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#16 · $400/day selling templates (behind-the-scenes)

youtube ↗Marketing

What tools do you use for your YouTube videos, including camera, stand, lights, tablet, and monitor?

I don't want to use my phone because it's a pain. Let me run you through my setup top to bottom. I'm currently using a Sony A7C camera, which I bought for about $2,000—the most I've ever spent on video gear. It eliminates a lot of the hassle I had with my previous camera. Directly beneath it is a monitor I use to stay level with the camera, avoiding neck strain from looking down at a small laptop screen. To the left, I have a light stand positioned very close to the camera, acting like a softbox at a 45‑degree angle to illuminate one side of my face. On the opposite side, I use a small light to reduce dramatic shadows. Aside from that, I use an XP Pen tablet as a mouse pad for drawing; my pen moves the cursor across the screen, and the tablet projects onto my monitor. I find the tablet workflow far more effective and engaging than my previous tool, Whimsical, and I plan to keep using it.

youtubecameralightingtablet

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youtube ↗Other

Can you show me your setup and the equipment you use?

I record in a modest room with a bed right next to my desk. My main light is a large softbox monitor in front of me, plus a second light panel on the left. I sit at a desk with a Samsung QTU microphone on a boom arm. My camera is a Sony A7C, connected to my laptop. I also use an XP‑Pen tablet (a simple pressure‑sensitive pad that maps to the screen) for occasional annotations. Behind me I have a bookshelf, a few cheap decorative paintings from a home store, and a pull‑up bar. The setup is far from professional—there’s a bed nearby, curtains, and a closet—but it works for my daily workflow, which often includes long stretches at the desk, occasional breaks, and sometimes stepping outside.

setupequipmentcameramic
youtube ↗Marketing

What stylist and tools are you using to draw and record video?

I normally use a small tablet next to me with an XP pen, which turns a pen into a mouse so I can draw on the screen, paired with software like Excal or Lucid Spark. I also use an app called Presentify that I launch with Command; holding Control and pressing A lets me draw or annotate the screen. It’s a handy setup. Thank you very much—running a $3 million‑a‑year business with a team of five.

drawing tabletxp penpresentifyvideo creation
youtube ↗Marketing

What tool do you use to film your YouTube videos as a free Loom alternative for longer‑form content?

I use OBS (Open Broadcast Studio), a free software platform that lets you switch between full‑screen desktop, your face, and a picture‑in‑picture view. It works like a camera, supports custom backgrounds, and even includes built‑in streaming and chat features. You can record videos with screen share, stream, and add a green screen if you want. Spend a couple of hours learning how to use OBS and you’ll be set.

obsvideo recordingfree software