6 Things I Need To Buy To Start Vlogging

Lights, camera, sound? Check! Tripod? Check! Compact flashcard? Check! Looks like I have everything I need... But do I? After seriously considering entering into the realm of vlogging on a regular basis I realized that I just wasn't going to be happy sittin on the toilet filming a video and posting it for the world to see. I need more. I need this to be done right. I need my vlog-to-be to look like it has some style, class and professionalism to it. 

After reading about a Pastor who died handling a rattlesnake and UCLA Insists P. Diddy's son deserves college scholarship I thought I would compile a list of some of the extra items I was going to need to get my vlog up and running. 

1. Content
I can't buy content. Actually I can but that isn't the route I am going in this stage of my decision making. In fact, I need to decide which direction or niche I want to go in and then find content that will make the vlog long lasting. I think I want to give myself a trial period of 6 months to see if it's something I want to do long term. 

2. A Website
To add another page to my already heavy paged website would just be pure Insanity. I find that I need to direct people to another website and keep it very specific so they know what they are going to get each time they arrive. For the most part I think people don't know what to expect from me which is both the fun and stupidity of what I have done thus far. That is NOT going to happen this time around. 

3. Teleprompter
As an actor I had to learn lines. As an ESPN commentator I had to learn names and text. My memorizing ability for a tri weekly vlog is not something that I want to challenge myself with. I love talking off the cuff but the content is the most important thing to tighten up and not my memorization skills. 

4. A Cool Looking Background
I have multiple compositions in my house that scream HOUSE and not vlogger extraordinaire so I am going to have to either design a background or outsource the project so I can brand my show to be. I can use a curtain, drawing, green screen, multiple photos or something else to get the look I want but it must look cool. 

5. A Backup Drive
With all of the photography I do and videos I have done over the years I have maxed out my hard drive. It seems that I only have a few GB to spare and will need something to hold all the video content. The way I see it, if I do a 3 minute video 3 times a week for 6 months then I will need enough space to hold 234 minutes of edited video not to mention all of the outtakes. I think a Terabyte is the way to go.

6. Clothes
Jay Leno only wears suits on the Tonight Show but in real life he wears denim shirts. I am not a suit and tie on TV kind of guy (maybe that will change) but I am going to need to get a bunch of different shirts and rotate them in such a way that I don't look like I am wearing the same old thing everyday. Unless of course I wear the same shirt everyday which is a choice that might not be a bad one or I can always do topless like Insanity. 

All in all this is not going to be an easy project to start but once it is under way should be a lot less intense. Through all of the investigation I have done thus far it seems that I will need to spend around $400 to get this up and going. 

Am I forgetting something?  Throw your 2 cents in on the bottom and let me know.

Until Tomorrow,

Jai