So, you're going to shoot a video on your phone. Ok. Fine.
Even in the day and age of phones that shoot in "immaculate" 4K, capture "glorious" slow motion, and are capable of transforming into professional cameras with a barrage of "super cool" accessories , we still find the internet at large (our friends' Facebook pages are the biggest culprit) littered with blurry, grainy, over and underexposed, vertical, all-around terrible videos. Why?!
We may have been kidding about how immaculate the 4K capabilities of a phone can be, but in all seriousness, phones have come a long way. Believe it or not, it is very possible to take clear, crisp, properly exposed, horizontal, nice video on your iPhone. I'm sure this seems like a foreign concept to some of you; so allow us to break it down a little further.
Step 1: Make Sure You're Set Up For Success
Go into your phone's camera settings and make sure that normal video is recording at at least 1080p resolution and at 24 or 30 frames per second (FPS). Some of you will want to record your video in a higher frame rate, such as 48 FPS or 60 FPS. Please don't do this, unless you share Peter Jackson's affinity for hyper-real, home video-esque, footage. And please don't pretend like you're going to go through the process of transforming these clips to actual slow motion, you've got that birthday party for your friend's kid on Saturday, and that thing with your brother on Sunday...you don't have time. Stick to the standard!
If you're going to record in slow motion - real slow motion - if your phone is fancy enough, just make sure it's set to record that way. Or maybe your phone is really fancy, and you want to shoot some footage for that new 4K monitor you got. Before you get too Hollywood, make sure you understand the potential repercussions. For example, if you're the type of person who's constantly griping that you need to clear out space on your phone, that 4K / 240FPS video of your daughter's dance recital isn't going to help the cause.
Last but not least, some people's phones are really dirty. It's weird, but it's true. Make sure you wipe off all the pocket lent and McDonald's crumbs from the lens before you get to shooting. The lens is that small glass circle on the back of the phone, by the way.
Step 2: Consider the Scene & Subject Matter
Let's say that it's Pictionary night at your place and you're trying to SnapChat your friend's abomination of an attempt to draw a dog. Just find that record button and get the show on the road, right? Wrong. Stop for a few seconds to take in your surroundings and assess whether or not how you were about to do it would've made the both of you look like fools. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself next time you're about to snap something super tight.
- From what angle does the light look best on the subject matter?
- Could my subject matter be easily moved or turned into a more ideal lighting situation?
- From what angle, height and distance is it most clear what my subject matter actually is?
- Are there other things in the scene that will distract from my intended subject matter?
- Does anyone care about this particular subject matter? (just kidding...kind of)
I guarantee that if you ask yourself these simple questions before hitting record, you'll find that there will almost always be an adjustment of some kind that can be made to make your video better.
Step 3: Hold Your Phone Correctly
Phone Holding Rule #1 - Never, under any circumstances, should you hold the phone vertically. [Gasps are heard through the audience.] As human beings, we see more horizontally than we do vertically. It's just the way it is. It's the reason that movies have always been shot horizontally, it's the reason that people love panoramic landscape images, it's the reason you read across and not down - our eyes agree with horizontal. Of course, when it comes to shooting a phone video, there are instances where you can, and maybe even should break this rule. But, it's like Scott Dadich, the Editor in Chief of Wired Magazine says...
You need to know the rules, really master their nuance and application, before you can break them.
Now you know the rule, so you can (at great risk) use your discretion as to when it's appropriate to break it.
Unfortunately, we couldn't expect to be trusted if we didn't provide you with the counter argument here. Some people out there argue that, as social media "transforms our society", we should adapt to vertical video. There are also people out there who think that the phones are the ones who need to get smarter, not the users. Well, the phones are not smarter. And no matter the details of the first argument, the fact remains that for you, the average smart phone user and video-taker, recording video horizontally will result in a more pleasing video.
Step 4: Record The Video Correctly
You're a long way from where you started - your phone was too tall and you didn't even know what a setting was - and you're almost ready to record. But before pressing the red button, make sure that you've gone through this trusty pre-record checklist.
- Very Important: Flip the phone completely horizontal before beginning to record. If you begin recording while vertical and then flip it sideways, well... it doesn't work like that.
- Make sure that your stubby fingers are not blocking the camera or the microphone.
- Before starting to record, tap the subject matter on the screen. This will focus the camera and accurately set the exposure.
- Take care to ensure that you're holding the phone as steady as possible, maybe even with two hands.
For those of you who want to get a little more advanced with your iPhone video skills, there are some pretty neat tricks out there. One of my personal favorites is the AE/AF lock. This can do some serious damage in the way of making your videos stand out where others will certainly fall flat.
Now You Can Hit Record
Great work! Hopefully you took these tips seriously. You're now just a few hipster filters and stock lens flares away from being next year's iPhone Film Festival Grand Prize Winner.
Have you seen a terrible iPhone video lately? Would you like the person who took this video to get the help that they need? Have them contact us for a consultation. We're here to help.
Leave a Reply