Why Vlogging is the Worst Way to Start a YouTube Channel
Why Vlogging is the Worst Way to Start a YouTube Channel

About a month ago my team and I were filming at ConvertKit's Craft + Commerce event and I was asked along with Levi Allen to give a workshop on why video is the biggest opportunity on the web right now and how to take advantage of it.

What follows is an hour long conversation about how to get more comfortable filming, why vlogging may not be the best format for you, which platform you should be focusing on, and what gear we recommend for video creation these days.

In this video we share why vlogging might be the worst way to start or grow a YouTube channel and much, much more.

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Filming, YouTube, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikBeginner / Hobbyist
DJI Mavic Pro — 3 Must-Have Accessories
DJI Mavic Pro — 3 Must-Have Accessories

I got my first drone a few months ago, the DJI Mavic Pro, but I found myself not using it very much. Traveling with all the batteries and cables was a pain, daytime shots were too bright, and if I couldn’t fly it most places I went.

Thankfully I’ve found a few third party add-ons to help with all of these problems and I’ve been using it way more lately.

Here are some of my favorite accessories for the DJI Mavic Pro drone.

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Filming, Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
SlingStudio Review — Livestream 4 Cameras to YouTube or Facebook Live Wirelessly via iPad
SlingStudio Review — Livestream 4 Cameras to YouTube or Facebook Live Wirelessly via iPad

I’ve done a few multi-camera live streaming productions over the last couple years and they are always a ton of work (and hassle) to get setup properly. 

Beyond needing the proper HDMI or SDI cables run to all the cameras I needed a person switching camera angles, another person running an audio mixer board, an expensive piece of livestreaming software, everything set to the same frame rate, and more. 

Now there is a better solution for running a multi-cam livestream, by yourself, without any wires, using only an iPad. It is pretty incredible and it is called SlingStudio. 

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Filming, Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
5 More New Filmmaking Gear Updates from NAB 2017
5 More New Filmmaking Gear Updates from NAB 2017

As I shared in yesterday’s video, NAB is one of the big video conferences I go to each year because I get a ton of value from it. 

Between meeting other filmmakers in person I’ve only known online before and getting hands-on time with some of the video gear I am wanting to test out before buying, it is definitely worth any time and money I spend to be there.

In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 2 of NAB Show 2017.

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Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
Top 5 Favorite Things from Day 1 at NAB 2017
Top 5 Favorite Things from Day 1 at NAB 2017

For the last few years I’ve been going to NAB in Las Vegas. The “National Association of Broadcasters” Show is where all the television, film, and video companies come to show off the latest in camera gear, software, accessories, and live broadcasting equipment. 

Now, that probably sounds like a pretty stuffy crowd (and parts of it are), but it one of the most popular events for independent filmmakers and video creatives each year.

This is my third time going and I go to not only check out the new gear announcements and plan any future investments, but to meet YouTubers, filmmakers, and companies helping us to do our video jobs better.

In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 1 of NAB Show 2017.

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Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
Fiilex K412 LED Light Kit Review
Fiilex K412 LED Light Kit Review

In my hunt for the perfect set of video lights to fly with and film my client’s videos, the next lights I tried are a set of LEDs from Fiilex.

The K412 set comes in a rolling travel case with 4 lights (two 360EX’s and two 180E’s), barn doors for each, three light stands, a softbox, and a cold shoe mount.

I’ve used these lights on different shoots over the past six months since filming this review and they’ve really helped me stay light and nimble when flying with all my video gear. (Normally I fly with a 67-pound case with two Kino-Flo Diva 401’s, which leads to paying more baggage fees too.)

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Lighting, Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
Westcott Flex LED Light Review
Westcott Flex LED Light Review

For the past two years I have done the majority of my lightning with Kino-Flo Divas.

The only problem is that I’m constantly flying to film for clients and need to set up and tear down quickly. I also have to light talent in a run and gun situation where the light needs to be held and moved while recording.

And while the light the Divas put off is big, so is the 67 lb case I have to lug them around in. I needed something different.

Enter the Westcott Flex LED Light.

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Lighting, Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
I Filmed a Secret Marriage Proposal
I Filmed a Secret Marriage Proposal

This is the story of how we filmed and photographed our friend's secret wedding proposal, which was over a year in the making. 

Over the next few days we will be flying to New Zealand to document the wedding (which is happening just 4 days after the proposal) and then staying for another month to travel and explore.

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Filming, My YouTube VideosCaleb Wojcik
1 Minute Unboxing — 15" Macbook Pro 2016 (With Touch Bar)
1 Minute Unboxing — 15" Macbook Pro 2016 (With Touch Bar)

Most unboxings I watch are too long, so when I got the second new MBP in for my editor to use I decided to do something a little different and try to capture the experience, feel, and sounds of unboxing a product quickly. Might do more of these in the future...

If you're curious which model I went with, here are the specs of mine.

- 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core
- 16GB of 2133 MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD
- AMD Radeon Pro 460 GPU (4GB GDDR5)

Like with all my major purchases, I bought this through B&H Photo Video. Here is my exact model. 

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My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional
How to Add Closed Captions to YouTube Videos Fast
How to Add Closed Captions to YouTube Videos Fast

Adding closed captions to your videos is beneficial because they allow your video to be consumed by a wider audience, but making them can be a huge time suck. You should be spending that time working on your next video instead.

I have been getting a lot of questions about the best way to add closed captions to YouTube videos, so in this video I walk through my preferred method and service I pay $1/minute to add closed captions.

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YouTube, My YouTube VideosCaleb WojcikAdvanced / Professional