Last week, I kicked off my year with my New Year’s Kickstart (I swore off resolutions years ago). Many of you did the same as I challenged you to join me.
A New Year’s Kickstart is a 2 week project to ignite your strategy and momentum for the year. I have so many ideas I want to share with you and face to face is the best way I know how. With that in mind, I decided to build my own Simple Video Studio, where I can record professional quality videos for you!
Rather than building an elaborate, state of the art studio, my goal is to build a studio you could replicate if you want to do the same for your customers. A $25,000 studio isn’t realistic for most people, so I’m shooting to spend less than $1,000!
Can it be done? I’m giving it my best effort.
I’m using Wistia’s blog as a reference point. They’re video masters. We use them at Ace of Sales for all our video hosting.
Check out this video by Wistia on how to build a down and dirty lighting set up. I’ll be using it as my lighting template!
My camera will be my iPhone 5 and my microphone will be my USB Apogee MiC ($199) I use for webinars.
With 1 week to go before my deadline on Jan 21 (my birthday), I’ll continue to update my progress for you:
Tuesday, Jan 8th
I researched and priced out everything I’ll need to build my studio.
Wednesday, Jan 9th
I visited Amazon and Home Depot and bought:
• Light stands (2)
• Clip lights (3)
• Day light bulbs (40 watt, 60 watt, 100 watt)
• Backdrop stand
• Backdrop material
• Camera tripod
• Camera mount for tripod
• Boom mic stand
• Boom mic clip
• USB to Lighting Adapter to plug my Apogee MiC directly into my iPhone 5
• Extension USB cord (to go from my phone to the boom stand)
• Extension cords for the lights.
All for just less than $500. Add my Apogee MiC to that, and I’m currently under $700.
Quick progress report w/ my shopping buddy (Wistia’s Down & Dirty Lighting Video):
* I was out of town for the 10-11th *
Saturday, Jan 12th
I started assembling my gear which had now arrived in the mail from Amazon. I chose my unfinished basement for my studio location. Why? Because most of my customers don’t have space at work to set up their own studio.
Also, I bought a 6′x8′ carpet remnant from Home Depot – to help define the space and make it a bit more cozy.
Wednesday, Jan 16th
I’ve finished assembling my Simple Video Studio in my basement! Now to start shooting some test footage. Less than a week left. Hope your Kickstart is rolling along…
Saturday, Jan 19th
Test runs with the new video studio set up with my boys! Tweaking lighting and audio. (Their first recordings smoked mine!)
Sunday, Jan 20th
Recorded first video! I’ll be sharing it with you on Jan 29th and announcing The Champs of the New Year’s Kickstart Challenge!
I’m DONE! I hope you are too! Congrats to everyone who finished on time. My 2 Champs will be announced here within my first edited video using my new Simple Video Studio on Jan 29th after the 2nd deadline (Jan 28th).
Keep it up, Andy! I’m really looking forward to seeing your videos on the blog. What do you think your first few videos will be about?
Not sure what the first will be, but I have a new webinar I’ll be offering all Ace of Sales customers and hope to record much of it with video instead of just slides and audio.
Andy,
I love the quick studio. My first attempt here at my warehouse studio combined high wattage construction lights and a step ladder, so I can really relate to this challenge. I’m with Caelan when saying keep it up!
I am glad I started down this journey with you.
I’m glad you did too, Aaron.
I’m glad things are going well for you Andy.
My project has already spun off to bigger things. I am now in charge of organizing a car show for my dealership celebrating our new franchise and a company milestone!
I’m building strong relationships within the business and community along the way.
I can’t believe how well this is working. I may try to set small projects for each month if this keeps going this well.
You have really helped to set the pace for my year! I cannot thank you enough.
I can’t wait to share my results on the 21st!
Mandy
Andy I did it!! I just recorded my first video testimonial. I bought an external mic and it didn’t work, but my iphone 4S did not let me down. I will get the mic thing figured out (should I get one like yours??) and I still need to perfect lighting etc, but I am on my way. I have this week to get as many more as I can, then edit them on Sunday at the Apple store with my one to one for iMovie. Can’t wait to see your studio and the good stuff that follows. Thanks again.
Bettina, Go, go, go! The new Apogee MiC is incredible – works with iphones too. I recommend it. Can’t wait to see these.
Andy –
Fantastic…Love the concept of Kickstart and unknowingly have been working on one myself….transferring myself from Microsoft to Chromebook Opsys…It is not nearly as exciting as building a video studio, but certainly has required me to think think think about my work process, document storage paradigm, and what really adds value (or doesn’t completely waste time)….Let me know when we can send you some new Roaring Lion Natural or Sugarfree to power up the host and videographer….
Cheers
Sean
Looking good Andy, Looking good. I watched the Wistia video dudes how to videos and LOVED ‘em. I bought my apogee mic today and have an appointment to record more testimonials Friday and Sat. Edit Sunday. I am still on track. I have my notes from your Webinar on Testimonials with Jeffery, my questions and am taking my show on the road. I found a cool new gizmo that will attach to a tripod mount and hold my iphone (have u seen it? I forget the name but works with an iphone in a case. Most require you take the iphone out of a case and with an Otterbox, that’s kinda hard to do.)
I am looking forward to your first video. I can’t wait for your webinar on how to host a webinar. I know it is on the list. I am making a guess having your own studio space will make that possible. Got my fingers crossed.
The Wisita guys are incredible! I’m actually heading up to Boston this coming week to see them. They are breaking ground in making it easy for people to do video right. I think I may have bought the exact same iPhone mount.
Great job, Andy! Congratulations
I am also on schedule with the niche website I planned; actually it’s supposed to go live today (Friday). In order to achieve that it meant, in addition to my 9-5 (actually 10-6) job: get up at 5 am to have a hearty breakfast and work until 9.30h, go to work until 6, come home and have a short work out plus a hearty dinner, and then work on my project again until 11 or 12 pm. Yesterday I worked until 3.30 am to ensure I can go live today. If nothing unforeseen happens then today will be the day
Without doubt, the best thing I did was to hook up with a SEO specialist who I knew already from my other niche website. I offered him partnership with a certain stake in regards to the profits. While I don’t know the financial results of this partnership yet, I know one thing: there wouldn’t have been much hope to go live within 10 days after starting to create the niche site, already because I know too little about tweaking WordPress themes, coding etc. He knows about that. A nice and small mastermind alliance, where we both are working in complete harmony towards the attainment of a common goal
David
I like the partnership angle, David. It’s the way a lot of projects are getting off the ground these days. I’m keeping an eye out for your website.
Wohoooo!
1st week after going live with my site is over: 10 affiliate sales (> 250 USD). No big riches, but hey: after 10 days of hard work and still outside the peak of the dieting season, I am happy with that first result.
A burning desire to accomplish something, action and hard work once more paid off, as it usually does
Well what happened? It\’s the 5th of February and no video, no winners, the whole thing just…trailed off. Why was I following this again? Weird.
We have the CHAMPS! And we are announcing them this week, Marc. I’m working on my first videos from my studio and will be posting them soon.
Great stuff! Can\’t wait to see the several projects that entered and how people used this kickstart event to get their project off the ground. The power of the incentive
Although I am from Europe: in case I should be one of the winners you have chosen, I could actually pick up my signed books at Charlotte Airport (stop over on Friday, Feb 8 on the way to Orlando), haha!