Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Must-Haves As A UGC Creator
15
items I've done 400-plus brand projects, most of them filmed around my house in Minnesota on top of a full-time job and three kids. This is the exact kit and the apps I use for every one, plus the platforms where I find paid briefs. Start with an Osmo Pock...
Sections
3
Apps/Websites
Gear/Accessories
Brand Partner Sites and Apps To Get Work
Apps/Websites
This is a must, not only for your own organization but often times where brands want you to upload your edited videos, raw files, etc.
Google Drive: Share Files Online with Secure Cloud Storage
The best place to create professional media (websites, portfolios, media kits, signatures, etc.) Lots of free templates from other Creators, but can also get Pro to have access to everything.
Canva: Visual Suite for Everyone
Where every one of my edits happens. Auto captions, easy cuts, exports sized for every platform. The Pro version is worth it once brands start asking for three versions of the same video (raw, captions, captions plus music).
CapCut AI Video Editor
My behind-the-scenes assistant. It reads my brand emails, drafts replies in my voice, builds a one-page film guide for every brief and keeps my project tracker up to date, so my nights go into filming instead of admin. I'm on the Max plan, but start ...
Claude (my AI assistant for the business side)
Where I registered my own domain, and I had it pointing at my Canva portfolio the same day. Sending brands to your own name instead of a long template link is a small thing that makes you look like a business, not a hobby.
Porkbun (your own domain for your portfolio)
Gear/Accessories
Sturdy, extends tall, folds down small, and the magnetic phone mount makes flipping between vertical and horizontal quick. This is the tripod that lives in my bag between brand shoots.
KraftGeek Tripods
Cheap, bright, and good enough for face-to-camera scripts when you don't want to spend on a real LED panel yet. Soft light straight on, no harsh shadows. Great first light.
Aureday 14'' Selfie Ring Light & Tripod
If you buy one thing on this list, make it this. The Osmo Pocket line is what most of my brand videos are shot on: 4K, a gimbal built in, a flip screen, and it fits in a pocket so it comes everywhere. Brands can tell the difference versus phone foota...
Osmo Pocket 3 - For Moving Moments - DJI
Not a film light, a background light. It changes color from the app, so the wall behind you can match a brand's colors or just make a plain room look like a set. Cheap way to stop every video looking like it was shot in the same corner.
Govee Floor Lamp 2
For the shoots where a brand wants phone-native footage instead of the DJI. Holds a big phone without drooping, and walking shots stop looking like an earthquake. Also doubles as a tripod in a pinch.
Hohem iSteady M7 Gimbal for Large Phones
Camera, gimbal, tripod, laptop, chargers, all in one bag that opens flat like a suitcase. Fits under an airplane seat. This is what comes with me to every shoot that isn't in my own house.
tomtoc Navigator-T66 40L backpack (the gear bag)
My second camera. It records everything around you at once, so you pick the angle after, which is perfect when you're the one riding the scooter or the e-bike and there's nobody to film you. Add it once your Osmo Pocket is earning its keep.
DJI Osmo 360
Bad audio kills a brand video faster than bad lighting. I've shot with the DJI Mic 3, Mic 2 and Mic Mini. The Mic 3 is the top of the line: two mics for interviews or two-person scripts, and the charging case keeps them ready. On a budget, the Mic Mi...
DJI Mic 3 wireless mics
Brand Partner Sites and Apps To Get Work
The cleanest creator platform I've used. Real brands post real briefs, you apply with past work, and you get paid on approval. Expect smaller checks than direct deals, but it's steady work while you build your own brand list.
Cohley (UGC briefs from brands)
Lots of briefs, a mix of paid and gifted, so read each one twice before you apply. Good for volume when you're starting out. Know your number before you say yes to anything on here.
Insense (paid and gifted UGC briefs)