Video Journalist toolkit, a handout compiled by Kathy Kieliszewski for her Shooting Effective Video on Your Smartphone session at Orlando NewsTrain on May 15-16, 2015, and updated from a previous document. The handout was also distributed at DeKalb, Illinois, Newstrain on Oct. 29-30, 2015. Instructor Kathy Kieliszewski offers a model for anticipating and capturing the visuals and sound needed for good video. She includes simple standards for framing, lighting and sound, plus advice on inexpensive equipment. Kieliszewski is the director of photography and video at the Detroit Free Press and a four-time National Emmy Award-winning journalist. She oversees the video and photographic efforts of a staff of 15 photographers and editors.

1. Video Journalist Tool Kit By Kathy Kieliszewski, visuals director, Detroit Free Press
ADAPTER CORDS
Model Features Cost
SMARTPHONE 1/8-INCH MICROPHONE
AND HEADPHONE ADAPTER
Plug the adapter into the iPhone (or other
device) headset jack and then plug your
microphone into the adapter. The iPhone
will recognize that an external mic is
connected and turn its internal mic off
allowing you to record using the external
microphone. This adapter works with all
audio/video recording apps and other
functions just as the internal mic would.
$28.50
SMARTPHONE SENNHEISER WIRELESS
MIC LOCKING MINI-PLUG ADAPTER
This one-foot adapter cable is designed to
deliver the unbalanced audio output of the
Sennheiser microphone receiver into the
iPhone or other compatible cell-phone
headset microphone-input jack. Featuring
locking 3.5mm mini-plug connector
interface. It is the perfect solution for
interfacing your new iPhone with your
premium Sennheiser microphone for
quality recording.
$30.50
SMARTPHONE 1/8-INCH MICROPHONE
ADAPTER
This adapter allows you to connect a
standard microphone with a 3.5mm (1/8
inch) connector to the iPhone/iPad/iPod or
other compatible device for quality
recording. This adapter incorporates
passive components which provide DC
blocking/isolation between the
microphone input for device protection, as
well as, impedance-matching components
for allowing a wide variety of microphones
to be used with the device. This adapter
works with microphones that have a mono
$24.50
MICROPHONES
Mini-Shotgun Mics Features Cost
Sennheiser MKE 400
Best sound we've heard from a shotgun
for the iPhone, and great for DSLR (digital
single-lens reflex camera), too. Powered
and compact, has indicator light for
battery. We recommend as standard for
your staff photographers/multimedia
newsgathers. Might be great for sports
reporters and other high use i-Phone
videographers. Need adapter (see above)
$199
Foam Windscreen for Sennheiser MKE 400
Replacement windsock for Sennheiser
MKE400. Recommended purchase with
the MKE400. Great for reducing wind
noise.
$10
Rode VideoMic Pro
Powered & compact with good durability &
shock mounts. Need adapter (see above)
to use with smartphone.
$229
Wired Mics Features Cost

2. iRig
Features a unidirectional condenser-
electret microphone that provides quality
recording in both close and long-distance
mic conditions. The iRig mic plugs directly
into your iOS or Android mobile device.
The base of the cable features a dual mini-
jack connector to plug in headphones or
speakers, which facilitates studio-like
monitoring of your mixes, instrument
tracks and vocal takes. As an added
bonus, the iRig mic comes with two apps
$59.99
Audio-Technica wired lavalier for
smartphones
Affordable clip-on lavalier mic that now
comes with an adapter so that it can be
used with a smartphone. Decent mic for
the cost and great to use on quick
interviews where there might be
distracting sounds. The mic does a good
job of isolating out the background noise.
$22
Wireless Mics Features Cost
Sennheiser ew 100 ENG G3 Wireless
Microphone Combo System
High quality professional wireless mic kit
with both lavalier and handheld mic. Need
adapter (see above) to use with
smartphone.
$729
Sennheiser ew 112-p G3 Camera-Mount
Wireless Microphone System with ME2
Lavalier Mic
High-quality professional wireless-mic kit
with lavalier only. Need adapter (see
above) - to use with smartphone.
$607
SMARTPHONES LENS ADAPTERS
Model Features Cost
olloclip
Additional lenses for smartphones:
fisheyes, wide angles, telephotos.
Starting at $50
iPHONE TRIPOD MOUNTS & ADAPTERS
Model Features Cost
iStabilizer
The all new smartMount can hold any
device up to 3.5" (90 mm) wide. This
includes iPhone 4, 5, 6 and 6 Plus as well
as the Galaxy Note 3, 4, and virtually
every smartphone available on the market
today. Attach any phone to any standard
tripod or photography equipment with the
smartMount!
$19.95
Joby grip tight mount
Universal tripod mount for smartphones
allows phone to attach to any tripod
$14
Joby Gorilla Pod Tripod
Small, portable tripods for on the go and
quick interviews. Great with smartphones
Starting at $30

3. Manfrotto Compact Aluminum Monopod
Advanced
Small and compact tool for stabilizing a
smartphone used with iStabilizer or Joby
Grip Tight Mount.
$35
Manfrotto Mvh502a/546 Tripod
All-around, heavy-duty tripod up to 66"
high that doesn't weigh too much
$579
Bescor TH-770 Durable, steady video-camera tripod $99
IMAK - non-skid beanbag
As a quick way to steady a camera or
lens, a simple bean bag is often the way.
Not a tripod replacement.
$20.99
mCam
Looks like a smartphone case and holds a
mic, screws into tripod and comes with a
wide-angle lens. For Android
$99
mCAM
Looks like a smartphone case and holds a
mic, screws into tripod and comes with a
wide-angle lens.
Starting at $75
iPHONE EDITING APPS
Name Features Cost
iMovie
Easy editing of video clips and audio on a
two-track video/audio timeline.
$4.99
Videolicious
Quickly adds your voice to still or video
images. Videolicious will automatically
add transitions. Journalists can make
quick and easy videos with voice-over.
Free for personal
account. $60/year for
business.
Splice
Splice together photos and videos, add
music from your iPhone/iPod/iPad library,
sound effects, transitions, borders, effects
(like Ken Burns, slow motion and fast-
forward), trim video and audio, narrate
with your own voice, and much more.
Journalists can use Splice to edit short
video packages on their Apple device and
share them.
$3.99
Videocraft
This is a full featured video-editing app for
iPhone. You find all the features you'll
need to edit videos on you iPhone, such
as adding songs, voice recordings,
slow/fast motion, text, reverse video clips,
effect bars, blur, etc. Videocraft allows
you to easily edit videos on your iPhone
instantly and export to camera roll, share
on Facebook, send via email or directly
upload to YouTube.
$1.99

4. Magisto - Magical Video Editor
A video-editing app that can automatically
edit videos and photos and lets you share
them instantly. Magisto has trimming and
editing, facial-recognition detection,
automatic editing; plus sharing on social
networking sites and video-sharing sites
and via email, allowing collaboration;
recording using camera, video-camera
stabilization, effects, filters and transitions.
Free
Vizzywig
The best thing about Vizzywig is that it's
very easy to use. You don't have to learn
so much to edit videos. It has all the
features you want from a professional
video-editing application for your iPhone
and iPad.
$19.99
ANDROID EDITING APPS
Name Features Cost
Vid Trim Pro
Includes multiple features such as
trimming, merging, frame-grabbing, video
effects, extract audio (convert to MP3)
and transcoding (compress and convert to
MP4). You can also share your videos
with your friends directly through the app.
$2.49
AndroVid Video Editor
Easily cut and trim your videos. It also
gives the advantages of adding text,
frames and effects to your videos.
Free
KineMaster Pro
KineMaster Pro gives you a multitracked
timeline with full drag-and-drop support.
You can import multiple videos, images
and audio clips, and then move them
around as needed with your finger. Most
extensive/professional of the bunch.
Free w/ watermark,
$2.99/month or
$39.99/year
Video Maker Pro Free
It isn't the most powerful or advanced
video-editing utility in the world, but if
basic editing is all you need, this tried-and-
true interface makes it one of the simplest
and most usable products on the platform
today.
Free with ads