If you’re using an iPad to record videos, there are three tools you need to take your videos to a more professional level: stabilization, lighting and great sound. This is the most basic gear list – there’s always more fun tools to pick up along your video journey.
Many of the links in this blog post are affiliate links – thanks for your support! Full disclosure: I don’t record videos with my iPad, so I don’t own the things that I mention below.
Holiday Gift List for the iPad Video Creator
The AmazonBasics 70-Inch Pistol Grip Tripod is a great option for stabilization. Shaky video is a sure sign of an amateur video creator – and this device gives you a plethora of options for taming that shakes.
To go with the tripod, I recommend the Gimars Tripod Mount Adapter. This can hold your iPad as well as iPhones, Android phones and other tablets. This $18 Pocket Spotlight is my choice for shining a little light on your subject. Lighting is an important aspect of filmmaking. This little guy can brighten your face just a bit in a dimly lit room, or it can provide enough light to make you look good in a pitch black room (although your video will look a bit like the Blair Witch project – minus the shake if you’ve bought the tripod above.) It has three levels of brightness, and lasts around an hour running on battery at full blast. But it’s hard to tell when the light is getting dimmer – so I suggest adding a mini-USB cable to plug it into a battery pack or the USB port on your computer. It comes with a mini-USB cable, but it’s about 4″ long. The longer cable will let you plug it in and use it at the same time – giving you unlimited light. The Movo PM10 Lavalier microphone can clip to your shirt and make you sound great. At $15, it’s a steal. Note that microphones for smartphones are different than other similar looking microphones. So be sure to buy one that says it works with smartphones. The Rode SmartLav+ is the cadillac of Smartphone Lavalier microphones – and will set you back $80.
If you have some money left over, I suggest you buy the iMovie app for your iPad, or upgrade your camera app to Filmic Pro.
Here’s a little video about using this gear with an iPad:
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The AmazonBasics 70-Inch Pistol Grip Tripod is a great option for stabilization. Shaky video is a sure sign of an amateur video creator – and this device gives you a plethora of options for taming that shakes.
To go with the tripod, I recommend the Gimars Tripod Mount Adapter. This can hold your iPad as well as iPhones, Android phones and other tablets.
