My Portable Video Interview System

When I am at a conference doing interviews I use a mobile system I designed last year. While at WPPI this year I noticed a lot of people taking a close look at the system, and I mean a very close look – while I was in the middle of an interview. One person even suggested that I do a show explaining the setup, so that’s what this is. I will include links to all of the hardware below.

Originally I was using my small Gitzo Traveler Tripod, but the legs were a hazard so this year I made a change. The system starts with a Benro A48FDS6 Series 4 Aluminum Monopod with 3-Leg Locking Base and S6 Video Head. I had been looking for a 3-Leg Monopod for awhile, and then this one came up on the B & H Deal Zone. If you’re not familiar with the B & H Deal Zone you are missing out. Every day they have a few products at a huge discount, for 24 hours only. I almost didn’t buy this because it came with a large video head, something I have very little use for, but once it arrived I was very happy. The bag is very wide at the top, for the video head I leave at home, and that means I can keep a lot of the mobile system assembled in the bag!

For audio recording I use a Zoom H6. Honestly, I wish I had a Sound Devices MixPre-3 II, but this works well in this design. I pair it with a case I found on Amazon that velcros around the top of the monopod. One key with this setup is that I mount the H6 upside down. Because the VU meters on the H6 are angled I have issues seeing them if I mount it with them at the bottom. With it upside down I can easily see them. It helps to have some basic headphones too so that you can monitor the H6.

For recording sound I use two Rode Wireless Go Mics. Since the H6 uses XLR inputs I use the Movo XLR to 3.5mm adapter. I originally used the Rode adapters, but the 3.5mm plugs on both of them were loose from the day I bought them. These Movo’s work great. I have had a few issues in this area with distortion. My thought was that the levels were clipped, but the waveforms were clearly fine, and in fact below -5 db. In doing some testing it seems the built-in Rode Wireless Go mics do not perform as well as I had hoped in rooms with a lot of noise. The omni pattern picks up a ton of the room, and the vocal gets weird at times. This has not happened a lot, but enough that I want to mention it. To get better sound I use two Audio Technica AT831 cardioid wired lavs from The Sound Professionals. I love the service I got from these guys. With these, I can use the Rode as a body pack and get a better quality of sound and a tighter pickup pattern.

On top of the monopod is a Desmond DAC-60 monopod / tripod head with an Arca Swiss plate. This allows quick mount and removal of the camera, phone and light.

Mounted to the plate is a Osmo Pocket and Phone Holder from PGYTECH. This holds my iPhone 11 Pro and Osmo Pocket. This is also where some flexibility comes in, with three basic setups. 1) You could just use the phone! The camera on the iPhone 11 Pro, or any modern phone for that matter, is pretty good. In the right light it even beats the Osmo Pocket. 2) You can use the phone connected to the Osmo. This is great when you have help with you, because they can use the phone as a monitor as you are in front of the camera. 3) If you are on your own however you can have just the Osmo Pocket mounted and pair it with the wireless base. Once the phone is connected wirelessly you can be in front of the camera and still have a monitor and control system in your hand! Personally, I designed the system with the Osmo Pocket instead of the phone for two main reasons. First of all is the power of the Osmo. The tracking system is great because you can wirelessly use the phone, walk in front of the camera, and drag a tracking box on your own face. That way if you move it will follow you. The second reason is safety. When I am on my own I am afraid someone will walk by, while I am on camera, and grab the system and run away – with my phone. Yeah, I will be upset if someone does that and I lose the Osmo, H6 and the rest of the gear, but at least I will have my phone to call home and cry. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that I use the Osmo Pocket to shoot B-Roll as well, like walking through a conference, but I add a Freewell Wide Angle Lens so that the walking footage is a different field of view than the interviews.

The last piece of gear is a light I put into the cold shoe. Any light will work here. There is one other thing I wanted to mention. If you have the OSMO Pocket USB-C to 3.5mm Mic Microphone Adapter you can run one of the Rode mics straight into the Osmo Pocket, and if you have a 3.5mm Y Adapter you can actually run both mics into it! (A huge thanks to my friend Jefferson Graham for that tip) If you don’t need a light the clip on the Wireless Go is designed to slide right into the hot shoe.

That’s the setup. I am enjoying it, and I hope this helps those looking for a portable video interview setup.

Gear from the Show

Benro 3-Leg Monopod with Video Head
Zoom H6
Osmo Pocket
Rode Wireless Go
Desmond DAC-60 Monopod / Tripod Head
PGYTECH Osmo and Phone Holder
JJC Portable Case Accessories for Zoom H6
Movo XLR to 3.5mm Adapter
Audio Technica AT831-SP Wired Lavs
Freewell Osmo Pocoket Wide Angle Lens