Vlog —noun
A vlog (or video blog) is a blog/journal that contains video content and is uploaded online.
Every week, I make a vlog for my boyfriend Matt to convince him to move from Florida to LA with me. With the time difference and his busy schedule, he’s not usually available to Skype, so I use my vlog to show him my awesome life here in LA!
Over the past few months, I’ve learned a thing or two about vlog making and wanted to share some of my newly found wisdom.
Find a Reliable Friend to Help
This is really hard. You need to find a friend with a steady hand and a decent camera that can follow directions — all for the price of a lunch. I solicited my friend, Rain, who ended up filming more T&A than my face. Not that I want to get all ego here, but showing my boyfriend a bunch of hot ladies on the California beach is not the best way to get him to come out here. Wait. Maybe Rain was on to something….
Get a Nice Lamp
Professional lighting will make you look great, but it’s expensive and could blow a fuse in your apartment. However, you don’t want to look like an ogre, and that wide laptop camera lens is anything but flattering. So, I say go buy a really nice lamp with a big lampshade. This will not only add some spark to your room but also provide some great, soft, flattering light.
Use Editing Software
This is really important. Sometimes, life happens and it’s either really boring or other people just shouldn’t see it. Like when I puked in a bucket after a night of drinking — cut that out. Or the time I left my camera running while I was watching “Gilmore Girls” for eight hours straight — gone! Life sometimes just isn’t pretty.
Tell White Lies
Our lives are all pretty mundane, so sometimes you have to spice things up. Even if you have to make up, exaggerate, or flat out lie about certain details, that’s fine, it’s storytelling and that’s expected. I mean, if I told Matt 100 percent of the truth all of the time there’s no way he’d get on that plane. But he’s going to love it once he gets here, so a little white lie here and there is perfectly fine.
Vlog While Drunk
Okay, usually, I would not advocate this; however, when I watch YouTube videos, it seems like most people must be drunk when they make their videos. There is really no other explanation, and they are making SO much money. Now, I was not drunk when I made my video, and the one time I was, it was a disaster. But my goal is to get my boyfriend out here, not become a vlog queen.
But if you want fame and riches, go get wasted!
