3 DAYS
Four Ways to Get into Content Creation
In my theory, I segment all content creation into four sections: video, audio, photo, and text. And here are the ways to get started and the platforms to share your work.Video. You don't need a fancy camera, you just need your smartphone. (Well, it depends on the kind of smartphone that you have. Yet, you know that saying? What's the Best Camera? The One You Have.) So, just pick up a camera, and shoot something that piques your interest. Get creative and explore. When you want to improve upon your craft, then take some classes on cinematography, lighting, composition, and sound. Try your best to get a decent microphone (a lav mic should be okay, or better, get a shotgun mic). Having very nice audio is key to making a video enjoyable to watch. Finally, before you share the video, you might need to edit the video. CapCut is a good option to start with; and if you have a capable laptop or desktop, you can try Davinci Resolve (DR). DR is a free software and there are tons of free resources to learn video editing on their website. When you want to share what you create, TikTok is a good platform to get started with because of its good exposure for new-entrant content creators. Audio. Sometimes I hear people calling short-form video content Podcasts. They are not podcasts, they are just short-form video content. A podcast is a recorded audio while a live audio recording is called radio. You get it? Thank you! Now, that being said. If you want to have a Podcast, it's still approachable to anyone interested. All you need is a microphone and a small space with not much noise from the environment. Your phone mic is still a good place to start, and your bedroom is a decent environment to record. Just make sure there are no echoes (or not much). Also, depending on the mic you are using, ensure you are not too close to it, or else you might pick up plosives. (Plosives are sounds that require an extra burst of air from the lungs, which creates a micro windstorm at the microphone. They include B, P, and T sounds. Plosives create an abrupt, sharp, sometimes shocking effect. They can be uncomfortable to listeners, especially the ones using headphones or the like.) Once you record your idea, to put it together, you will need a DAW or Digital Audio Workstation to edit the audio: cut out some parts, remove background noise, rework the audio using EQ or equalization etc. (Audacity, Adobe Audition, Reaper are some examples.) DAWs are essential if you want the audio to sound professional. Yet, there are some AI platforms to help with cleaning up your audio. Adobe Podcast Enhance is one of them. After post-editing, you can share your content on Spotify by registering with them on Spotify Creators, (formally, Spotify for Podcasters), get an RSS link for your Podcast and share to other Podcast platforms (like Apple Podcast, Pocket Casts, Audible etc) so you can be found on other places also.Photo. You should, first of all, have some level of passion and interest in photography. Taking pictures of beautiful sceneries, places, events etc., anything can be exciting for some people. But, your work needs to be out there for the world to see and critique. You might need to edit your pictures before you share them online, but that's still fine. Using your smartphone, there are a plethora of apps on the PlayStore to start with. Yet, you can try Adobe Lightroom, Google Snapseed, Canva, and GoDaddy Studio. Platforms to share your creation include Instagram, Unsplash, 500px, Flickr, Glass.photo etc. You pick the platform that resonates with you and start creating.Text. Writing is the easiest to start with. You can start writing in your journal: the one over there on the table. And you can just pick a pen from the stationery store. But, nobody will get to see those great ideas--well, at least, not many people. So, you want to share your perspective with a wider audience of people, get feedback, some critiques, reviews and maybe become better at your craft. You don't need much to get started, just your smartphone. Notes, the platform you're reading this on, is a good place to start. Share your ideas in seven (7) paragraphs or less. Other similar platforms include Medium, Substack, and Google Blogger.Okay, I hope this list helps. Decide where you want to start, and race right after it. If you have questions, you can share them in the comment section.
