Today, the smartphone right in your pocket can be incredibly helpful when it comes to capturing any moment in action. With a little practice and these tips, you can start recording quick, engaging videos for social media, all from your phone.
Landscape or Portrait?
When choosing how you’ll be filming, you first need to consider where you plan to post the video. If you’re posting videos to Snapchat or Instagram ‘Stories,’ you’ll want to record in portrait orientation. This is also common practice when recording yourself and posting on Facebook and Instagram as this format also looks best on mobile (where the majority of people are watching video).
It’s All About The Lighting
Without good lighting, especially on a smartphone, the quality of your video will suffer. With that said, the best source of lighting is your friend, mother nature. But if you’re indoors, try to have as many light sources as possible. PRO TIP: Set up your camera so that light comes from behind it to avoid overexposure and lens flare.
Nice and Steady
Keeping your smartphone camera steady is crucial for the best quality video. If you prefer stationary shots, consider using a tripod for the ultimate steady and clear photo. Don’t have a tripod? Improvise! Try to find something to support your smartphone on, such as a railing or table. If you’re all about mobility and taking quick shots when the moment is right, release the shutter only when your hands are steady.
Crop (Don’t Zoom)
Our smartphone cameras are equipped with some awesome features at our disposal, but the zoom function is one we shouldn’t use. Why? Unfortunately, our phones don’t have fancy lenses. Instead, smartphone cameras use a digital zoom that essentially guesses the details of the image and reducing the quality dramatically. Instead of zooming in, move the camera closer, or just crop your enlarged photo later.
Keep it Short
SQUIRRELL! Whether it’s due to a short attention span or not, video needs to get to its point quicker than ever. Studies reveal that videos have just 10 seconds to grab an audience without a dropoff in engagement. Twitter videos are capped at 30 seconds, Instagram at 60-second maximum and Snapchat videos are capped at 10 seconds. So do your best to keep them short, sweet, and to the point.
