5 Tools for the Digital Media Content Creator

Dave Carlson
Digital Content Creator’s Toolbox
3 min readDec 8, 2015
Communications Network

Every content creator needs some handy gadgets in his toolbox. Here are five that are on my shopping list that you shouldn’t have to sell a kidney to afford.

1. Huion H610 Pro Graphics Drawing Tablet

Amazon

If you’re going to create original graphics for the web or other applications, you might want to incorporate some free-hand drawing into your work. Drawing those stick-men using your mouse isn’t going to work, so get yourself this nifty drawing pad. It’s hard plastic surface emulates the feel of pencil and paper, and the stylus has left and right-click “mouse” buttons. It should make your work in Adobe Flash and Illustrator a little more interesting.

2. Sony Alpha NEX 5TL

Amazon

With video quickly becoming the most prevalent type of web media gluttonously consumed by the masses, it becomes more and more important to get your hands on a high quality camera. The Sony Alpha NEX 5TL is the most expensive item on this list, but it’s a worthwhile investment. One of its most notable features is that it allows you to swap out different lenses for different shooting situations. In addition to beautiful 1080p video, it takes great still shots as well.

3. Square Perfect 10 X 13 Ft. Chromakey Muslin Green Screen

Amazon

As a Digital Media content creator, You’re undoubtedly going to be making a lot more video as time goes on. If you can fit it into your cramped little studio, consider investing in this green screen. It could work wonders for boring vlogs or video podcasts, adding a professional flair or eye-catching effect. You will need some software to add the backgrounds to your video, but it’s worth the time and effort to spice things up. The guy below does a pretty good job of showing you how.

4. TASCAM DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder

Amazon

Whether you are recording an on-site interview for a podcast, or you’re getting an audio sample of a hamster running on a wheel, having a portable audio recorder can be extremely useful as a content creator. The DR-05 captures great-quality sound with a stereo pair of Omni condensers. It is also very affordable, and comes with a free 4GB MicroSD card.

5. Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710

Amazon

As a creator of Digital Media content, you are probably using a mouse and keyboard… a lot. This may not be the flashiest piece of gear on the list, but it is probably the one that you will use the most. Why not invest in a nice upgrade?

Gretchen Rubin

--

--