Web video equipment needn’t cost you a fortune; but there are certain essentials you’ll want, to make decent-looking and sounding video that helps you get your message across.

Below we take you through the basic equipment that you’ll need; you can spend as little as about a thousand dollars on this…or the sky’s the limit at the upper end of the range!

The Lights

Lighting is important – you are making a business video, not a ghost movie, so make sure you have three lights positioned in a 3 point system: that’ one to the right, one to the left and one behind you; this will avoid any “Hammer House of Horror” effects!

Another lighting tip is to turn off any external light sources in the room.

The Camera

This needn’t be a camera to rival Steven Spielberg’s! A “Flip” camera will be fine for many of you or, if you want something a little more advanced, try a Canon 60d which is a digital SLR model that shoots great video.

If you are really on a tight web video production budget just grab an iPhone 4 from a friend – the camera on that creates video good enough to be uploaded to YouTube or embedded on your website.

The Tripod

It’s important to get a tripod and the best ones have spirit levels so you can ensure your camera is completely level when filming.

A good microphone is one video equipment you will need.

The Microphone

Many budding video makers under-estimate the importance of sound, seeing video as a purely visual media. Well try making a video with no sound or distorted sound and see how much good it does you!

Poor sound distracts people and obscures your message – which is the whole point of the video.

Really, invest in a good microphone – such as a wireless Bluetooth microphone if you’ll be moving around or a good omni-directional lapel microphone; avoid hand-held mikes as you may end up fidgeting with them and this looks bad on camera.

The Editing Software

iMovie (for Mac users) or MovieMaker (for PC users) is editing software that will allow you to edit your own movies relatively easily, even if you have no prior experience. Take a few tutorials and you will be able to arrange your video how you want it to look and feel; don’t worry – your skills will improve the more you practice your editing.

Screen Capture Software

The last essential web video equipment is screen capture software, such as Screenflow (Mac) or Camtasia (PC) which allows you to make videos of what’s on your screen (presentations etc); you can narrate a soundtrack over the top and produce your own videos easily this way, if you just need a simple video done relatively quickly.

None of these need to cost much at all. Everybody loves money-saving tips such as these and there are loads more for your business in the Competition Crusher workshop. Just click here to find out more.