There's a good chance that the camera you need to make video is already in your pocket.  iPhones are have great capabilities when it comes to producing video, but any smart device will do. Here are a few things to help guide your process: 

• Go into your camera's settings and turn on 4k resolution because higher resolution means better looking video; if you're worried about storage space on your phone, then set it to 1080 HD resolution instead

• A standard video frame rate in the US is 24 frames per second.

  • This frame rate gives your footage a more cinematic motion look

  • Higher frame rates look "crispier"

  • If your camera has a "slow motion" setting then what your camera is really doing is shooting at a very high frame rate (like 120 frames per second for example) and then playing it back at 24 frames per second when you watch it

  • If your camera  has a time-lapse feature then it's taking a single frame of video at timed intervals (like every five seconds, or even every minute depending on your interval setting) and then playing the frames back at 24 frames per seocnd when you watch it 

  • The point here is how the perception of time appears to you when you watch the footage depends on how often you capture frames and at what speed you play them back at

  • Things that look cool in slo-mo (high frame rates) are things that naturally move more quickly: sports, animals, waves crashing, lighting a match, letting go of a balloon, etc.

  • Things that look cool in fast motion (low frame rates) are things that naturally move more slowly: clouds, painting a picture, snails, building or assembling something over many hours, a busy boat harbor, etc. 

• Depth of field means how much and what part of your shot is in sharp focus and what part of your shot is NOT in sharp focus (more blurry);

  • If your phone has a "cinema" or "portrait" mode then practice framing up and focusing on the main subject in the foreground and see how nice and blurry your background becomes: that's what you want

  • You want your main subject to "pop" and look separated and distanced from your background, it's more cinematic looking

  • Of course, there are exceptions to the rule: maybe you want the entire landscape you're capturing to be in focus--then turn off the cinema mode

  • Point being is that you should play with capturing video both ways

• Shot scale means how much of your subject you see in the frame

  • Close-up shot means that the camera is either very close or very zoomed-in on your subject: someone's entire face fills your frame, a super detailed shot of a product or plate of food, etc.

  • Medium shot means less detail but showing more of the context or where your subject is: friends gathered around a board game, a fashionably dressed person or showing off an outfit, someone demonstrating how a certain task or action is performed, etc.

  • Wide or long shots are used to communicate more about the location, landscape or setting: the entire exterior of a house, the entire room someone is standing in, the entire band on stage, nature scenes, etc.

• Shot angle refers to how high or low you are with regards to your subject, how tilted up or down your camera is with regards to your subject and how even your horizon line is

  • Getting down low and pointing up (tilting up) makes things seem menacing or big like from a kid's point of view or brave like a superhero

  • Getting high and pointing down (tilting down) makes things seem small or insignificant or, in the case of a huge crowd, can make the size of something seem impressive or easier to grasp

  • Being square to the action or subject or a "normal shot" is done when interviewing someone or showing a person's point of view

  • Canted or Dutch angle means that your horizon line is crooked or going "up hill" or "down hill" respective to the side of the frame; typically a pretty beach or mountain scape is captured with an "even" or "balanced" horizon and uneven angles are used to make your subject seem distorted or more interesting in some way

  • Overhead or bird's eye shot: looking directly down on your subject from above, a plate of food, a drone shot that's looking straight down, products or items laid out on a table, etc.

Capturing Tips

• • Make sure to charge your phone before filming

  • Clear off storage space, backup old footage to make room for new footage

  • Use a lens wipe to clean off your camera's lens 

  • If interviewing a person, have them wipe the oil, grease and shine off their nose, cheeks and temples (hairline) with an odorless, skin friendly face wipe like this: https://a.co/d/hfjJ2zf

  • Avoid shooting in low light unless it's pretty or cinematic (sunrise, sunset)

  • If you need to move while recording, turn on the steadishot feature on your phone and walk like a ninja (shuffle instead of step) to reduce shakey footage

  • Move the camera with your body and not your hands and arms; if you need to pan over to something, use your spine / twist your waist / pivot your legs towards your subject instead of whipping your hands around to get the shot

  • Best tip: take your time

You don't have to be a professional cinematographer to appreciate the added benefit of throwing up a couple lights. Here is a light kit that can get you started: https://a.co/d/094XE2F.   

Why is a light kit such as the one in the link above so handy? There are a few reasons: 

• There are two lights instead of one

• This kit comes with light stands so your lights don't fall over

• The color and brightness can be controlled with a remote

• They are not too heavy and easy to travel with

• They run on internal batteries

• They have prebuilt color effects

• They are longer so that they can fill your subject with light (like someone standing or sitting for an interview)

Lighting Tips

With regards to how or in what situations to use these lights the easiest answer is use them for everything. There probably isn't a shot you can think of that can't benefit from a little more lighting: 

• If you're interviewing someone, use a cool white or warm white light color setting to light your subject's face and torso and use the second light to illuminate something in the background

• Not too close and not too far away with the light, find the sweet spot

• Use lights to illuminate your products or to show off things you've made

• Play around with side lighting; notice where shadows fall for cinematic effect

• Have fun with holiday themed or seasonal lighting

• Use the prebuilt color settings in humorous social media skits, stunts or for dancing videos

• You don't always have to have the brightness setting all the way to 100% or maxed out; dial back on that and dim the lights a little lower to create more mood and atmosphere

• It's important not to be intimidated by lighting; once you have fun messing around with them you'll fall in love with them.

Nothing is more distracting in a video than bad audio. Good news is that there is a cheap solution for that. If you have an iPhone 14 or lower you can get this: https://a.co/d/9pgdRwL. For other devices try this one: https://a.co/d/aBD89ex. 

Why are these wireless lavalier (lav, lapel or clip) microphones so great? There's a few reasons: 

• Well, they are wireless for one, no need to run cables in between your interview subject and your camera

• There are two of them: one for the host and one for the person being interviewed

• Better audio capture than using the internal mic on your phone; helps you get close to the source of your audio thus eliminating room reverb noise (or other noises for that matter)

• Rechargeable internal batteries

• Comes with carrying case for safe keeping and charging

• Small, mobile, easy to transport

• Comes with small wind screens to protect the mic from wind

• Works with the camera app already on your phone

Wireless Lavalier Tips

• Make sure they are always charged up before you head out

• Plug the receiver part into the smart device (it gets its power from the device)

• Turn on the mics and clip them to your subjects' shirt

• Always, always, always do an audio test to make sure they are working: record a little bit and then play back the clip to monitor and check that it sounds good

• Make sure that they are not too close or far away from your subject; some folks talk louder than others, do an audio test and decide if you need to move your mic closer to their mouth or farther away

• If your audio source is on stage or you can't attach the mic to the subject, you can try taping it to something closer to the source

• Best tip: always get your mic as close as you can to the sound source

When it comes to freeing up your hands so that you can do other things while the camera is recording you might want to consider a camera support such as this: https://a.co/d/aqPQTSG

Why is this product so handy? There's a few reasons: 

• It comes with a tripod body AND the mounting part that holds the camera

• Using a tripod helps prevent you from dropping your camera (and breaking it)

• It frees you up so you can move around or be on camera yourself while recording

• It has a selfie stick mode 

• It has a monopod mode

• Using a monopod to hold your camera is really great because it frees up one of your hands while recording

• A monopod is also great because you can steady your shot by extending the leg all the way down to the ground for extra support and then you can quickly bring the leg back up and out of the way again

• This is really helpful if you're trying to pick off lots of talking head interviews with different people at a live event and you don't want the extra burden of carrying around a larger, heavier tripod

Editing a video on your phone can be quick and straightforward with the right apps and a few basic tips. Here's a quick guide to get you started:

• Choose a Video Editing App:

  • For iOS: Clips or iMovie or Instagram Reels

  • For Android: Adobe Premiere Rush, Kinemaster, or PowerDirector or Instagram Reels

  • Decide up front what your video's aspect ratio is going to be

  • If you're headed to YouTube you can keep it widescreen (or landscape or 16:9 aspect ratio)

  • If you are headed to TikTok, Facebook or Instagram you can try a semi or full vertical aspect ratio (4:5 or 9:16)

• Import Your Video:

  • Open the video editing app and import the video clips you want to use from your phone's gallery

• Trim and Cut:

  • Use the trim or cut tool to remove unwanted sections of your video

  • Most apps allow you to drag the handles to select the portion you want to keep

• Add Transitions:

  • Insert transitions between clips to smooth the flow of your video

  • Common transitions include fade, slide, and dissolve

• Add Text and Titles:

  • Insert text overlays or titles to provide context or convey information

  • Adjust font style, size, and color as needed

• Include Music and Sound:

  • Import background music to establish the mood and tone of your video

  • Ensure it doesn't overpower any spoken word content (i.e. lower the volume)

• Apply Filters and Effects:

  • Enhance your video by applying filters, color correction, or special effects

  • Experiment to find the look that suits your video

• Export and Share

  • Share your edited video on social media, YouTube, or any other platform you prefer

• Practice and Experiment:

  • The more you practice and experiment with the app's features, the more proficient you'll become at editing videos on your phone

Remember that while smartphone video editing apps are versatile, they may have limitations compared to desktop software. For more advanced editing, you may want to transfer your video to a computer and use dedicated video editing software.

You can also upload your video to Reservoir Video Co.'s video portal and we will do the editing for you.