Simple Tips for Shooting Video on Your Phone
If you’re not showing up on video, you are missing out
Remember how everyone used to say how glamorous it must be to work at home… and then Quarantine made everyone work from home. lol. Good times.
On a serious note, it may feel like a lot to be at home now. Maybe this is what you were looking forward to all this time and you’re finally looking to launch your business and become self-employed. A lot of my clients who are working for themselves express some of the same concerns. One being: I don’t know how to get on video.
Not even selling, not an interview or Facetime, they don’t even know where to start. I am here to tell you it is simple, and for the best content, I have some tips for you.
Before shooting any video, I recommend starting with a storyboard. This is even more important if you are shooting footage to play over top of your speaking (b-roll). A storyboard will help you stay on track and find direction in your video rather than leaving you wondering if you got all the content you need.
1. Wipe off your camera lens
We touch our phones way more than we realize. If you get into the habit of wiping off your lens with the inside of your shirt it will start to come as second nature every time you pick up your phone to shoot a video or photo. You will see a major upgrade in quality off the bat if you don’t do this already
2. Shoot in 4K rather than 1080p
In the settings of your phone, you can change the standard 1080p format to 4k. This will increase the file size of your video, but it will upgrade the quality as well. This may seem minimal at first, but it will pay off in quality!
3. Use a tripod
Nobody likes to feel like they are on a roller coaster as they watch your videos (unless you are in fact on a roller coaster). A small tripod will keep your camera steady as you talk, or set up shots. Go one step further and invest in a gimbal to smooth your walking video or take video movements one step further. (we love our DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for phone videos)
4. Expose for the subject (and set focus)
If you tap and hold on to your iPhone screen in the video mode you will notice a little sun icon appear. You can drag this sun up or down to manually control your exposure (ISO). No more blown-out faces in the video!
Also - if you are doing a talking head bit and won’t be moving through the frame much, I suggest setting your focal point. Double tapping will set a manual focus point on iPhone.
5. Audio is HUGE - invest in a microphone
People will stick around if you have a shitty video. But if you have shitty audio, they are out. Investing in a microphone for your phone will lift your quality even higher! You can use a lav mic like this one to wear if you are walking throughout your video. Or a nat mic like this one to attach to your phone and pick up all of the ambient sounds.
6. Light your face!
We talked about setting the exposure for your video, but you can really elevate the quality of your video by using betting lighting. You can buy a ring light if you wish (there are great options on Amazon) or you could use the sunlight.
In your house, find the best North facing window (or use a sheer curtain in another window if you don’t have one that faces north) and face the window. You will put your phone (or whatever you use to record video) between you and the window - shooting away from the window. Bright light streaming in from a window behind you can totally blow out your video, but light streaming on your face from a north-facing window will give you studio lighting.
7. Shoot against a pleasing background
Basically what we are going for here is a clean background with minimal distractions. If you are shooting a video series, I recommend a pop-up background or curtain. This will give you a pleasing and consistent background. 2 birds, one stone.
8. Consider camera orientation
You always want to meet your audience where they’re at. This means, if you are shooting video for IGTV or Facebook Live, shoot your video vertically rather than horizontal. If you are shooting for YouTube or standard Facebook posts, shoot horizontally.
And, most importantly, if you are on a breaking scene and want your video to be featured on the news, SHOOT THAT SHIT HORIZONTAL!
love, a former newsie.
Now you’re ready to show up on video in your next business post or show everyone up at your next Zoom Meeting.
If you happen to put all of these tips to use in your next video, you are sure to see an increase in your video quality! If you think of all these tips next time, tag me in your video post - I would love to keep up with you!
For the IGTV Tips & Tricks video on this topic, check it out on my Instagram Page @brennaramsden
More like this…
I’m Brenna - and I can’t wait to chat with you about all things business and rural life. Thanks for reading!
Find more blogs like this
A few of my favorite things
Dubsado
Dubsado is the tool I use for client relations. I house all of my contracts, proposals, invoices, and deadlines there. It’s a lifesaver - used code bCreative20 for 20% off your first month or year!
FloDesk
I use FloDesk to run email campaigns and create beautiful monthly newsletters. Use my code for 50% off your FloDesk Subscription!
Squarespace
If you’re looking to build your own website, but still want a robust system, I cannot recommend Squarespace enough. Check out all of the templates they have to get you started!
