Equipment and Video Tips

Video

Creating a good video may require some equipment, and we want to look at our options. You might want to use your cell phone if you have a smartphone. Below are some tips on making an excellent smartphone video.

1. Shoot horizontal, not upright
   • Shooting in the landscape position makes it so that if you want to watch your video on a TV, it won’t have the black bars around it.
2. Keep it smooth and steady
   • Smoothly shooting video isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if the video is longer. So, brace yourself if you are doing it handheld. Otherwise, use props or a tripod if you have one.
   • If you are doing it handheld, keep your elbows locked into your body. That will help with shaking.
3. Use classic compositions
   • The classic composition is where you use the rule of thirds. Think about your composition. Composition helps you tell the story.
4. Make the light work for you
   • Light can be tricky. If you have light in your eyes, it might be awful for you, but if you have the light source behind you and you are taking a video of yourself, then it will get washed out.
   • Also, check your white balance. A lot of phones do pretty well at handling that for you automatically, but take a few shots and see how it looks before you shoot the whole video.
5. Mix it up
   • Taking a long video might have the intention you want, but sometimes having several shorter videos can be more meaningful.
   • I make short videos hoping it’s not too boring and so that you can watch only the videos you need.
6. Manually set exposure and focus
   • I go back and forth on this one. I would encourage you to practice this. You have the time! However, it is more work than just letting the camera do it for you. However, you can then focus the camera on subjects that you want and again tell the story you want.
7. Record good audio, or remove it later
   • Audio can be tricky too because you want to add audio to your video, and the camera automatically picks up sound. However, it picks up all your background noise also. So, it may need to be in a quiet space, or you might have to quiet the camera noise and then do a voice-over.
8. Go further with smart accessories
   • Accessories may not be possible at this time, but usually, there are several different accessories you can for your phones. Lens modifications, gimbals, and more. I would encourage you to check them out.
9. Know what’s possible (and what’s not)
   • The film is more about experimentation than anything. Don’t be afraid to try stuff out on your camera!
10. Edit and share your videos
    • Try to use different programs that are out there. There are some for free and some that cost. I encourage you to try them out and see what you like and don’t.