This article will provide budding videographers with five useful tips that will make their smartphone videos look more professional. Some tips are just plain common sense, while others will help people get a better class of video.
Good Lighting & Volume
While there are many good pictures out there, proper lighting brings things to the next level. Get the subject of the picture or video to face your light source, whether a window or professional lighting. It can also be as simple as turning on the flash on your phone. Just make sure you don’t take photos against the light.
Also, make sure you check the volume levels! Have you ever taken a great video and replayed it only to find out the volume was either muted or too low to make out what was being said? Before taking any clips or videos, check that the volume on your phone is set to the right level.
Careful with Zoom & Fingers
Most smartphones now come with multiple lenses which can switch to different depths. If you switch lenses while shooting a clip, the film quality will be poor because the picture will jump. Instead, try getting physically closer to the subject. This will sharpen the focus and cut out any unwanted things in the picture. This will save you time cropping it out later.
Speaking of cropping, even the most experienced filmmakers have made the rookie mistake of filming with a finger partially covering the camera lens. So before you start to video something, do a test to ensure your fingers aren’t making a cameo appearance.
Get a Third-Party App
Many types of third-party video apps come with features that are not found on a smartphone, such as smooth zoom. These apps also have other useful features such as changing the exposure, focus, and white balance. These give you more control over your video.
With these tips, you’ll quickly see your videos go from looking amateur to professional. Beyond this, practice makes perfect!