7 Tips for Smartphone Videography

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7 tips voor smartphone videografie

Grietje and Riske from the Videomakers wrote a guest blog for us in which they give 7 tips for smartphone videography. Grietje and Riske are two passionate video makers and help content creators to make better videos. Among other things via their YouTube channel, website, 1 on 1 guidance and the largest online Videoclub in the Netherlands. Read their tips here.

About the Videomakers

The Videomakers are Grietje and Riske, and we help you make better videos. We do this with tons of videos on our YouTube channel, with articles on our website, and with online courses. Do you really want to get better at making videos? Then we also have an online Videoclub.

1. The rear camera is better than the selfie camera

Most smartphones have a camera on both sides: on the screen side, which is the selfie camera, and on the back. Sometimes there are even multiple lenses on the back. The camera on the back is the best quality anyway, and if you have multiple lenses there, it also gives you creative options to use while filming.

If you want to film yourself, it is of course more convenient to use the selfie camera, but even then you can consider choosing the other side. For example, if you put your camera on a tripod, you can easily determine your shot, for example by making a test shot.

And finally: it is of course always good to set up your phone properly. We have already made useful videos for this. Choose from the iPhone or the Android version.

2. Filming horizontally or vertically?

Of course, you can film both horizontally and vertically, one is not better than the other. The tip is: think about which choice is best for your video. Usually, this has to do with where you want to use your video. Are you making a reel or story on Instagram, a TikTok or a Youtube Short? Then vertical filming is a logical choice. Do you want to put it on Youtube as a 'normal' video, or share the video on your Facebook page? Or even use it on your website? Then horizontal filming is more convenient.

Another thing to know: if you start a recording with your camera in horizontal mode, it is not useful to turn it to vertical during the recording. The image will then remain in horizontal mode, and you will have a recording on its side. So before you press the record button, consider whether you want to make a horizontal or vertical recording!

3. Think about sound

Sound is about the most important thing in your video. If you want to tell something in images, for example, it is important that you are clearly audible, and that it also sounds nice!

The microphone of your smartphone is not bad in itself, but in some situations it is not sufficient. For example, if you are outside in the wind, the wind can blow into the microphone. That sounds annoying at best, and in the worst case you are completely unintelligible.

In that case it may be useful to use a microphone , such as a transmitter set or lavalier microphone.

4. Keep the camera steady

Wobbly footage can be unpleasant to watch! Keeping the camera steady and making smooth camera movements is therefore important. And: of course smartphones (especially the newer models) have good stabilization built in, but that also has its limits. If you film really wobbly, it still won't look pleasant.

So I would say: really take the time to make a nice shot, and concentrate on that. Hold your smartphone with both hands, and move slowly.

5. Provide good lighting

Most smartphone cameras are really good these days, but in low light they often score worse. Then you see more noise in the image, and the camera can focus more difficultly. With the selfie camera this is worse than with the camera on the back. So certainly when you film in low light, it is advisable to choose the better camera.

And what is low light? For example, in the evening, indoors, when you only have normal lights on, that is low light. If you really want good light, then filming during the day in a room with a lot of daylight is recommended. Filming outside usually also gives nice light, but if it is very windy or raining, that of course gives other obstacles (such as that wind in the microphone).

6. Tell a story

Ultimately, a video is not just about the technique, but also always about: what do you want to say? Actually, I would advise you to think about that first. What do you want to say, what is the purpose of your video, and what do you want the viewer to do after watching the video?

If you have answers to these questions, you can also better determine for yourself how to make the video best. Which shots do you need, and which ones maybe not? Try to put everything in service of the story, and your message.

7. Are you going to edit or not?

If your video consists of multiple shots, you may have to edit. This is also something you can think about in advance. You don't have to, if you make sure you can tell the whole story in one recording. The advantage of this is that you are done immediately. After recording, you can immediately put the video on social media, for example. That works super fast!

But editing can also give you many possibilities. By combining multiple shots, you get a more dynamic end result. You can also put music under your images, or edit texts into them, and use effects. Which is also very nice!

For iPhone the iMovie app is very handy for this, and for Android we recommend Kinemaster. It is not free, but it is good!

Have fun!

We hope you found these tips useful! If you want to delve deeper into smartphone filming, we have endless articles, videos and courses on the subject. Feel free to visit us online for tips!

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