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Supporting Scotland's vibrant voluntary sector

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.

 

#EssentialSector mobile video training

Support materials

Kit list

for great MOJO filming on your phone

This resource is kindly provided by media co-op.

This is only a guide list of what you may need.

New kits are being released all the time. These links will go out of date with time, so you may need to shop around.

We do not solely support any of the retailers on the list. You can find most of the items cheaper but of varying quality on eBay or Amazon.

Stabilisers

Manfrotto is a great tripod company

Item namePictureDescription and notes
Tripod (tall)
Item link
Must have for filming interviews. Make sure it has an attachment to hold your phone (these can also be bought separately) and is sturdy.
Some are easy to put up fast, while other models are a bit trickier, so remember to practise before using it!
Shoulder pod
Item link
This makes a huge difference when you don’t have time to set up a big tripod but also when filming picture sequences.
Stabilises shots and the strap ensures safety. The S2 is the older, simpler version but can be hard to source now.
Shoulderpod G2
How it works
Item link
The new version, the Shoulderpod G2, has a variety of mounts to enable you to add accessories such as microphones and lights all together in one compact rig.
The first link to the Shoulderpod site, shows you how it works.
The second link is for the UK supplier, CVP.
Tripod small
Item link
This small version can work as a tripod to put on a shelf or a desk as well as allowing you to hold your phone steady with one hand, allowing you to work the controls with the other.
Gorilla pod
Gorilla Pod link
Creative Kit link
This is handy for tying the phone to a bar or a tree, or if you want to get creative and try tracking shots, you can fix it to the handlebars of a bicycle!
Can be fiddly when trying to set up straight on a flat surface but again - it’s an all rounder if you don’t have the time to set up a tripod.
Now comes as a full Creative Kit including mount and microphone too.
Stabiliser and mic kit
Item link
Another all in one setup - mini tripod, mount and mic, from two well respected industry brands, Sennheiser and Manfrotto.
Rode Universal Vlogging Kit
Item link
Includes microphone, light, and tabletop tripod with mount, for mobiles with 3.5mm headphone socket. (Other versions L & C are available for iPhones with lightning or USB-C ports)

Audio

Best audio brands are Rode, Sennheiser and Joby.

Ideally there would be a converter on the microphone output so you could also plug in your headphones to monitor sound coming in live.

Item namePictureDescription and notes
Lavalier mic
Item link
Cheaper than Rode mics but great quality. Make sure whatever lav mic you are buying has a long enough cable to stretch from your phone to the contributors, as most come with very short cables.
Lavalier mic
Item link
Another great quality lav mic.
Directional mic
Item link
Best quality out there. It also has a port to plug in headphones so you can monitor sound as it’s being recorded.
Link is to version with lightning connection. Alternative versions with USB-C connection, or 3.5mm connection are available too.
Directional mic
Item link
This is a cheaper version of Rode. Great as you can turn the mic away or towards you. It doesn’t have a port for headphones.
Wireless lav mics
Item link
These connect to your phone via bluetooth, so no trailing cables however it’s a bit chunky. You can also connect lav mics so the transmitters don’t appear in your shot.
Make sure your microphone output works with your phone input.
There are many versions of inputs and outputs.
Adapter - mini jack to USB C
Item link
Mini jack to USB C or lightning (old iPhone). If not, you can buy adaptors.
Adapter - mini jack to lightning
Item link
Mini jack microphone to older iPhone.

Lighting

Item namePictureDescription and notes
Coloured LED light
Item link
Attach it to the phone so you don’t have to hold another item.
Great so you can change the colour temperature to match the light of your room.
LED light
Item link
Handy as you can attach it on a tripod.
Powered by mains and AA batteries.
Reflector
Item link
Great for indoor and outdoor use

Other

Item namePictureDescription and notes
Headphones
Item link
We recommend using over ear headphones to isolate sound from the room as much as possible.
Stylus
Item link
Makes a huge difference when editing on touch screen - tablet or phone
Lenses and filters
Item link
Great for creative shots - wide lens, macro lens, but also comes with filters to correct light

Royalty free music

Make sure you check what the rules are for using this music. You may have to give a credit to the musician at the end of the film, or even add a link to the artist in the description of your video on YouTube.

Using a search engine, search for “Royalty free music”

Other sites to use: