There is this myth that if you want to do an online demo or make a YouTube video, that you need lots of expensive camera and computer gear. Well that is simply not true. Many of us that have done online demos for Worldwide Woodturners or for our respective clubs and groups have done so with just a phone. Nothing more. Some of us also have tablets that we can use as a main screen when talking to the viewers. You just have to have each device logged into the Zoom meeting.

Here is a picture of my setup for my demos. While it may look complicated, it is actually very simple. I have two camera tripods. One with my phone attached and aimed down on my project. I also have my earbuds connected to talk and listen. The other tripod has my tablet attached (with volume turned all the way down) and this is what I use to talk to the audience before and after the demo. During the demo the phone is highlighted so the audience can see me making the project.

You can even go with a more simple setup of the phone only. So it would be upright facing you as you talk to the audience and then faced down while you are working on the project.

The tripods I have are Amazon Basics and were about $20 each and the mounts were about $10 each.

If you do not want to purchase anything, then you can use the wood you have laying around to build mounts. It doesn’t have to be fancy as no one will see it anyway.