Today we meet South African mom blogger Olerato, from Mommy and Baby Approved. She tells us just to get started with video: the skills you can polish along the way!
- How did you get started with the videos?
I’ve always love making small video clips of myself and editing them into cute little movie clips as keepsakes so when I discovered YouTube back in 2013, it was a no brainer. I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It took me a while though to get started because I was a new mom back then and I needed time to figure out what Momming was all about before taking on a new hobby. Once I had it all figured out, I dove right in. It was awkward at first because I had zero confidence but have come a long way since and I really love and enjoy making videos now. Seriously the best hobby.
How much time do you spend in creating videos and how often do you upload?
This depends on the video that I am working on. For example if I am working on a vlog style video where I typically film what I’m doing, that takes about a full day to film/shoot. The usual review or sit down videos (ones where I am just at home on the same spot), typically takes about 30 minutes to an hour to film/shoot. The big chunk of the work is mostly before the filming where I spend time planning the videos, how I want to present them, and where I want to film that video. Then of course editing – this can take anything from an hour to multiple hours to complete depending on how much footage I have and the editing style thereof.
- Tell us about the equipment you use for video: camera, lighting, background. If possible give us some pictures.
I started with absolutely nothing. Just my Samsung s4 phone and my work laptop that I used to edit on. It’s been 3 years and at the moment for vlog style videos, I use a Canon G7x Mark ii. It’s really amazing in low light conditions and has a back flip up screen making it very easy to see what’s on my view finder. Every once in a while I use a GoPro to get wide lense angle when we go on road trips but that’s just about it. I use natural light – so I just stand/sit in front of the window. The background is normally my kitchen. I try to keep it as natural as possible. No extra backdrop – just my typical house setup.
- Which room do you shoot in?
I usually shoot in my living room and half the time I am wearing PJ bottom – don’t tell.
- What editing software do you use?
Always edit with iMovie. I get it for free with my MacBook and works like magic.
- What tips and tricks have you learnt with editing? Is there a checklist of things you do?
I don’t really have a checklist of things to do but if I had to say 1 thing, it’d be to ALWAYS watch your video once you are done editing – make sure it’s exactly how you want it to be. The biggest tip I’d give anyone is to try and film with the end in mind. Makes for much less stress while editing because you already know how you want to present your video.
- Is there any video guru you have used as a resource, or a mentor you admire?
I haven’t really used anyone as a resource or a mentor but I have a lot of video content creators that I watch and really like. Though we are in different niches – filming videos about different things, I still really enjoy their content. I wish there was a bit more South African Mom Vloggers/YouTubers but I guess it’ll come with time.
- What has been your most successful video and why?
I am assuming by successful, it means most viewed video. I have a video from 3 years ago – literally one of my very first videos – that has the most views from all my videos. It is called *How to teach a toddler to walk* and has almost 10k views. Though not the best quality video I’ve produced, I still really love that video. It’s a trick I learned from one of my favourite American YouTubers on how to teach a toddler to walk. My daughter at that time was almost 14 months old and she hadn’t started walking or showing signs of walking but once we did the trick, she gained some confidence and walked independently a week later. I still get a lot of messages from moms across the world saying they tried the trick after seeing my video and it worked for them too. So heartwarming.
- What are brands looking for in this medium?
I cannot answer for all brands but the ones I’ve worked with have indicated that they were looking for authenticity and honesty. Just being yourself on video/camera and embracing your personality. Of course there are those technicalities around how you present your content but this can always be worked upon.
What is your advice for a newbie person who wants to get started with making videos?
Just do it. Get started and the rest you’ll figure out later. Half the time, it’s not that you don’t have the resources to do it but rather that you are judging yourself too hard. Take that leap and then polish the skills along the way.
Check out Olerato’s YouTube channel here, and her blog here.
You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Check out Sharon’s video post here if you missed it.
If you found this post interesting please share it with your friends and remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and join our awesome group called Mommy’s Me Time.
Great advice. Loved hearing how you got started. Your videos are great.