How to Create Top-Notch Online Videos

Creating online videos is both more complicated and simpler than most people imagine. It's more complicated in that you do need to have a bit of set-up and planning in order to get it right. However, it's much simpler than a lot of people think it is. It's not rocket science and you don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars.

Here's how to create top-notch online videos.

==> Handle the Audio First

Getting the audio handled is most of the game. Even if your video quality isn't perfect, your audio quality really should be.

If people can hear what you're saying clearly and what you're saying is compelling, your video can be mediocre quality and people will still love it.

On the other hand, if you have stellar HD video but people can't hear what you're saying, your video quality won't matter.

Invest in a good mic. If you can, purchase a clip-on lapel mic with a wireless transmitter that attaches to a wireless receiver on your camera.

That way you can clip your mic to your shirt, move about freely and not have to worry about cable lengths. You can also usually hide the mic so your users don't even see it on screen.

==> Getting Good Video

Camera quality does matter, but high quality cameras are much more affordable today than you'd expect. For just a few hundred dollars today you can capture video that used to cost tens of dollars just a few years ago.

When you're filming, experiment with a few different angles. If you can, have two cameras going simultaneously so you can cut in and out of various angles.

Try to have either two still cameras, or one camera that's still and one that's moving. If you must only have one camera, it's probably better to have a still camera unless you also purchase expensive tripod equipment so the camera can be moved smoothly while filming.

==> Editing Top-Notch Videos

While you can create basic videos in low-end editors that come with your operating system (Windows Video or iMovie) or free editors like Wax, you'll eventually need to get a professional grade editor if you really want to produce top-notch videos.

Look into editors like Sony Vegas, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. Each have very loyal followings and have their own pros and cons.

If you want to do special effects, you'll also want to look into motion graphics software like Adobe After Effects.

To start with, you don't need to invest in all these different programs. Nor should you, as they can have quite a steep learning curve.

But if you want to create top-notch videos in the long run, you'll at some point have to switch from basic editors to editors that can do more complicated things.

Those are the three most important aspects of creating great online videos: audio, video and editing everything together.