Do you long for amazing social media videos that will increase your following on a specific social media platform, or are you simply looking to shoot engaging videos to share with your inner circle? There are many reasons for wanting to create stunning videos, and fortunately, the way to approach the issue is much the same, whatever your motivation.
In 2022 it’s easier than ever to make professional-grade video content with your phone, and frankly, there’s no excuse for anything less. Today’s smartphones are so effective and intuitive that even a child would have a decent shot at filming something worthy of applause.
There are many ways to elevate the level of videos you shoot and produce, and here are a few handy tips that may serve you well in your endeavors.
8 Handy Tips to create stunning videos with your smartphone
Know Your Subject
While spontaneity is great, and sometimes you need to adapt to circumstances, one key way to make sure that the video you shoot is as good as it can be is to know specifically what it is you are filming. We don’t mean this just in the sense of subject matter but also concerning the angle you might be taking or the message you are looking to convey.
Are you shooting a documentary-style piece? Perhaps your video is fiction based, or maybe it’s just a case of capturing a live event as best as possible.
Whatever the reasoning behind your video, make sure you know the background of the visual content you are looking to make as well as your motivations for doing so. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, but once you think about it long enough, you may well get a better idea of the specifics behind your video.
Learn to Edit Well
A great video, for the most part, will be down to the level and quality of editing that’s involved, and if you are going to do this yourself, then you need to get to grips with being a video editor and any software package you’ll be using.
While video editing software in 2022 is very simple to use, there’s no replacement for experience, and the more you try it out, the more likely you’ll get used to specific features and tools that are available.
All of this will help you to create a great finished product. Good editing skills can salvage a poor video shoot and can elevate good footage to the next level.
Get a Tripod
Handheld is all well and good, especially if you are looking to replicate any of the Bourne movies, but on the whole, what you need is balance. A jerky, shaky video can, on occasion, have some narrative purpose, but you shouldn’t settle for this just for the sake of it.
Invest in a tripod, and you’ll find that your smartphone videos will instantly become more watchable and accomplished.
Consider the Framing
The landscape is good for most video content, but there are occasions when vertically shot content works well. For social media purposes, it’s perhaps better as it’s more easily cropped, so play around with the possibilities until you get a sense of what’s more suitable for your current project.
Lighting Is Crucial
Depending on the budget you have for your smartphone videos, and let’s assume it’s close to zero, you should always look to rely upon natural lighting as much as possible. This is because artificial lighting can be problematic, and your smartphone, however great it is, isn’t going to be as effective as natural light.
You can invest in a ring light, and that will help a lot for indoor videos but is less relevant for outdoor shoots. Look at the settings you have within your phone before considering external resources in terms of artificial lighting options.
Good Sound is Vital
The smartphone you have can, of course, pick up and record a decent level of sound, but this will be severely impacted when you are outdoors. You might want to invest in a decent mic and if the video is for social media usage, then always add subtitles; this is also because a lot of us view videos without sound anyway.
Also, consider supplementing sound with good music but avoid using copyright-protected songs.
Try and Try Again
Perhaps the best thing about shooting a video on your smartphone is the fact that you can keep recording until you think you’ve got it right. Try and try again. Practice truly does make perfect, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Record as many takes as necessary, just to be safe, and take the time to explore other options when you are on the shoot, as there is no need to stay strictly to any plan you have, and you may just find that the best take is the last one.
Get to Know Your Phone
If you take a good root around the settings and tools that come with your smartphone’s camera and video functions, you’ll find a bunch of cool features which can very much help improve the overall quality of your video.
Get to know your phone, and you’ll soon learn just how much you can get out of it.
