Posts by Caleb Wojcik
How Wistia Makes Videos ft. Chris Lavigne (DVG 014)
How Wistia Makes Videos ft. Chris Lavigne (DVG 014)

Wistia is one of my favorite companies. I use their video hosting for my course, have learned a lot from their training videos, and they throw a heck of a conference.

That is why I wanted to chat with Chris Lavigne, who has been making videos for Wistia for almost four years, about how Wistia does video well.

In this episode I chat with Chris about getting stable handheld footage with a DSLR, working with many different people on camera, dampening sound in a studio, and why you should make multiple videos instead of just one video.

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Filming, My PodcastCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
What Video Lights Should You Use? (DVG 013)
What Video Lights Should You Use? (DVG 013)

Lights are one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment for creating a video.

Sure, having a fancy camera and great sounding microphone are important, but without proper lighting, the video can look horrible or even unwatchable.

In this episode I talk through six kinds of lighting you can use for making videos, the pro's and con's of each, and recommend specific brands for the different categories.

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Lighting, Gear / Equipment, My PodcastCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional, Beginner / Hobbyist
How to Vlog on YouTube ft. Amy Schmittauer (DVG 012)
How to Vlog on YouTube ft. Amy Schmittauer (DVG 012)

She started making personal videos and uploading them on YouTube 5 years ago just for her family, but she quickly fell in love it.

Amy Schmittauer has consistently been video blogging (or vlogging) for half a decade. In that time she's piled up 1.5 million views on YouTube and learned a ton about how video can work for your business.

In this episode I chat with Amy about how she is able to produce three or more videos every week, which YouTubers she looks up to, what gear she recommends for the vlogging style of videos, and what keeps her from hitting record.

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YouTube, My PodcastCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
Which Microphone Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 011)
Which Microphone Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 011)

If there was ever an episode to listen to with headphones, this would be it.

Today's episode is gonna be a fun one and a bit different. I'll be chatting about what microphone you should use in your videos and instead of just mentioning a bunch of different ones I thought I'd actually record using a bunch of them so you could hear some of the differences firsthand. 

You'll hear 10 different microphones, what they should like and why I use some for certain situations over others.

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Audio, Gear / Equipment, My PodcastCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist, Intermediate / Amateur
Making $100,000 In 3 Days From A Video-Based Course ft. Sean McCabe (DVG 010)
Making $100,000 In 3 Days From A Video-Based Course ft. Sean McCabe (DVG 010)

Sean McCabe had become a successful hand lettering artist, with clients paying him thousands for design work, but he felt another need. 

After sharing his lettering work online, he started getting emails from people wondering where to even start with hand lettering.

He put a tutorial on his website and within a year 200,000 people had viewed it. Six months in he put an email opt-in form on the page and eventually spent three months on a new version of the page to promote his new video course Learn Lettering.

Fast forward to earlier this year, 15,000 email subscribers later, and Sean launched his video course to the tune of selling six figures in three days.

In this podcast episode I talk with Sean about his making his video course, his struggles with producing it all himself, and what he is learning now after just recently launching a daily video show.

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My Podcast, Entrepreneur / Business, Course CreationCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional, Intermediate / Amateur
Which Camera Lens Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 009)
Which Camera Lens Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 009)

The lens you use to shoot your videos matters more than you might think.

Each lens gives a different vibe to your videos, has restrictions on apertures you can use and can be really flexible (or not) depending on whether or not it zooms.

In today's episode I'm gonna help you figure out what lens you should use to make your videos.

I'll be sharing which lenses I own and why, how a cropped or full sensor impacts the results you get from a lens, what features to consider when choosing, and why you might want to rent a lens and try it before buying it.

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My Podcast, Filming, Gear / EquipmentCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
How to Make Videos About Boring Topics ft. Matt Giovanisci (DVG 008)
How to Make Videos About Boring Topics ft. Matt Giovanisci (DVG 008)

How do you build a online brand that stands out in an industry or niche that most people considering "boring"?

Think personal finance, law, anything technical like engineering or math, and home improvement, etc.

Well today's guest on the podcast, Matt Giovanisci, has built his audience and business around swimming pool and hot tub care through his YouTube videos for Swim University. (Some of which, like "How To Change The Sand In Your Sand Filter", have hundreds of thousands of views.)

In this episode I chat with Matt about how he got into making videos online, what his process is for planning and shooting these videos, how makes sure he adds comedy into them, and how he got started without buying any gear.

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My Podcast, YouTubeCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
Which Video Camera Should You Buy? (DVG 007)
Which Video Camera Should You Buy? (DVG 007)

Want to hear the question I get more often than any other question when I release a new video?

The most popular question isn't ever about the content of the video, a special effect I used or from anything I said.

The most common thing people ask me is: "what camera do you use?"

In this episode I breakdown seven different categories and types of cameras you can use to make videos and I give a bunch of examples of each, what brands and models I prefer, and some of my favorite accessories to add to get the best results out of each of them.

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Gear / Equipment, My PodcastCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
Weekly Videos with No Budget ft. Thomas Frank (DVG 006)
Weekly Videos with No Budget ft. Thomas Frank (DVG 006)

If you have no money for camera gear, lights, or software that can often hold you back from making videos.

Luckily, our guest on today's episode of the podcast, Thomas Frank of College Info Geek, shares how that isn't holding him back from making weekly videos on YouTube.

With less than a few hundred dollars worth of equipment, he makes short-form talking head videos for college students. 

In this episode Thomas shares how he makes his videos look great without investing a ton of money on a bunch of gear, tips for planning out your videos before you sit in front of the camera to make them, and how incorporating b-roll into his videos speeds up the process.

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YouTube, My Podcast, Filming, Gear / EquipmentCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
Film Grain, Noise & What ISO Setting to Use (DVG 005)
Film Grain, Noise & What ISO Setting to Use (DVG 005)

Increasing the ISO setting on your camera makes your camera's sensor more sensitive to light. 

But why wouldn't you just want more light sensitivity? More light is almost always good right?

Unfortunately not.

In this episode I'll discuss ISO, which is the last of the three camera settings that impact the exposure triangle, and how it works. I'll also discuss the differences between film grain and camera noise, as well as how to add or remove each.

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My Podcast, FilmingCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
What Frame Rate & Shutter Speed to Shoot Videos At (DVG 004)
What Frame Rate & Shutter Speed to Shoot Videos At (DVG 004)

If you shoot a video in an automatic mode, like Aperture priority, you can get some fairly unnatural looking video. 

It won't look smooth. Movement will look jittery and jumpy. And when your videos don't look like real life, the viewer will be distracted from the message you're trying to deliver. 

That's why you'll want to shoot in manual mode to pick the proper shutter speed and frame rate to get the best looking video possible.

In this episode I discuss what to set those at and how they effect what your video looks like. 

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My Podcast, FilmingCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
Written vs. Audio vs. Video: Which is Best? (DVG 002)
Written vs. Audio vs. Video: Which is Best? (DVG 002)

One question I get all the time is: why should I make videos?

More specifically, they want to know when they should make a video instead of use another format like written or audio. Often times they are already blogging, podcasting, and making plenty of other kinds of content for the web.

Each of these three mediums have their strengths and weaknesses, but I have very specific views on why video is the best for certain things (including teaching and building brand loyalty) and not for others. 

In this episode of the podcast I make my case for video and why it should be a big part of your content strategy. 

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My Podcast, Entrepreneur / BusinessCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
What to Expect from the DIY Video Guy Podcast (DVG 001)
What to Expect from the DIY Video Guy Podcast (DVG 001)

Today I'm starting a new audio podcast.

This episode is the first of five during this launch week. In it, I'll describe what you can expect from the show, the format it will be in, what kind of guests I'll bring on, and what you'll learn from it.

I also give a longer background of my experience with video over the past decade and why I've decided to dedicate myself to teaching video creation online. Listen below.

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My PodcastCaleb Wojcik
What’s Next for DIY Video Guy
What’s Next for DIY Video Guy

Today is my first day of being fully self-employed. I’ve officially stepped down from working at Fizzle.

I’m putting all my time and effort now into building this site and my video production company, Caleb Wojcik Films. I’ve already started taking on clients and doing video shoots with some of clients I’ve specifically targeted to work with, but now I’m ready and able to put a lot more effort into DIY Video Guy.

In this post I’ll lay out what some of my upcoming plans for this site are and what you can expect to see from me here over the next couple months.

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Caleb Wojcik
Blame Good Taste (Why Artists Don't Make Enough)
Blame Good Taste (Why Artists Don't Make Enough)

You see it everywhere. You look at it and cringe. Your friends just don't understand.

  • "Can you believe they used Papyrus for the font on that logo?"
  • "Who could drink that cheap beer? It's gross."
  • "You put sugar in your coffee?"
  • "Really? Who wears socks with sandals?"

Taste. Some people have it and some people don't.

In this post I'll discuss what you should do about what you make when it doesn't live up to your tastes, what my taste has hindered me from accomplishing, and what to do if you don't have good taste and want to develop it.

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FilmingCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist