Getting started with vlogging

Vlogging aka video blogging has become hugely popular. From fitness journeys and make-up tutorials to unboxing videos – you can vlog about pretty much anything that takes your fancy.

Want to start your own YouTube channel or to become the next IGTV sensation but don’t know where to begin?

Our Discovery team put together this video, covering everything from equipment and editing to building your brand.

You don’t need to buy specialist kit to start your vlog. Your phone or tablet can do the job perfectly. And because you’ve nearly always got them to hand, you can capture content whenever and wherever you want.

With phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, you can shoot in 8K and edit your video on the go.

And with iPhones and iPads, the iMovie app makes editing your videos easy. Need some help to get started? Have a look at our Discovery video on how to use iMovie.

If you want to give your vlog a more polished look, a tripod and some lighting can make all the difference. They’re reasonably cheap to pick up too, which is a bonus. But if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, you can improvise with stuff you’ve got at home.

When it comes to capturing your footage, there are a couple of things you should consider.

Different types of shot or angle like wide-angle, medium, and extreme close-up can help to keep your viewers engaged. Give them all a try and see what works best.

The next thing to consider is where your subject is in the shot. Use the grid in your camera app to make sure they’re well positioned. Try putting them in the centre or in one of the outer thirds – that gives you space for things like overlays.

Make sure you’re filming somewhere quiet, where you won’t have any interruptions. You don’t want background noise distracting from your content.

It’s also worth investing in a lapel mic to make sure your audio is crystal clear.

So, you’ve got your video and have edited it to perfection. You just need to decide where to publish it. IGTV is a great place to start – you’ve probably already got the Instagram app on your phone any way. And making the leap from stories to IGTV is easy.

Or you can go all in and set up a YouTube channel.

And if you’re serious about starting the vlogging life, it’s a good idea to think about building your brand. How do you want your channel to look?

Canva’s a great free app that can help you out with that. And you don’t have to be a design pro to use it either. There are loads of templates to choose from for logos and social content. But you can try your hand at creating stuff from scratch too.

It’s also worth checking out YouTube Studio. Use it for everything from editing video thumbnails, scheduling publish dates and even stuff like tracking insights and analytics.

Want some more tips on how to edit videos or want to try your hand at stuff like stop motion animation? Our Discovery team have videos on it all – go check them out on YouTube.