TIP // my filming setup (Patreon)

Someone asked for more info about my filming setup for tutorials, so I took some quick snapshots during the filming of my last tutorial and added some notes! I started filming and making video content about a year ago, in preparation for my patreon launch. It’s been quite an adventure! I was honestly so scared to start making videos, but through a long process of trial and error I got better at it. It’s really worth it, because it allows me to explain things to you guys in a more natural way. I know a lot of artists are looking into making more video content, and it’s a really great way to connect with people and show them more about your process. I recommend dipping your toes in if you’re interested - you don’t have to go all out and invest in expensive stuff, you can start with just getting a cheap phone clamp and filming your process with your phone to see how it goes. Here’s the tools that I use for my filming process:

• A phone to film: I got the iPhone 11 pro purely for this purpose, it has a really great camera (I was an android user before!). I prefer filming with a phone because it just feels easier and more intuitive. I’ve filmed with a normal camera before but really struggled with the right settings and getting a good preview of what I was filming. The phone feels a lot easier!

• Light: I use a ring light to create a bright daylight effect. Normal light is usually too dark for filming, especially in the winter. In the setup that I photographed, I have it pointed upwards so that the light doesn’t create a bright, glaring reflection on the iPad. I also have a second light source which is just my desk lamp. Having two light sources prevents really sharp shadows from appearing. With light, it’s good to just test different setups out until you like what you see!

• Phone clamp: This is basically just a flexible tube with two clamps: one to clamp it onto a table or, in my case, a wall plank, and then on the other side there’s a clamp to hold the phone. I like these flexible clamps because you can just bend them around until it’s in the right position!

• Microphone: As you guys know from my previous descriptions, I struggled a lot with getting a good setup for the mic! I’ve learned that for good audio, I need to have it really close to my face, and also somehow not on the table, because otherwise it will record deep bumping sounds from my drawing process. The solution for that was a boom arm and mount. Those are expensive, though, so only invest in this if you think you’ll generate some income from your videos! I’ve used phone audio in the past as well, which also works fine, but it will record a lot of surrounding sound also, so make sure you’re in a quiet space.

• Premiere & Audition: this is the software I use to edit the video and optimize the sound. There’s free editing software out there too, but I’m just a faithful adobe user :)

General tips for filming a process video or tutorial:

• Do lots of tests: the only way to know if something works is to just try it! I ran into so many weird issues that I could not have predicted. Once, the light that I was using had a frequency that caused intense flickering on my phone. Another time, the clamp slowly moved during filming. So just test stuff out a lot and figure out what the potential issues are, so you can fix them! Check in with your video throughout the filming process too. Trial and error is part of any filming process.

• Make sure you can be comfortable: don’t let the setup cause you to feel restricted, because that will affect the art you make! You want to be able to draw naturally and comfortably while filming.

Hopefully this is useful for some of you guys! Let me know if you have any questions!