Going All in with the Canon EOS C70

YouTube creators are a really interesting bunch. From cars and cameras, to learning how to edit killer audio tracks and travel vids, content creators have found a home on YouTube to tell their story.

I don’t have to tell you that one of the fastest emerging trends in content production is the constant improvement in all parts of the production process—shooting, editing, and audio have all improved drastically. With a YouTube end user base of *two billion, producing high-quality product matters, especially if you want to grow as a business.

We caught up with YouTube content creator Sawyer Hartman to find out how he is using YouTube and his Canon C70 to get ahead in the fast-paced world of online content creation and distribution.

PH: Who is Sawyer Hartman?

Sawyer Hartman: My name is Sawyer Hartman and I’m a film director and YouTube content creator. I started way back posting videos and films to YouTube almost 12 years ago and today we teach film and photography online to an audience of just over 1.9 million subscribers. I’m a massive movie buff. I did not go to film school although I grew up next to a Blockbuster as a kid and have watched probably 2 or 3 movies a day since as far back as I can remember, I guess you could say it was the Tarantino approach.

PH: Is creating content for YouTube your main gig or a side hustle?

Sawyer Hartman: This has been my main gig for going on 8 years now, although through this journey I’ve built a lot of side hustles geared around giving photographers and creators the tools they need to enhance their craft and creativity.

PH: Currently, there are a lot of good cameras out there. Why did you choose to shoot with the Canon C70?

Sawyer Hartman: I love gear but the Canon EOS C70 fills a couple key roles for me. When you are a one man crew you want things to be simple, but when you are a film director you also require a lot out of your camera. The Canon EOS C70 fit perfectly in my workflow with its smaller form factor but cinematic punch. I also love versatility in my camera, and the built in ND filters, pro audio inputs and killer autofocus made it the obvious choice.

PH: Can you describe your workflow from concept to publishing? How often are you posting new content?

Sawyer Hartman: I post as soon as I have new content, also this year we are gearing up to do a weekly beginner photographer masterclass on the channel that will increase our output to a video a week. Typical workflow is a few days of concepting & structuring, a day of writing, 1-2 days on production and 1-2 editing. It’s a tight turn around, not to mention other projects.

PH: Is there a difference producing content for YouTube vs other online properties? What else are you working on?

Sawyer Hartman: Right now I’m working on some more structured learning curriculums. To me it doesn’t matter where the content goes, you have to focus on providing authentic value to the viewer as much as possible.

PH: What kind of advice would you give to someone who wants to develop original content and make money on YouTube?

Sawyer Hartman: Focus on your viewer’s needs and help them get to where they are trying to go.

PH: Any other thoughts you'd like to share?

Sawyer Hartman: I would love to see anyone reading this in the comment section of Youtube.com/SawyerHartman. I want to help them make their dreams of making a living with cameras a reality.

Closing Thoughts

There has never been a better time to be a content creator. If you have the talent and ambition, the sky's the limit. Even if you just started out with one or two good videos a week and a lot of hard work, I am sure in no time you will be going full out, just like Sawyer. Good luck and get after it!

*YouTube has more than 2 billion active users. YouTube Premium and Music together have more than 50 million subscribers in the world. More than ¼ of the world's population use YouTube every month. Around half of the internet users around the world have access to YouTube. Source: www.globalmediainsight.com