Sony are winning the digital camera wars these days. Their Alpha line is a favourite with amateur and pro content creators and the A7 model is top of the range. It’s a full frame camera with a super shallow depth of field. So it works really well in low light and creates incredible background blur. The older A7 and A7II are also great cameras. They'll be a bit cheaper too.

Shotgun mics are the secret hack to really great videos. Why? Because you can’t see them. Normally to get great audio you need the mic as close to your mouth as possible. Think about all those podcast interviews where the SM7B’s are held super close to the speakers’ mouths. The sound is great, but having a big mic covering your face kinda ruins the shot. With a shotgun mic you can avoid this. Shotgun mics are designed for film and television. Their job is to pick up high quality sound and not be seen on camera. The Senheisser MKH 416 is one of the best shotgun mics on the market. Connect this to a boom arm, point it at your chest and make sure it’s out of shot. Pro-level audio and nothing blocking your face.

Teleprompters are another pro secret. If you're thinking “teleprompter, like the newsreaders use?” then yes, those teleprompters. They make a huge difference to way you appear on camera. Instead of worrying about lines, stopping and starting, or looking away from the camera you can nail your lines without breaking eye contact. The Elgato Promoter is the one of the newest on the market, it’s really compact and nicely designed.

Technically this isn’t pro gear, but it’s an incredible piece of equipment and great value for money. For just over a hundred bucks you can rig up a whole desk studio. Lighting, mic, camera, your laptop too. You can swap out the connections for more relevant ones. If you don’t want the phone holder, just screw on your camera. Don’t want that mic holder, screw on a different one. Besides the price it’s also compact and easily clamps onto a desk — perfect for smaller setups.

Colorful lighting is the ultimate pro signal. When the side of your face is fully blue from the neon light you've got set up off camera, you've nailed it. You're a content creator now. These neon tubes from HAY come in a five colors and you can just lean them against the wall. Go get a bunch of them.