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A lot of vloggers don’t realise that creating a backdrop for their videos is almost as important as thinking about the theme that runs through them. This is because nobody will notice the theme if they can find fault with the setting. Viewers will notice if you’ve left dirty laundry lying around your room or if you haven’t made the bed.

An ideal set is neat, stylish and contains cool elements in the background such as fairy lights, throws or artwork. However, don’t overdo it on the background elements as too many props could distract viewers. You don’t want people to spend too long looking at the background when you’re talking in the foreground.

In essence, you’re creating a mini TV set for yourself. Most vloggers choose to use the same set over and over again, as it creates brand repetition. If viewers see the same objects often enough, it starts to feel familiar and cosy, just like the Queen Vic on the TV soap Eastenders or the Rovers Return on Coronation Street. If viewers like your set, they’re more likely to want to hang out in it and listen to what you have to say.

The location has to be somewhere you can control completely. Public spaces are generally a bad idea because you can’t control passers-by or traffic noise. Also, some public spaces require a licence to film in. You may be able to come to an arrangement with a hotel or café, but bear in mind that they could change their minds at any time. Once you’ve built a following based on filming in a particular place, it’s not ideal to have to find somewhere else because of circumstances beyond your control. For this reason, many vloggers start off by filming at home. There you can section off an area of the house and make it into a mini-studio. It doesn’t matter how much mess or junk there is behind the camera as long as you can make up a tidy square in which to film yourself.

Think about what furniture you’re going to have in the shot. It’s not a great idea to have a blank space, as viewers’ attention will start to drift and they’ll end up, quite literally, staring into space. What does your target market have in their houses? What would they like in their houses? You can also look at some of your favourite vloggers for inspiration. What are their sets like? Notice that none of them are near windows. While you may think this is ideal for lighting purposes, it brings up continuity issues as the sun is constantly changing position in the sky and could cause shadows. Windows are also very noisy due to weather sounds and the buzz of traffic outside. I’ll discuss the important issues of light and sound in more detail in the next chapter.

When you’ve created a set, check to see how it looks on camera. Film the area on its own and with you sitting and performing in it. What looks great empty could appear cramped when you get started. Take a photo of it when you’re happy. If you have a small room, you may want to pack the set away each time. The photo will ensure you remember where everything goes when you want to build it again. Viewers are very eagle-eyed when it comes to spotting inconsistencies.

Repetition increases brand awareness when it comes to location, name, logo and music. Once you’ve decided what you want to do, you have to keep doing it as you work through the rest of the chapters in this book.

After working through this chapter, you should have:

Worked out a clever, catchy name for your vlog

Designed a unique logo

Composed or picked a theme tune

Thought about what you want to wear and how to do your hair

Created a neat, stylish set that feels cosy and comfortable