Creating inventory videos doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. For under $500, you can get all the equipment needed to produce professional, dynamic walkaround videos that will get your customers excited about your inventory.

When you first start making videos, it might take a little time to find your style and voice. But once you’ve got the process down, creating a personalized inventory video for a prospect takes five minutes or less!

Here are tips on how to get video-ready for under $500. The equipment you’ll need include:

Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphone

A gimbal stabilizer uses motors and sensors to compensate for camera movement, creating smooth, professional-looking footage. This is ideal when you are holding a phone during a vehicle walkaround. A high-quality gimbal can be purchased for around $150.

Benefits of a gimbal include:

• Smooth, stabilized footage even when moving
• Professional-quality video without the need for expensive equipment
• Easy to use and portable

Tripod with Phone Mount

Using a tripod is ideal for salesperson introduction videos and for inventory videos. When sitting at a desk, a tripod elevates your smartphone to eye level, keeping the phone steady while you introduce yourself and answer the prospect’s questions. A taller standing tripod is perfect if you want to stand in front of the vehicle and give a short narrative before transitioning to the walkaround portion of a vehicle presentation. Adjustable tripods can be purchased for $50 to $100.

Advantages of a tripod:

• Provides a steady, professional-looking shot
• Allows you to frame yourself at an appropriate distance
• Versatile for different types of video shots

Remote Camera Trigger

A remote camera trigger allows you to start and stop recording video on your smartphone without having to lean over and touch your phone. This eliminates the need to edit those movements out of your finished video. A remote camera trigger can be purchased for under $20.

Benefits of a remote trigger:

• Hands-free operation for a smoother video flow
• Avoids shaky starts and stops
• Enhances professionalism of your videos

Wireless Lavalier Mic

Also known as lapel mics, these can be clipped discreetly to the presenter’s clothing. A noise-canceling mic helps to isolate the speaker’s voice from background noise such as street traffic or wind. Lavalier mics also free up the speaker’s hands to focus on demonstrating various vehicle features.

A lavalier mic can be purchased for a price range between $20 and $120, depending on the quality you want. I recommend getting the highest quality you can afford because clear audio is crucial. While you’re at it, purchase two so you’ll have an extra mic for customers when shooting customer testimonial videos.

Why use a lavalier mic:

• Clear, professional audio quality
• Hands-free operation
• Isolates voice from background noise

There you have it! This list covers the basic equipment you’ll need to create professional videos. All this equipment is easy to use and fast to set up and break down, so with practice it should take only five minutes to create a video designed to get prospects excited about your vehicle inventory. By investing in these tools, you can significantly enhance your video production quality without breaking the bank.