in a DSLR Camera. A good camera can range in price from $400-$650. The camera I recommend is the mirrorless Canon EOS M50, which shoots in 4k. However, returning to how amazing your phone is, you can download the FREE Blackmagic Camera App and get just as many control features as you would with a camera.

Now let’s move on to lighting. When I first started I used natural light from my window. I still use it today as diffused sunlight can produce some amazing video quality. Sometimes, though, the weather doesn’t produce the ideal lighting, which is why you’ll want a couple of softbox lights. The lights I use are from NeeWer which is around $50 for a pair. Separately I use different light bulbs that have intensity and color changes to create different moods for each video. Softbox lights are also a necessity for green screen use.

2- Clearly Heard (Audio & Music)

Some of the best-performing social media videos defy language barriers, where knowing a language is not necessary to understand the video concept. You’ll notice, if you’re on TikTok that many videos just use music, but if that’s not the kind of content you want to create then you’ll need your voice to be clearly heard. Now a phone’s built-in microphone can do a decent job but it struggles when shooting content outdoors. Inside, you can control the room tone by unplugging your fridge or turning off any noise-making devices, but outside you can’t very well tell the wind to stop blowing. That is when you’ll want to invest in a Lavalier Microphone.

I use the Hollywood Lark M1 wireless microphone, which comes with two lav mics. It’s a bit on the expensive side and I’m sure there are many more affordable options out there. Friends of mine use the Rode brand microphones, which are arguably more expensive, but you get what you pay for, and if you know anything about movies, having crisp audio is non-negotiable.

For my DSLR, I use a combination of the lav mic and a small portable Rode boom microphone. All microphones come with cord attachments to be used with smartphones as well.

To make your content more accessible to diverse audiences, you always want to provide subtitles on all your videos, which can be added in editing software or manually in the apps you wish to upload your content to.

Music is also a welcome addition to any video. It adds to the tone and emotion, but you also want to make sure the music you use is properly paid for, royalty-free free, or created by yourself if you have that gift. It’s always important to make sure everything you use in your videos will not be flagged for copyright. A great place to look for royalty-free music and sound effects is Epidemic Sound, they offer monthly and yearly subscription options.

3- And Clearly Understood (Editing Software)

You’ve written and filmed your content, now you need to piece it all together; which is why you need reliable editing software. I personally use Adobe Premiere Pro which has a monthly subscription (which you can write off on taxes), there is also Davinci Resolve, for desktop editing. Stage 32 will actually be giving away 3 FREE DaVinci Resolve licenses this month to members who participate in their July Filmmakers Club challenges! I personally prefer editing on a desktop computer, better for the posture, but with all these wonderful technological advancements, there are editing software apps for your phone. Adobe has a phone app, but I think CapCut, which is free, is the superior phone editing software.

Apps like TikTok and Instagram also provide basic editing if you’d like to film within the apps. Personally, I find their tools a bit lacking, but they can be useful if you’re using any of the filters provided in the apps.

So that’s the long version. All you truly need to create content is a good idea and a phone. Find what drives you, tell the stories that fulfill you, and you will have a new creative outlet. Creating content for social media is a fun venture for any actor, you can hone your on-camera techniques, learn what makes a good edit, and gain confidence in your ability to create a character. Who knows, maybe it’ll be an avenue for you to one day write your own short or feature film. Best of luck to you, happy creating.

Have You Joined In On Stage 32's July Filmmakers Club?

If not, what are you waiting for? I'll be live on Stage 32's Instagram (@Stage32) on Tuesday, July 16th at 12:00 pm PT to discuss my career! I'll also be hosting an all-day Ask Me Anything in the Stage 32 Acting Lounge TOMORROW- Wednesday, July 17th to discuss working as a professional actor and growing an online brand/audience with your own content! The post is already live, so you can go comment with all of your questions for me HERE.

You should also join in on this week's July Filmmakers Club Challenges to be eligible for a free prize giveaway on Friday!

Week Three Challenges:

1. Comment on this week's fantastic July Filmmakers Club Week 3 Blog: Successful Networking For A Film Career (by clicking HERE) sharing what networking tips you learned in the blog and what you're excited to try!
2. Post in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge sharing what professionals you're most eager to connect with and either a favorite story from your own experience networking (in person or virtually) or your own networking tips (You can find it quickly by clicking HERE).
3. Introduce yourself in the Stage 32 Introduce Yourself Lounge HERE so that you're ready to participate during the Introduce Yourself Weekend event this Friday the 19th - Monday the 22nd!

Make sure you're following @Stage32 and @rbwalksintoabar to keep up with all of the exciting July Filmmakers Club announcements all month long!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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