The $1,000 Video Kit (2021)

Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch (2nd Generation)

Blazing fast, awesome screen, good cameras, excellent ecosystem - an amazing device.

2 cameras give you a normal and ultra wide field of view for more creative control.

Storage: 128GB

Wi-Fi: Yes

Cellular Data: No

Video Formats: Up to 3840 x 2160 at 60 fps or 1920 x 1080 at 240 fps

My Favorite Feature: Ultra wide camera makes for some awesome wide angle shots

Aluminum iPad Tripod Mount

Made from aluminum, this is a solid iPad mount that doesn't interfere with ports or buttons.

It comes with a built-in Arca-Swiss quick release plate base, but also has a 1/4"-20 mounting hole on the bottom for mounting to other plates or stands.

My Favorite Feature: Cold shoe mount on top - a great place to mount accessories like a light or microphone.

Endurax 66" Tripod

A simple and budget-friendly tripod.

Maximum height of 66" gives you enough to get the iPad camera around 72" high.

Maximum load capacity of 11 pounds gives you plenty of room to add other accessories.

Saramonic Vmic Mini

A great budget-friendly on-camera mini shotgun microphone.

Comes with a TRS to TRRS cable that works directly into the iPad's 3.5mm headphone port.

My Favorite Feature: Female TRS connector on the mic gives you freedom to use different connectors and cable lengths.

Saramonic Smartrig II

Single channel XLR or 1/4" preamp with 48v phantom power and headphone jack.

Use any mic level input.

My Favorite Feature: 3.5mm output frees up the iPad's Lightning port for power or other tasks

16" Paper China Ball Lantern

China ball lanterns have been an industry standard in film and television lighting for nearly a century.

They are versatile and provide natural, flattering, soft light that works great for lighting people and large areas without breaking the bank.

They are lightweight and can be hung from ceilings, doorways, ceiling fans, shower curtain rods, and many other types of lighting stands.

Hanging Lantern Socket & Cord

Use this cord and socket to hang the China ball lantern and light bulb.

This is a 2-pack, but they accept a higher wattage than most (375 watts) and are from one of the only brands I trust.

Clear Incandescent Light Bulb (200 Watts)

Incandescent light bulbs are becoming harder to find, but they still provide the best brightness and color accuracy for the price.

IMPORTANT: Be cautious and careful when using incandescent bulbs in paper lanterns. Make sure the bulb is hung directly in the center of the lantern and does not touch any part of the paper to prevent fires.

Filmic Pro

Easily one of the most popular and feature-packed video recording apps available.

Filmic Pro gives you professional features and controls unavailable in the default Apple camera app.

Gain manual control of camera settings like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and gain.

Includes tools and features like manual focus, more recording formats and data rates, false color, contrast peaking, and color profiles.

LumaFusion

Amazing, powerful, intuitive video editing right in iOS.

Not cheap by mobile app standards, but well worth every penny if you need a powerful video editing app.

I use this app and love it.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live is my current top pick for free streaming platforms.

With 2.5 billion monthly active users and live videos receiving some of the best engagement on the platform, Facebook Live is a natural choice to send your live stream.

Streamlabs

About the best live streaming app on iOS, giving you tons of features and a great ecosystem to support many different situations.

Stream to most social platforms or any generic RTMP destination.

*Requires monthly subscription to Streamlabs Prime to remove watermark from mobile streams

Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch 512GB (2nd Generation)

If you plan on recording video, especially 4K, then the extra storage is well worth the investment.

Manfrotto 755XB MDeVe Tripod

My budget-friendly tripod pick.

Better build quality and reliability will give you a tripod that lasts much longer.

*Requires an additional fluid head for mounting a camera or device

Material: Aluminum

Head Mount Type: Flat (3/8"-16 male threaded center post)

Maximum Height: 64.9"

Minimum Height: 16.4"

Folded Length: 25"

Weight: 5.25 lbs

Payload Capacity: 15.4 lbs

Manfrotto MHXPRO Fluid Head

My budget-friendly fluid head pick.

A reliable fluid head will give you smooth pans and tilts if you need to do any camera moves.

Base Mount: Flat Base with 3/8"-16 Mounting Hole

Camera Plate: RC2 Quick Release

Load Capacity: 8.8 lbs

My Favorite Feature: Standard RC2 quick release plates are super fast

Rode VideoMic NTG

Combining the quality of their NTG shotgun microphones and the versatility of their VideoMic on-camera microphones, Rode has merged the best of both worlds to create the VideoMic NTG.

Rode Wireless Go

If you want a wireless mic solution, this is a great bang for the buck.

Saramonic Smartrig+

A dual channel upgrade to the Smartrig II.