How to Shoot a Great Video With Your Smartphone
Almost all modern smartphones have cameras with high resolution and high-definition video and photo capabilities. However, not everyone gets quality and exciting photos. And professionals have answers – they note that to get good videos, you need a gadget with a high-resolution camera and the ability and knowledge of the secrets of shooting. In addition, you may require specialized programs and certain skills to work with them.
Why Is Recording on a Smartphone Popular?
Content creators say that most chat photo and video materials are made with smartphones, not professional cameras. Mobile phones have several benefits:
- People, especially young ones, take their phones everywhere. These gadgets are compact and do not take up much space. That is why everyone can take a photo spontaneously and quickly.
- There is a wide variety of applications, for instance, Media.io, that improve the quality of photos and allows editing on the device.
- From your phone, you can easily upload ready-made photos and videos to social networks and spend a few minutes on it.
- Becoming a content maker has become much easier as many mobile phones have a good camera.
That is why, even if you don’t manage to make a great smartphone video right now, you can take into account the following tips and can create great content wherever you are.
Basic Rules for Smartphone Videos
Before you start shooting and think through the plot it is essential to consider several basic rules. Ignoring them will not allow you to make a high-quality picture. Pay attention to the following:
- Keep the lens of the camera on your smartphone clean and wipe it regularly. Before shooting, ensure that nothing is blocking the object-glass and there are no streaks on it.
- Check your settings. Modern gadgets have a wide range of functions. You can shoot different types of videos and create exciting effects. To make the video smoother, choose 1080p at 60fps.
- Check the stabilization on your phone. This feature will help minimize shakes during shooting and make it smooth. However, try which option suits you best. In some cases, the program on the phone can degrade the quality of the video.
- Save videos in special storage like Quik. Otherwise, you will not have enough space in the responsible moment because high-resolution videos take up a lot of internal memory.
- Turn on fantasy. Today, different programs and platforms allow you to download videos in landscape or vertical format without losing quality and apply special effects and filters.
Where to Begin?
When you have studied your phone’s settings and set the desired parameters, you can begin to check the external shooting conditions.
Light Is the Key to a Successful Shot
A smartphone’s camera has a lower sensitivity of the lenses to light, that is why the illumination and temperature of the lighting play a decisive role. The better the place is lit, the more the smartphone video quality is, so choose light and bright areas.
With good lighting, you will avoid unnecessary shadows and graininess. The image will be clear and bright. In this case, the light cannot be directed into the camera. Otherwise, some objects will turn out to be overexposed or dark.
Also, make sure that the light source is constant and intense because smartphone lenses cannot respond quickly to such changes. You can also adjust the white balance and shadows in the smartphone.
Ring lamps will also help solve the light problem indoors or at night. Today you can find many different models that give not only cold and warm white light but also a colorful: blue, pink, and green. You can create fascinating effects.
Keep Your Gadget Stable
To keep the picture clear and blur-free, hold your phone steady. Take the phone with both hands, and press your elbows to your body. To stabilize the image, you can also use:
- stabilizers and tripods;
- tables, glasses, and coasters.
Don’t Forget about Sound Quality
Extraneous noise or poor recording can spoil the whole impression of your smartphone video. External recording devices like a microphone or a video volume booster will help avoid these problems. The built-in phone picks up unnecessary noises and sounds. You can cover the microphone with your hand or find a quiet place to shoot.
Zoom Is a Bad Idea
Digital zoom degrades quality. Better get close to the subject and shoot at a macro or close-up. Also, remember to hold your phone horizontally, not vertically. Vertical shooting is inferior to horizontal. You can also look for an interesting video recording app to feel like a real filmmaker. Once investing in a good application, you may get an impressive benefit.
The Best Tips to Make an Excellent Video
Rule of Thirds
For objects to be organic and attractive in the frame, they must be placed by the rule of thirds. In the settings, enable the 3×3 grid in the camera application. Use it to place objects in the points of line intersections and make the picture more attractive and captivating.
Catch the Light
The play of light in a frame can work wonders. If the light source is behind the object, then beautiful outlines of the silhouette are created – it is in a blackout, and a mystery is obtained. Also pay attention to the direction of the light from the side. To avoid unnecessary shadows on the face, turn towards the light source. These simple tricks will help make your great smartphone videos intriguing and exciting.
Distort Time
Slow-motion, fast motion, and frame dips make the video dynamic and exciting. They give you the impression that time slows down or flows faster. It is captivating to look at when processes that usually take hours, days, or weeks occur in a few seconds or minutes.
These days, usually, all phones have built-in slow-motion or hyper-lapse functions. So you can immediately create the desired effect. But if you do not have these special effects, you can download applications where the speed of the video slows down or speeds up.
Conclusion
The main thing to remember is that in any video the plot and the goal are very important. And the listed techniques and tips will help make them more exciting and attractive to build working . Experiment and do not be afraid to break the rule because they exist to circumvent them.