How To Shoot A Great Video with Your Smartphone

Sure, we know you aren’t trying to shoot an Oscar-winning film, but you’re still trying to capture footage that will resonate with your audience (whether that’s your consumers or your kids). Today, smartphones aren’t just rapidly improving in quality, they’re also extremely convenient. With a phone in your pocket, you have a world of opportunities available to you. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you shoot a great video on your smartphone: 

• Do find a quiet place

Most video pros agree that bad sound can kill a video. Fortunately, microphones and smartphones are improving their audio. If you’re not happy with the audio on your phone, the Shure MV5, $99, is a great microphone for use with a smartphone.

• Don’t shake the camera

It might sound elementary, but it makes a big difference. Keep two hands on your phone so your footage is steadier. This avoids the “Jello-O effect” when you’re moving the camera too quickly and it produces wavy or blurry footage. If you keep both your hands on the camera it’ll lessen the chance of creating this effect. And if you are walking around or moving a lot while filming, use a gimbal. 

• Do keep it short 

Do I have your attention? That’s the question you need to ask about your videos. If you don’t grab your audience’s attention within the first eight seconds, they won’t keep watching. And remember, longer videos aren’t better. If you’ve successfully grabbed someone’s attention, keep your video to a tight thirty to ninety seconds tops by including relevant information and avoiding fluff. 

• Don’t do it in one take 

You don’t have to have a perfect video the first take, or the second, or the third. Be patient with yourself and take plenty of footage so your video is effective and impactful. 

• Do have good lighting 

Martin Scorsese once said: “Light is at the core of who we are and how we understand ourselves.” Light not only defines your subjects but also sets the mood or evokes emotion, if your film is too dark or too bright it will be unwatchable. Avoid having light behind your subject, instead have the light source more to the side of you or behind you (the videographer). 

• Don’t use raw footage 

After you carefully filmed your video it’ll be tempting to just throw it up on Facebook. But you can edit video clips for free on both Windows and Mac computers! At the very least, open and close your video with your logo to increase brand awareness.

Just a few years ago, filmmakers wouldn’t dream of shooting movies on a smartphone because the quality was so low. But the American filmmaker, Steven Soderbergh shot his film “Unsane,” entirely on an iPhone. Your smartphone unlocks a world of possibilities for you and your brand, so use these tips and start filming today!

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