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Phone, Tripod, Good Light: The Creator Kit I Actually Film With
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items I make content for a living, for my own channels and for the brands I work with, and almost all of it is shot on a phone. People always assume there's a big camera setup behind it. There isn't. It's a small kit that fits in one tote, and every piece ...
Sections
2
Every Single Day
Shoot Days Only
Every Single Day
The basics. If you're starting from zero, buy these first and nothing else. Every note here starts with DAILY DRIVER.
DAILY DRIVER. The single biggest upgrade to my videos wasn't a camera, it was audio. These clip on, pair to my phone in seconds and cut out café noise and wind. The case charges them so they're always ready. If you talk in your content at all, start ...
DJI Mic Mini
DAILY DRIVER. Filming drains a phone faster than anything else I do. This one snaps onto the back magnetically, so there's no cable dangling in the shot, and the little kickstand props my phone up for a quick talking clip. It has saved more than one ...
Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K)
DAILY DRIVER. A tripod the size of a credit card that lives on the back of my phone. No bag, no setup, it just folds out. It's how I get every flat-lay, café table shot and quick hands-free clip without asking a stranger to hold my phone.
Peak Design Mobile Tripod
DAILY DRIVER. Smaller than my phone and it fixes the 4pm problem, when the window light dies and everything goes grey. You can dial it warm or cool to match the room, so it reads like daylight and not like a ring light. Lives in my bag permanently.
Lume Cube Panel Mini
DAILY DRIVER. The boring one nobody posts about. 4K video fills a phone in a weekend, so I offload footage straight onto this over USB-C and my storage stays clear. It's tiny, it's rubberised, and it has been dropped in a tote full of gear more times...
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (1TB)
DAILY DRIVER. The cheapest thing on this list and the one that makes the most visible difference. Hazy, glowy footage is almost always a fingerprint on the lens, not a bad camera. I keep a few of these in every bag and wipe before I hit record.
ZEISS Lens Wipes
DAILY DRIVER. Where the whole kit lives. Mics, light, SSD, cables, spare wipes, all in their own little pockets instead of loose at the bottom of my tote. It opens like an accordion and stands up on its own, so I can see everything at once. The thing...
Peak Design Tech Pouch
Shoot Days Only
The upgrades. Worth it once you're filming for clients or outdoors, overkill before that. Every note here starts with SHOOT DAYS ONLY.
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. This is what makes phone footage look like it came off a real camera: smooth walking shots, slow pans, and it tracks me when I'm filming alone. It folds small and has a built-in tripod and extension rod. Too much for everyday stories...
DJI Osmo Mobile 7P
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. The grown-up tripod. Full height for standing talking-head shots and overhead food angles, sturdy enough that a breeze doesn't ruin the take, and it folds down small enough for a carry-on. Add a phone clamp and it does everything.
Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Tripod
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. A credit-card-sized light that does any colour. I tuck it behind a product for a soft glow, or use it to add a little warmth to a dim restaurant table without blinding everyone. It's magnetic, so it sticks to almost anything. A mood ...
Aputure MC RGBWW Pocket Light
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. Real glass that screws onto a phone case and gives you that compressed, blurry-background look without the fake portrait-mode edges. Gorgeous for product close-ups and portraits. You need the matching Moment case for it to mount, so ...
Moment Tele 58mm Mobile Lens (T-Series)
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. For anything scripted: brand voiceovers, longer talking pieces, anything with product names I can't afford to fumble. The script scrolls in front of the lens so I'm looking straight at the camera instead of reading off to the side. C...
Elgato Prompter
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. Two handles and a frame that turn a phone into something you can actually hold steady for an hour, with spots to mount the mic receiver and the light so it's one rig instead of three things in two hands. It looks intense. On a long s...
SmallRig Universal Phone Cage
SHOOT DAYS ONLY. The least glamorous thing here and the best value. The white side bounces sun back into a face or a plate and fills the harsh shadows, the diffuser softens midday Miami light into something flattering. Folds into a flat disc. You do ...
NEEWER 5-in-1 Collapsible Light Reflector