How to Film a Professional Video Using a Smartphone

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Most smartphone cameras nowadays have a high standard of pixel resolution that helps create exceptional clarity when capturing videos. It has never been easier to film and upload a video without the help of a videographer. There are some things to keep in mind though, if you want your videos to have a professional finish. Here are our 6 top tips to remember when recording videos on your smartphone.

How to Film a Professional Video Using a Smartphone

 

6 tips for recording videos on your smartphone

1. Plan beforehand

It is important to decide what type of video you are making before you start filming. Is it a social media post? A short film? An interview? How long will it be? Will it be a portrait or landscape video? Once you have created a plan in your mind, or on paper, it is relatively easy to understand how you’d want to create your video and which elements you need to consider while creating it. Filming without a plan may often lead to problems in editing stage.

2. Select a suitable filming location

Selecting a suitable filming location creates ambience for your viewers. The location of your video should reflect your content. For example, you can use a kitchen to shoot a cooking video. 

Ensure the chosen location is free from distractions, such as people walking past. If you are using the smartphone microphone, also ensure you are in a quiet space. Simple details like this can help your video look more put together and improve the viewer’s satisfaction rate with your video.

3. Audio considerations

If you are using the smartphone’s microphone to record a video involving talking, you need to make sure the person talking is close enough to the mic – no more than a few metres at most. Purchasing a clip-on microphone, or connecting to an external professional microphone is also an option. However, this is not always necessary to film a professional video using a smartphone, as newer smartphones have powerful microphones.

If you want to record a video but place music or a voiceover in the background, simply record and replace the video audio with the desired audio in the editing stage.

4. Camera Settings

To film the most professional video you can using your smartphone, you need to utilise the best features of your specific smartphone. In the camera settings, select the highest video recording option, be it 4k or 1080p. Always use the rear-facing camera, unless there is a need to use the front-facing camera because the rear camera has higher megapixels, producing higher quality footage.

5. Use a tripod

If you intend to film a video with motion, using a tripod offers stability which in turn improves the professionalism of your video. Simply secure your phone into the tripod, click ‘record,’ get into position and you are good to go! You can also set a timer on your phone to make up for the time it takes for you to move away from your tripod and get into position. Tripods also allow you to film from angles you otherwise may not have been able to film from eg. a birds-eye view.

6. Lighting

Use of good lighting is the easiest way to transform a video, whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors. When shooting indoors, use a ring light, box lights, or even a lamp to achieve a brighter set-up. You can adjust the colour and warmth of the light with most ring lights or box lights. Natural lighting tends to be unpredictable so if you are using natural lighting but want it to stay consistent, it is important to film before dramatic lighting changes occur, otherwise you will need the assistance of artificial lighting.

Summary

While video has become a more accessible tool, there are important things to consider when attempting to film a video for professional use. If you would like further assistance or would like to find out how Media Chameleon can help with your professional videos, click this link.

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