Recording Equipment
- Microphone | Rode M3 Microphone — This is a microphone that I used to use to record sound on the set of short films I made when I wanted close, intimate sound. It only has an XLR connection, so you need a recorder with XLR input. Which brings me to:
- Recorder | Marantz PMD661 — This is a professional-grade handheld recorder that records to SD cards.
- Microphone (Alternate affordable version!) | Blue Yeti USB Microphone — I have used this microphone for recording podcasts, and do some temp VO for my videos with out—but often it sounds so good that I never re-record it. This is a great entry-level microphone for people who want good quality but don't want to spend too much money. The USB connection means you can plug it in to a computer or iPad directly, forgoing an (expensive) external recorder.
- Wind screen | Dragonpad USA Pop Filter — To keep those "P's" in check!
- Mic Stand | Samson MK-10 Microphone Boom Stand — Straightforward mic stand.
Computer
- Computer | iMac 27", 2013 — I love my iMac. If you're going to be doing a lot of video editing, processor power is important, so I recommend always going for an i7 processor over an i5 if you can afford it. A big screen gives you a lot of real estate to navigate timelines. Speaking of...
- Monitor | Dell UH2715H — I recently added a second monitor, and I don't know why I waited so long. I LOVE having a second monitor. It helps me be able to reference a screenplay or book without having to leave the app I'm currently working on, or lets me have Premiere and After Effects open and visible at the same time.
- Speakers | M-Audio Studiophile AV40 — These are great, high-quality speakers that provide a good range of frequencies. Apparently there's a new version, the AV42, which I assume is even better.
- Headphones | Beats Studio Wireless — I got these as a birthday gift recently, and they're fantastic. The noise cancelling is very good and helps me focus on my writing or my editing. Definitely recommend.
- Mouse | Apple Magic Mouse 2 — I personally love the touch surface, because I like being able to quickly scroll left and right as well as up and down. Plus I use the gestures quite often.
Software
- Editing | Adobe Premiere Pro — It has its frustrating moments, but overall I love it. Very powerful, does everything I need.
- Motion Graphics | Adobe After Effects — Also a very powerful piece of software, and there are an infinite number of tutorial videos out there to help you learn how to use it.
- Audio | Adobe Audition — Noticing a trend? I love Adobe Audition because it lets me very quickly clean up the weird noises my mouth makes when I record voice over. I can right click on a clip in Premiere and open it in Audition, make some changes, save it, and it updates in Premiere.
- Images | Adobe Photoshop — What I use to create the thumbnails for the videos
Writing
- Writing Device | iPad Pro 9.7" (new one coming out soon) — I LOVE my iPad. I do almost my writing on the iPad. I like the iOS environment, I find it less distracting than writing on a computer. I also read all the scripts on my iPad, which I can markup using...
- Stylus | Apple Pencil — I also LOVE the Apple Pencil. I can write and take notes as if writing on a piece of paper. It's not perfect, but it's the closest thing to it.
- Keyboard | Apple Keyboard Case — I really like having a keyboard attached to my iPad at all times, so if I want to go write somewhere outside my apartment it's easy to carry around.
- Apps | Notability, iA Writer — These are the two I use the most. Highly recommend.
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