VIDEO PRODUCTION

Webcams are the new Lasik. Get ready for your close-up.

FILMiC Pro ★

Pro-Level Smartphone Video with Granular Control

The phone in your pocket has a camera which is as good as a $5000 camera would have been five years ago. So there’s plenty you can shoot with your phone—but what if you need the true Advanced Settings that smartphones don’t usually offer? This is where FILMiC Pro is fantastic; it gives you more control over zoom, frame rates, audio, brightness, and more.

🌐 filmicpro.com
💰 $14.99 to purchase from App Store or Google Play
🔗 Mobile only, available for iOS and Android
📝 They also have something called DoubleTake, which started as an independent free app and is also available as a quick launch inside FILMiC Pro v6.10.5. It transforms your (newer) iPhone into a mobile multi-cam studio!

Ecamm Live

All-in-One Livestreaming Studio for macOS

Firstly, Ecamm Live integrates with any of the platforms where you’d be streaming (and it can also be set up to run streams on multiple platforms simultaneously). Secondly, it has a sensational set of features—pretty much everything you’d need to do a live, TV-quality talk show—including multi-device support, live camera-switching, overlays, multi-guest split-screen, pre-recorded content support, and more.

🌐 ecamm.com
⏳ 14-day trial (no CC required)
💰 Standard for $15/mo, Pro for $25/month (save 20% by paying annually)

Vyond ♥︎

DIY Animated Video Creator

If we see a cute animated brand video, the next thought is often “bet that cost an arm and a leg to make.” Then we found out about Vyond and it turns out that we were wrong—or at least, that we don’t have to be right. Vyond is online animation software that allows you to make your own animated videos in three different styles (no technical expertise required). Their platform is well-equipped; plans include a full library of sound effects, music, templates, and even props for your animated characters!

🌐 vyond.com
⏳ Try free for 14 days (no CC required)
💰 $49/month for Essentials (unlimited videos but limited features), $89/month for Premium, $159/month for Professional (monthly billing in all cases, save about 50% for Annual Pay)

Animoto ♥︎

Drag-and-Drop Promo-Video Creator

It’s easy to understand why video has been the gold standard for ad media… and it’s much, much harder to produce the sharp-dressed social and promo videos you see in your mind’s eye (especially if you’re not a graphic designer).

If you’ve been here, let us suggest a better place: Animoto. As you’ve maybe guessed, it’s a drag-and-drop video creation tool… but what’s so cool about it? For starters: it’s aimed largely at Our People, namely pragmatic marketers and the like, and thus the templates are, refreshingly, worth a damn. (Seriously, check out their sample videos; scroll down a bit until you hit “See what you can create” on their homepage.) Second, and always a plus: while there are paid Animoto plans with upgraded features, you can get a LOT of mileage out of the free version.

🌐 animoto.com
🆓 Unlimited videos, but basic features only + Animoto branding on video
💰 Plans start at $39/month, save 50% by billing annually