John's Video Toolbox

Video Camera

Got a ultra HD video camera with all the bells and whistles? No? Well there are plenty of cheaper alternatives. Consider buying a webcam, or using your iPod Touch or iPhone camera. Keep in mind that even the most basic digital cameras usually have a video mode (and some people have made it big on YouTube with little more than a humble digital camera).

Video Editing Software

Windows Movie Maker - This came preloaded with earlier versions of Windows, however from Windows 7 onwards you need to download it as part of the Windows Live suite. (And it's free!)

iMovie - Look I'm not a Mac User but my friends tell me iMovie is a thing and that it comes preloaded as part of the iLife suite.

(You can of course buy wonderful editing software. My preference as a PC User would be Sony Vegas Movie Studio.)

YouTube offers what it calls "Create Partners" - websites that allow you to create simple movies and slideshows. Check them out!

Royalty Free Music

You've finished your video and uploaded it, your friends are checking it out and suddenly it's gone. What happened? Oh, YouTube didn't appreciate the soundtrack you used (and not just for aesthetic reasons). Copyright is a big deal on YouTube. You can avoid a world of pain by using royalty free music.

Incompetech - Kevin McLeod

There are other sites of course, but read the fine print carefully!

Your Branding Media

If there are video sequences (introductions or credits) that you'll use over and over make sure you have copies of these in easy to access places and, of course, always back them up!

Keep Up To Date On Online Video Trends

Nalts is a whacky guy but he seems to know about these things. Subscribe to Will Video For Food for hints and tips and trends.

Video Distribution

You've made a video. It's the best movie you've ever made. You want to share it with the world. Sure there's lots of traffic on YouTube, but there are other sites out there. Tubemogul allows you to upload your video file once and then send it to multiple sites. It is by far my favourite video tool on the web.

Blip.TV is a great site (sadly unavailable at TAFE, but try it at home!) which lets you upload multiple versions of the same video file and set up RSS feeds. And this is the best place to start if you want to set up a video podcast. You can upload the same episode in multiple formats for different users (iPod Touch, Zune, etc.) and let your audience use those feeds. Helpful for listing your video podcast with iTunes.

Learn About How To Make Videos

Got a question? Google for a solution. Look for tutorials on video sites like YouTube. Borrow a good ol' fashioned book from your library. Ask a nerdy friend. Follow relevant blogs, sites and podcasts (and interesting people on Twitter and Facebook)!