Gear and Resources
The gear, software & resources I personally use.
These resources have been thoroughly tested in my own creator business and have helped me get to where I am today. It is important to note that I only recommend resources that I know and trust.
The right tools can easily improve your results as a Creator.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
I have these lists divided into four sections of my Creator business:
Outdoor Setup - Gear I use to make my adventure videos and shoot outside
At Home Studio - Where I film myself for that studio look
Editing Setup - What I use to build my editing setup
Software & Digital Tools - This is all the applications I use for my process
FILMING OUTSIDE GEAR
I like to shoot my videos outside if possible and when I’m filming outdoors I keep all my gear in one backpack. My goal is to be light and fast with my setup while still having a very high end look.
Sony ZV-E1
Main Camera for all My YouTube Videos
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This camera is the same sensor as an FX3 or A7SIII but in a tiny body. 4K up to 120 FPS and so many good automation features and lighting fast auto focus makes this a great camera to make content.
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Sony A9III
I switched from the A7SIII so that I can have the new global shutter and overall better camera. Only thing I miss is the low light capabilities however it still works great
Sony 16-25 F2.8
This is my new favorite lens that I film all my videos with. Its small an compact but still opens up to give me good shallow depth of field. It has a 67mm filter thread so it matches my 2 primes as well
Sony 20-70mm F4
If I want to carry less gear then I go for this lens over bring my prime lenses. The range is nice for a ton of uses and the lens is small.
Shimoda Action X40 Backpacks
For a camera backpack my favorite to carry everything is the Shimoda Action X40 V2. This is small enough to take on a plane but big enough for all my gear and is built for adventure. I switch between the Yellow and Green versions.
Rode Wireless Pro
This is my current favorite set of wireless microphones. The 32bit float backup recording is super helpful
NiSi ND Filters
These ND filters have no color cast and I love ability to stack them with the SWIFT system.
NiSi Black Pro Mist 1/4
When I want a cinematic look I often will use a black pro mist and this one works well with the SWIFT System
DJI AIR 3
This drone is the perfect mix of pro features while still staying super small. I love the 70mm lens to create cinematic footage from any scene.
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DJI Air 3 ND Filters
This allows me to get my shutter speed to double that of my frame rate with the Air 3.
DJI RS3 Mini Gimbal
A small compact gimbal that will hold my A7SIII or similar size camera.
RS3 Mini Quick Release
This ties my whole system together so I can use the same camera plate on my tripod, gimbal and shoulder mount.
CFexpress A Cards
These are the fastest cards you can get for Sony cameras. I get the 1TB so I never run out of space when filming.
DJI Pocket 3
The smallest camera gimbal combo out there. I use this if I don’t want to bring my RS3 mini or I want a smaller setup when filming.
Camera Shoulder Clip
The Ulanzi Camera Clip is what I use to hold my camera on my camera strap. Works with the Shimoda backpacks.
BUILDING A HOME STUDIO
I put together a video that goes through my current setup. Below you'll find all the gear that I use in my studio
Below is my full gear list for my studio that I’ve built in my spare bedroom.
Sony 35mm 1.4
Main Lens. I like the look of the 35mm because its wide but also gives you a good Shallow DOF when filming
Aputure 60x
Key Light. This is what I use to light up my face. If you want to see the full lighting setup Watch this Video
Rode Shotgun Mic
I have a microphone right out of camera on top of the frame. I hang the Rode to get my audio.
Microphone Stand
This is how I hold my microphone out of frame. I can keep the light stand off to the side and extend the boom arm to the right position.
Tube Lights
I use one hung on my wall for a practical light and one is above me for ambiance and a hair light.
Philips Hue Bulbs
I replaced my office lights with Philips hue bulbs and thats what I use for the color in the background
Sound Panels
These fill my ceiling to help dampen the sound in this room. There is also carpet on the floor to cut out reverb.
Wall Mount Boom Arm
These are cool. I have 2 up in my office. One for my key light and one for my hair light. Allows me to get stands off the ground and mount more on my walls.
Editing & Data Backup
This is the full editing setup that i use to make my videos. I work in two ways. When I’m home I have my full studio setup so I can work off multiple monitors and have all my data connected. When I’m traveling I keep it light so that I can edit anywhere.
M1 MacBook Pro 14"
No issues editing with this computer. Its lighting fast. Specs: Macbook Pro M1 Max, 2021, 64GB Ram, 4TB hard drive
Logitech MX Mouse
This mouse works so much better than the apple mouse. Few extra buttons plus it charges from the front
LG 38" Curved Monitor
This is my workspace. I like having a wide curved monitor so I can see my editing timeline bigger
Vertical Dual Monitor Stand
Holds my monitors in a top & bottom configuration. Top monitor is full screen preview and lower monitor is my workspace
4TB SSD Drives
These are fast and reliable SSD Drives. I use these to edit off of and also I bring them with me when I travel.
16-20TB External Hard Drive
I suggest these drives for data backup after you're done with a project/video. Work off your internal hard drive or SSD and use these for backup. They're cheap and you can keep expanding as your library grows.
OWC 8 Bay Enclosure
This is for LARGE amounts of data. I have 2 of these. One is built as a 98TB RAID hard drive with 1 drive redundancy. The 2nd I use for hot swapping drives
16-20TB Drives
These are the hard drives I use in my OWC 8 Bay Enclosure. Lots of space and able to hot swap using my OWC enclosure
Equipment Rack
This holds all my computer equipment. I have it configured so that I can attach my laptop and work in the office using all my equipment or I can remove easily
APC Backup Battery
Backup battery incase the power ever goes out. This way I have a few hours to close down projects and backup before I run out of power.
YouTube Sub Display
This shows how many subscribers I have right now. Fun to have in the office.
Software & Digital Tools
The hardware and gear is only half of what makes a YouTuber successful. Below are all the tools that I use to run my business and build out all the components to make everything work
Video Membership Platform
All-in-One Easy-to-Use Video Membership Platform
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You are actually on Uscreen right now! I built the Creator Film School using Uscreen and this is where I house all my digital products and video membership. Uscreen makes it easy to setup and start selling fast. There are a ton of marketing tools that allow you to build your business and increase your revenue.
Link Tracker & Shortener
An Affiliate link manager that allows you to track everything
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This tool is essential for me to run my creator business. Every link I make gets turned into a GeniusLink. One super useful feature is that I can change the links inside GeniusLink so I don't have to go back through old videos if I need to update a link location. Saves me so much time with all my links
YouTube Growth & Optimization
The Tool I use to help keyword research and grow my channel
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TubeBuddy is a complete suite of tools for YouTubers. I’ve been using them for years to find topics and keywords to target so that I can rank #1 on YouTube & Google. Also a great tool to compare channels and deal with everyday management of my channel as a solo creator.
Productivity & Organization
Software that organizes my business & To Do lists
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Notion is a 2nd brain that allows you to build databases with tons of information organized in a way that you can access everything you need to know about a project fast. I keep track of all my to do lists, past videos and current projects in on place.
Email List Management
Email lists can seem overwhelming but Convertkit makes it easy
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The easiest way to setup an email list and build lead pages so that you can grow your list. There are plenty of automation features that allow you to setup email sequencing so that once you have it all setup you can let it run on its own.
Selling Stock Footage
The best way to sell your footage online
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I sell all my footage online with multiple stock agencies. Blackbox makes it easy by allowing you to upload once and Blackbox will distribute it to multiple stock agencies. You save a ton of time when you use Blackbox. Once your footage is online then it can continue to make sales and you don't have to do anything.
Video Editor
The main software I use to edit all my videos
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There are lots of options for video editing and I suggest you pick one and learn it inside and out. I've been using Final Cut Pro for years and its a complete video editor that has so much creative potential. If you want to learn how to use FCP I have a in depth course on the Creator Film School that teaches you everything about the software.
LUTs for Color Grading
Color grade footage fast with these LUTs I've built
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A super time consuming part of editing is color grading. I've developed different looks over the years that I can use on any of my footage so that I can speed up the edit process. This is my set of LUTs that I use on all my videos.
Stock Music Library
Big Library of Stock Music that you can use on YouTube
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I use Musicbed as another source of music for my videos. The music is different than you'll find on other platforms and works well for storytelling.
Unique SDFX
A collection of 450 unique SDFX that are super useful
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This set of SDFX isn't like anything else out there. The collection is focused on being useful in a variety of settings. There are 7 distinct categories (Time-lapse, Slow Motion, Transitions, Loops, Drones, Risers, Ambiences)
Stock Footage Library
A big library of Stock Video
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Artgrid is the perfect solution when you need some additional stock footage in your videos. They have a subscription that allows you to use everything for one price. Lots of Cinematic looking stock footage on this platform.
Stock Music Library
Huge Library of stock music to use in any project
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Epidemic is a perfect resource to get all your music for your YouTube channel. To be monetized you need to have music that has been licensed properly. Epidemic makes it easy so you only have to pay a single fee and then get access to 1000’s of music tracks to use in your videos
Drag and Drop Motion Graphics
Easy plugins for titles, lower thirds and motion graphics
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These Plugin packs allow me to edit faster. Every aspect of these graphics are customizable so that I can make them fit my branding and channel.
Thumbnail Design
I use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for all designing
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At first this software will seem daunting but it is so important for any graphic work that you will need. The most useful aspect is the AI tools built in. I use Generative fill and background removal with everything I'm working on.
OffShoot
Reliable way to transfer data from cards to my hard drives and have everything verified.
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In 2016 I uploaded my first YouTube video and now I'm a Full Time Creator getting paid to travel the world and tell Adventure Stories.
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