How to use your smartphone to get cinematic footage
The newest generations of smartphones are amazing cameras that make remarkable decisions on behalf of their users. These cameras are powerful tools for video marketers, so our team put together a guide for a marketer looking to grow their skills as a videographer.
1. Hold your phone sideways
This one is perhaps a bit obvious, but it is worth saying: hold your phone sideways when filming. This will result in the footage having the more common 16:9 aspect ratio, as opposed to the vertical aspect ratio (which would be useful if you are delivering to TikTok or Instagram Reels).
2. Get awkwardly close to details
This is the most important tip on this list. If you do nothing else, make sure you follow this one. For many reasons, getting very close to the details that you are filming is important, particularly when using your phone to film, which has a wide-angle lens. Oftentimes, it is tempting to stand back and just show a wide shot, but this kind of footage is very difficult to edit. Like a novelist crafting a scene while writing, you need lots of specific details to capture the audience's attention and to tell a viewer a clear story. And, to get good details with a wide-angle lens, you need to move in close (very close) and spend time filming details. It will almost certainly feel awkward at first, but over time you will gain confidence.
3. Move your feet to reframe
As you go about filming details, you will need to reframe each shot. Move your feet when doing so! It is tempting to stand still and simply turn around or pan back and forth to find a new shot, but this is unlikely to result in the best possible shot. You will almost certainly have to move and get in position to get a good framing. So, when you move from shot to shot, move your feet!
4. Know your story, and think of each shot as a detail that points to your meaning and 15-word script.
A good camera person is, in their heart, a good storyteller. You should know the story you are telling. Make sure as you collect your details while shooting that you are doing so in a way that points directly back to the meaning and to your 15-word script. To learn more about your meaning and creating your 15-word script, click this link.
5. Imagine a viewer, and think of each shot as a conversation with your viewer
When you are filming, it is helpful to know who will be seeing the shots. You should know who your viewer will be. Envision them. Then go out and film while imagining that you are showing them the various details. It should almost be as if you are in a direct conversation with them as you move around and film.
6. Try to always have something relevant in the foreground
Wide shots are often flat and less appealing to a viewer when they lack depth, meaning they lack a defined foreground and background. It is helpful as you consider each shot and move from detail to detail, to try to move close to objects and allow them to exist in the foreground. If you are filming a beautiful valley, for example, you may want to move slightly behind a tree and allow a branch/leaf to cover a piece of the frame.
7. Hold shots for 10 seconds longer than you feel is comfortable/necessary
Make sure you hold each shot a lot longer than you feel is necessary (ideally 10 seconds). This will give you plenty of space on either end to edit with in post-production.
8. Ideally, there is plenty of light
Light is your best friend! Where there is light, go there! Depending on the model of smartphone you are shooting with, as less light enters the camera, it will begin making decisions to keep the image well-lit which will result in a loss of image stability/quality. These are amazing cameras and do many smart things to help your image look their best, and it’s worth giving the camera its best chance at success. So go where there is light!
9. Listen to music you like while you film
One thing that can be a fun exercise is to listen to music while you film. Put some headphones in and play a song that matches your story’s meaning and its 15-word script (To learn more about your meaning and creating your 15-word script, click this link.). Dance a bit as you film. It may sound like an odd tip, but the effect of this will be that your shots each have a rhythm that matches your meaning, which will make editing much easier and more enjoyable.
10. Exhale slowly if you want a particularly steady shot
When you are filming a shot that you want to be particularly steady, it helps to control your breathing and exhale slowly as you move. Steady breathing allows your hands to remain steady.
11. Be playful and have fun
Lastly, just have fun. The best shots often come from unexpected places, and the only way to find them is to be playful, be open to new angles and new ways of filming.
