Why did I become so passionate about using minimal equipment to make videos? For my first trip overseas to Asia I took a DSLR camera, a Canon 60D. But the camera was big and expensive, so I often kept it stored away in my bag. For this reason I would miss out on amazing shots. I believe with video you always have to be ready for those authentic moments. I also wasn't comfortable flaunting it and looking like a massive tourist. I ended up ditching the idea of making a video entirely.
Before my next trip to India I bought a GoPro4. I purposely bought the one without a screen. My philosophy was that living in the moment through travel was my priority. Video was a bonus. I didn't want to pause great moments so that I could get out my camera and look through a screen. Instead, I would simply reach into my pocket and point the GoPro at exactly what I was seeing. The shot could be great, or it could have completely missed the target, but again, the actual moment was my priority.
In the end, I was able to capture and create something that to this day I'm still really happy with. I did take over 2000 shots, and I can't deny that I sometimes got caught up in the filming (I'm a filmmaker after all), but travelling with just a tiny camera was one of the best decisions I made. That's why I'm a massive advocate that we all have the ability to create great videos using the equipment we already have, particularly smartphones. It's very likely that your smartphone now totally surpasses the quality of my GoPro that I used for the below video.
Now is the time to get creating! Half-day and full-day Brisbane video courses to learn how to film and edit your own videos using the equipment you already have.
You can follow my latest videos on my Instagram @xavier.films