10 guides to better smartphone videography

It's 2018, mobile technology has never been such handy and accessible to us. Any smartphone users can now have access to photography/videography on the go.

As a matter of fact, we all know that shooting a video might requires a little bit more of know-how as compared to taking a picture with our mobile phones.

Let us share some tips on how to improve your videography skills and with some practices you will then get excited to share your better quality videos with friends, family and on the social media.

“#1 Horizontally”

Now that we are all smartphone videographers, we are constantly pointing our cameras at friends, family and pets. (Don’t be surprised that some have more pets video than human in their phone) The problem is that there are still many of us shooting those videos in portrait mode.

Almost universally, videos, unlike photos are presented horizontally. Imagine the two black bars appearing on your computer screen or TV. (It’s annoying, isn’t it?)

So remember, the next time you hold up your smartphone, make sure you use the landscape orientation while recording. Not only you are able to capture more in the actual video (with larger coverage), but this also makes the video more visually pleasing in general and more enjoyable to watch when viewed on TV or widescreen.

“#2 Framing and Composition”

A frame is where you fill it with the subject of your story. Framing is how you choose to compose a shot for a specific scene and composition is the art of positioning objects/subjects in a frame. (These techniques can be very subjective).

While taking a video, the movie composition can add to your story when you arrange the objects/subjects in a frame by emphasizing some and de-emphasizing others. Generally, the frame is completely filled with your subject. But you can also place the subject slightly off-center so as to create a more visually interesting scene.

Try recording multiple shots from different camera angles, looking for reflections and symmetry. Framing front objects close to the lense will give you sharper and better exposed images, which indirectly contribute to the background being thrown out of focus thus simulating shallow depth of field.

“#3 Lighting”

Another secret to capture superb mobile videos is with better lightings.

A common question that might pop in your mind is “Which time of the day is the best to take a video?” Choose to shoot any exterior shot in the early morning or late afternoon/early evening when the sun is lower in the sky and lighting is more even. Avoid the bright afternoon sun just right above your head, if possible. Also avoid framing half your shot in bright sunlight and half in shade. If the weather is overcast, you can likely shoot outside any time of the day.

Make sure there is enough light when shooting interiors, especially at night. You might consider using some lights to illuminate a shot. Sometimes it is worth testing out different angles, positions and heights (your subject and light sources) to figure out the best lighting setup.

If you’ve recorded great images to begin with, this will ensures better options later in post production to enhance the image.

“#4 Say NO to Shaky Video”

As much as some videos have interesting content, but the last thing you want is to watch a shaky video. We often get good advice on using a tripod or phone stabilizer such as DJI OSMO mobile to capture smooth and steady shots. There are also some simple ergonomic based techniques that don’t involve using additional fixtures.

Stand right and steady, with your knees bents, with each foot at about 45-degree angle outward and one foot slightly in front of the others.

Hold your phone with both hands and both elbows near your chest for a solid platform and prevent unintended tilting of camera.

Lean on something, kneel down or lie down is necessary when shooting a video from a different angle.

As much as these might sound silly to you, give it a try and some practices to see if it improves your videos quality.

“#5 Zoom and Focus”

As tempting as it is to use the featured digital zooms on your smartphone, it’s quite a no-no while shooting a video. What zooming optically does is making your subject appear closer by enlarging the picture digitally, but not without copious amount of pixelation. You will lose the crisp, rich quality in your video. Why not try getting physically closer to your subject instead?

Then come the autofocus function which does it job in low light (around sunset and dusk) settings which is also pretty impractical. Ideally, while recording you might want to lock this down manually so it doesn’t leave your footage out of focus.

One other option is to switch to a manual focus by using pro-video app on your smartphone. They come with features that allow you to gain control over the focus and exposure of your video.

FilmicPro has zoom controls, multiple frame rates, manual control over focus, exposure, white balance and shutter speed control. It has audio monitoring for getting good quality sound and it has manual audio gain control

Cinema FV-5 is only available for the Android operating system. It has many of the same functions as Filmic Pro.

“#6 Backlighting”

The last thing you want to see in your video is your subject has no visible features caused by backlight. In real, you may be able to see the people and their faces when they are backlit, but on your mobile camera might turn out differently. Although some camera apps allows you to reduce the effect of backlighting, you should try to avoid this at your end. Use natural light to your advantage by either moving the subject away from a window or to another side. You could also configure some basic light setup to reveal the subject.

“#7 Sound”

The sound quality plays an important role in the overall quality of your video. Most of the time, the built-in microphone in our smartphones is sufficient to record audio for a quiet indoor video. Take note by listening for background noises such as the traffic, fan or air-conditioner. You might want to make some adjustment to reduce the ambient noise. The place where you choose to shoot your video does matter and keep the smartphone close to the audio’s source as possible. Better still; opt for an external microphone as a replacement as that will greatly improve the audio quality. End of the day, if you are still unsatisfied with your nice video not having the ideal audio, you could replace it with voiceover, soundtracks, music or sound effects.

“#8 Effects”

Sometimes adding some effects on your mobile video could give a pinch of surprise with a different outcome. Snapchat, one of the app that comes with various filters, lenses, slo-mo and rewind filters and more other features can easily jazz up your snap before you share them on social networks.

Hyperlapse, on the other hand, with a built-in stabilization allows you to create time lapses without much effort where you could replay the video at a much faster speed.

Boomerang, which creates a GIF-like video by looping forward and backward the video that you have recorded on something that is moving.

There are just so many kinds of fun videos.

“#9 Accessories”

To make your mobile videography journey more interesting, consider investing in accessories which could reveal the camera’s true potential.

We’d previously mentioned the use of tripods and phone stabilizer such as a handheld gimbal for smooth and steady shots. Bicycle mount can also convert your smartphone into an instant action video camera.

Now, how about some creative lens add-ons? A telephoto lens adaptor allows you to zoom in to your subjects. Fisheye and macro lenses capture at wide angles and fine details.

Lights!! Opt for a pocket sized lighting device for your low-light settings.

“#10 Editing”

Finally, you’ve shoot your perfect video with your smartphone on the go. I am sure you would want to share it sooner than later. Good news is that you do not need to invest in some complicated, professional desktop software for editing. Most smartphones nowadays simply have the capability from basic trimming to adding transitions, titles and effect.

There are also a variety of different apps available in the app stores for video editing.

Apple's iMovie includes adding titles, transitions and support making theatrical trailers on the go. Other features include picture-in-picture, split screen, slow motion effects, voiceover etc.

PowerDirector is another quick editing tools with various effects, collage maker and slow motion support.

Adobe’s Premiere Clip isn’t particularly feature-rich but it’s quick, simple and free to use.

FilmoraGo allows you to trim a video clip, create subtitle, text, speed up content, add filters, overlays and music.