Tutorial: Shoot Better Cell Phone Video
Here’s the thing. If content is king, video content is queen. And everyone knows the queen is way more powerful when you’re playing chess. Social media platforms and search engines are favoring video content now more than ever. There has been some speculation that video content will become an exclusive medium on places like Facebook in just a few short years. While I think we’re still a ways away from ditching photography and written world altogether, think of platforms like TikTok and YouTube that follow that model.
As a former social media video producer, I can attest to the power of video. As a small business, I can tell you that the minute I started including videos on my website, my search engine optimization sky-rocketed. I went from the bottom of the barrel to becoming the #4 result when you Google “Los Angeles Brand Photographer.” *This is as of April 12, 2020.
That’s. A. Big. Freaking. Deal.
Video is a big undertaking but it also lends a lot of grace when it comes to quality. Regardless, here are some ways to make sure your video footage is solid.
The thing about video is that you already know a lot about it — you just don’t know that you know. (Friends, anyone?)
#1) Follow the basics of good cell phone photography
If you missed my blog post on how to get good photos on your cell phone start there. While you can’t shoot portrait mode on a lot of phones, you do need to make sure you have good light and that your lens is clean.
#2) Audio is key
What’s the one thing that can make a good video AWFUL? Bad audio. There are a number of cheap cell phone microphones that can help hone in on the video that you want, but if you’re in a real pinch,at the very least try to remove yourself from any distracting noise that will ruin your audio. That means crowded rooms and highly-trafficked roads are an automatic no-no. Airplanes and wind will also make your audio flop.
If you’re going to be conducting interviews or collecting testimonials at your live events, investing in a small microphone like this one to make sure your footage can be used.
Crowded red carpets with celebs like Richard Dreyfuss and PR guru Gene Swank are no place to take your chances with audio. Microphones are always needed.
On that note, it’s a great idea to collect testimonials at your live events…those assets can go a long, long way.
#3) Don’t follow the movement
Most of us don't refer to video as motion pictures anymore, but take a walk with me back to the olden days when fedoras were a staple and movies were known as "moving pictures." When starting out with shooting video, one of your biggest temptations may be to try to follow the movement so you can show everything that's happening in one shot.
I challenge you to stop that habit for a bit and instead approach video like you would a picture. Set your camera so it’s stationary and let the movement happen in the frame instead of trying to chase it around. Here are a few reasons why:
Our minds are (surprisingly) pretty advanced and so they fill in the gaps pretty well. There are usually enough clues in this shot to tell us what is going on even if the action leaves the frame.
Following the action by moving yourself yields shaky footage.
It adds a little bit of suspense to your viewer to find out what happens next.
#4) Use your t-rex arms
The natural temptation is to use your arms when you do have to move the camera. But that again yields shaky footage so there’s a better way.
Imagine you’re a t-rex and bend your arms in so that your phone rests very close to your body. Then move with your torso instead of your arms. You can also do slow pans by moving the weigh on your legs instead of your arms.
#5) Get enough footage
This part is a two-fer so buckle in.
First and foremost, overshoot instead of undershoot. Get as much b-roll as possible — take shots of your environment, different angles of your subjects…the whole sha-bang.
But when doing so, also make sure that you’re shooting your clips for at least 10 seconds long. And most importantly, keep shooting even after the main action of your shot is done. I can’t tell you how many times I cut my shots right as the action ended but needed those extra two seconds when stitching my footage together. Give your clips enough of a buffer so that there’s enough to work with later.
Takeaway: shoot video. If you’ve never shot video before, start shooting it now. If you’ve been shooting video, use these tips to get better video. And the most important thing? You’re probably already sitting on a vault of footage that can be used for a promo video. Knowing how far it goes, you shouldn’t wait one more minute before popping it onto your website. Need help? Feel free to reach out!
