Upgrading Cellphone Video Footage: Tips & Tricks
Technology has come a long way since the first cellphones hit the market and it’s now easier than ever to take high-quality videos with your phone. Amy and I will watch cellphone videos on Instagram to inspire our own creative abilities using professional videography gear. Have you ever taken the time to watch some of those videos? It’s impressive what we can do with just a cellphone. It’s inspiring and a great reminder that anyone can get pretty amazing videos, with just a cellphone and some creativity. From planning your shot, to editing, here are some tips and tricks on how to upgrade your phone footage to make it look more cinematic.
Lighting Matters for Cellphone Videos
Small lenses, like the ones found in cell phone cameras, have trouble letting light in. This means that having plenty of light available when you’re shooting can make all the difference when it comes to achieving better quality footage. If possible, try to shoot outdoors or somewhere that is well lit. If that isn't an option, use multiple lamps or soft-boxes for indoor shoots. The more light you have, the better your video will be!
Plan Ahead on your Cellphone Videos
Before you start shooting, think about what story you want your video to tell and plan out each step accordingly. Having a plan in mind, before pressing record, can really help level up the quality of your content - from making sure the composition is balanced to ensuring that all necessary shots are taken. It also speeds up the process significantly. Always keep in mind the end goal for the video. If you’re telling a story about your recent trip to Duluth, Minnesota for example, you can take specific shots that showcase the unique landmarks of Duluth. Knowing this ahead of time, you can plan your trip around the shots you are hoping to capture. Once you know what direction you want the video to go in, taking the actual footage becomes much easier!
Shoot for the Edit with your Cellphone Videos
Most people using phones are shooting videos for social media, so keeping your phone in a vertical format is what you will want to do for most applications. Knowing what type of transitions you want to use ahead of time really makes your videos look way cooler! Always shoot for the end look. We will talk more about the technical parts of making cell phone videos in a future blog post.
Have Solid Audio for your Cellphone Videos
Most videos have an audio component to them and knowing how you want your video to sound is very important. If you want a raw sound of walking by a road while talking to your audience, then awesome! I would still use wireless earbuds to cut down on the ambient noise so your voice is crisp and not drowned out by the background noise. If you are filming in nature, you can sometime just use your phone, because most good smart phones record decent audio. You can upgrade to external microphones that don’t cost too much if you really want higher quality audio.
Edit your Cellphone Videos Wisely
It’s important not to over-edit your footage, as this can ruin it’s natural beauty and appeal. That said, if you do decide to edit your videos, make sure you do so with subtlety in mind; a little bit of post-production goes a long way! If you’re using an iPhone 13 Plus or similar device that has it’s own version of LOG (a very flat color profile), then doing as little as possible will make it look much cleaner. Additionally, avoid adding too many effects and filters; they tend to date quickly and can distract from whatever message you're trying to get across in the video itself.
With just a few simple steps – like lighting up your shot and planning ahead – anyone can take stunning videos with their phones! Remember; don’t over-edit as this could compromise the quality of your recordings and distract from whatever message you're trying to convey through them. Most importantly – have fun! Applying these tips doesn't mean sacrificing creativity; there's still plenty of room for self-expression no matter how advanced (or basic) your filming equipment may be!