9 PERFECT Gifts under $99 for Video Editors
Gifts for video editors don't need to be expensive to be great. So here's a list of 9 gifts that I not only bought with my own money but I use them every week and are integral to my work. I like each of these items, and they're actual physical things you can unwrap or stuff in a stocking.
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Memory Card and Hard Drive Cases
Have you ever stuffed a bare SD in your wallet? I have more times than I can count.
Credit Card Sized SD Card Holder fits in your wallet.
I found this a year ago when I thought I came up with the idea to 3D print and realized it's already a thing you buy for cheap.
It comes in a couple of different colors.
The perfect stocking stuffer
Think Tank Pocket Rocket Memory Card Case
High Quality, different versions, cards won't fall out like Pelican.
I use this one for long-term card storage, and it's great because the new one will hold Fast 2.0 cards and the new fast Sony CFexpress Type A cards in addition to ordinary SD cards.
Protective but still flexible
Hermitshell Case for Samsung T7 holds three drives with cables.
Other versions hold two drives instead, some with SD cards - but they're all essentially the same.
SSDs are pretty resilient but have all your cables and drives protected together.
Yeti Rambler 20 ounce Coffee Mug with the Mag Slider Lid
Keeps coffee hot for hours
Mag Slider prevents spills on your keyboard
It fits in any car cup holder
You can get customized versions like this one if you take pride in being a fan of the best baseball team of all time.
And it's pretty bomber-proof. I've dropped this several times on the concrete, and it holds up great.
Skip the lens coffee cups. They look like a good idea but suck as a mug.
Giant Desk Mouse Pad
I learned about these about ten years ago from another editor who insisted on using one
The exact model I have isn't sold on amazon anymore
3-4 feet wide, depending on your desk size
Protects your desk
Easy to clean
Softer surface for your hands and, of course, helps the mouse lasers out
Pleather, leather, or classic mouse pad texture
Keyboard Shortcuts Silicone Cover Skin
It helps you learn the default editing shortcut keys without spending $600 for the official DaVinci resolve keyboard
Even after you know the shortcuts, it still protects the keyboard from food crumbs and drinks spills
The Silicon skin also makes your typing a little quieter
Make sure to check the size for your specific keyboard, KB, and Editors Keys brands
Stay away from any stickers that go to your keys. That's just a recipe for gross keyboard in no time.
Speaker Wall Mounts
Moves the speakers off of your precious desk space
I've installed these into more than a dozen edit suites and work great with 5-inch speakers.
If you crank the music loud, they do have screws on the side to drill into the wood part of the speaker, but it's not necessary. They have done a great job of every installation I've done.
Toggle bolts to mount to drywall, also. If you ever mount a TV to a wall - this is the best way to do it.
4-Slot UHS-II SD Card Reader
Do you ever end up with more than 1 SD card from a shoot? This card reader is such a huge time saver. Plugin up to 4 cards and dump them all at the same time.
It's fast, compact, reliable, speeds up offloading multi-cam shoots, start copies, and get a cup of coffee, not waiting to plug a new card in after one has finished.
startech.com reader that supports 10Gbps
It's a company I'd never heard of, so I initially questioned it, but it has worked great for me.
Pro Tip - if you're not already using UHS-II cards, you should be. They offload much faster than the older UHS-I cards, and you can purchase V60 UHS-II cards pretty inexpensively.
Professional Monitoring Headphones - Sony MDR-7506
Sony MDR-7506 industry standard
Great for on set recording and mixing in post-production
Low impedance, foldable to pack up, provide uncolored sound, so you know what listening to
Extended 9-foot coiled cable, kind of like those telephones we use to use on the wall? This way, you're not stuck super close to where it's plugged in, and you never have to charge it. Just don't wrap the cable up - that wrecks the coil and, strangely enough, is one of my biggest pet peeves I see editors do. Save the COILS!
They also come with a 1/4" adaptor, so it will work with anything you need for
Replacement Ear Pads for $25, so they'll last forever.
AirPods are convenient, too, but not for hearing everything in your mix.
Logitech Mouse - G600 & MX Master 3
Without question, Logitech makes the best mice out there. Buy once, cry once, and you're set for many years ahead. Mice aren't everything; I still love tablets, my speed editor, and a stream deck - but for under $100, this makes an excellent gift for someone - maybe even yourself?
Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse for Mac is new to me, but I'm digging it.
wireless, thumb scroll wheel, and very ergonomic
No need for a USB dongle. It just works
The Logitech G600 has been a favorite for years but is not currently supported on M1 Macs, so I have stopped using this on my new laptop. If you're on PC or an intel Mac, this is a steal at around $40. I did a video on how I program the G600 that should be linked up right now if you're curious about that.
Rode PodMic Dynamic Microphone
Every editor needs to record some voice-over at some point.
With people working from home as a zoom microphone.
Super durable build quality, last forever.
Since it's a dynamic mic and not a condenser mic, it works great in rooms that aren't treated for recording audio. It ignores background sounds.
XLR mic, so you will need a USB interface or Camera with XLR to use it. Right now, I plug into a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k with this Mic.
