Edumarketer Tip #121 Quick Tips for Shooting Videos on Your Smartphone
You don’t need a fancy camera to start recording videos! It’s as simple as picking up your phone! Seriously!
Smartphones have evolved into powerful video creation machines and anyone can do it. If you want some tips on how to get started, read on - I’m sharing some secrets for mobile video recording.
Whether you want something quick and raw, or polished with special effects, it's important that before hitting record on your phone to have an idea in mind for what you will be recording.
In this four-part series we'll explore what makes great videos good as well as walk you through some tricks like video formatting, lighting and composition to mapping out your ideas.
Let’s jump in! These are some quick hacks to ALWAYS remember when using your phone to shoot video!!
#1 DON’T SHOOT VERTICAL VIDEO
This is a big one! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to call people to let them know they have to reshoot an entire video project because they shot it veritically. Turn your phone to horizontal. This means the long way!
#2 USE A TRIPOD
This makes it easier for you to focus on what you are saying and keeps your phone stable.
#3 DON’T USE YOUR DIGITAL ZOOM
This will distort everything. Instead make sure that you frame up the shot before you start shooting.
#4 MAKE SURE YOUR LIGHTING IS GOOD
If you are shooting inside, grab a light like a lume cube and remember to put your face to the window, not your back. If you are shooting outside, look a the sun.
#5 START STRONG
The first 10 seconds of a video can make or break it. As our attention spans decrease, you need to keep people engaged with the content in order for them to want to watch more and not click away from your videos before they're even over. Keep things short and sweet by stating what needs to be said up front instead of dragging on long-windedly like an elementary school teacher lecturing about how many days are left until summer vacation is finally here!
#6 HAVE A PLAN
You don’t need a huge plan, but have an idea of what the video is about and stay focused on it. This means mapping out your beginning, middle and end before filming anything. It's like walking through a corn maze without knowing where it ends up - if you know what direction to take at every turn then it'll help keep things on track but otherwise getting lost will just mean hours spent in one area until someone comes for help!
With these tips you can start recording videos right NOW! So get out there and let us know how it goes. If you have any questions you can always reach out to us as [email protected].
