Anyone can start filming their own videos for their business’ video marketing plan. Especially now that most people own a smartphone which is capable of shooting video in high definition.
There are a few things to bear in mind when filming on your smartphone; which is why our Director and videographer, Martin Bloomfield, has compiled his top ten tips to shooting the perfect video on your smartphone.
#1: Shoot the video horizontal, not upright
That is unless you’re shooting a vertical video, of course! Filming a video in horizontal (landscape) means that it is likely to fit more formats. Not only this, filming this way can mean that the overall quality of the video is better as less light is being captured in the frame, meaning the subject being filmed is not washed-out.
#2: Think about how much you’re moving the camera
It is important to keep the camera as still as possible when shooting video to ensure the video is as clear as it can be. If you struggle with keeping the camera still you could try using a tripod or another accessory such as a stabiliser gimbal.
#3: Make the light work for you
Although professional light can be used, natural lighting can be just as good. Ensuring the camera is placed in front of the window so that the light comes in from behind it is a great starting point to making the lighting work for you.
#4: Manually set exposure and focus
Smartphones are designed to be ready to go at a click of a button; which is why they will automatically adjust their setting to try to give you the best picture. The problem with this is that the smartphone camera continually adjusts to the lighting conditions it is in. Therefore; when you ‘re in a dark area and move to a lighter area, the smartphone camera will suddenly become really dark to try to compensate for the huge amount of light. If exposure and focus is set manually, this will not happen as the camera will stay on the same settings; regardless of lighting conditions.You can also adjust light settings when editing your video.
#5: Try to avoid using the digital zoom facility
The issue with digital zoom is that it simply magnifies the image that the camera is already capturing. What this means is that your video will become pixelated and not clear. If zooming in is something you think you’ll need for your video, there are clip-on lenses available for smartphones which should improve the zoom.
Hopefully, those top tips have given you food for thought.
If you’re in need of more support, both Martin and Alison, our social media expert, are running a WiseUp2 training session on how to shoot, edit and upload to social media – we’d love to see you there.