10 years ago, you needed to hire a professional to
record proper video during parties and other meaningful events. The situation is entirely different today. Thanks to smartphones, recording top-quality video on the go has never been easier. You only need a powerful smartphone camera and access to a few tips, and there you go! In my effort to capture top-notch video right from my 6” Android smartphone, I have learned the following tips to be immensely helpful.
1. Correct Positioning
Nobody loves video footage with two vertical bars along the sides. Capturing video with your smartphone in the upright (vertical) position is a common amateur mistake. To get great results, you want to make sure that you position your device in landscape orientation (position). This makes the results more appealing, plus it’s also more enjoyable to watch the footage on a widescreen TV.
2. Full Frame
Now that you are recording in the right position (landscape orientation), you want to fully occupy the frame with the subject. Another interesting idea is to put him or her a little bit off-center, which creates a professional scene. Before you hit the record button, play around to see what works best.
3. Avoid Digital Zoom
Digital Zoom is the number one enemy of top-quality video footage. If you want to get pro footage right from your smartphone camera, make sure that you avoid this feature. If you want to get the subject closer, make sure that you adjust your position and move closer. In fact, you want to get as close as plausibly possible, more so when you’re going for tight shots on faces. How about point out those fine lines and little freckles?
4. Avoid Flash
Camera Lens flash is one sneaky feature that helps capture great photos in somewhat low-light conditions. But when it comes to video, flash can get you yellow skin and devilish eyes especially when the background is too dark. Get creative and use available lights such as a jukebox, neon and any other artificial source of light to capture cool videos jazzed up with color in low-light conditions.
5. Keep It Steady
Your shaky hands aren’t going to get you some pro footage (that is, if you have shaky hands). You want to hold your smartphone steadily so that you can capture meaningful, professional footage that’s not at all wobbly. If you find it hard to keep it steady with your hands, consider equipping yourself with a simple stand that can hold your device in position while you record those videos that you want to upload online. Otherwise, get creative and use anything in your proximity (including furniture and walls) to keep the smartphone stable.
6. Avoid Backlight
Backlit settings steal from the quality of an otherwise decent footage. If there’s a source of light behind your subject, you might end up capturing a silhouette with no visible features. The good news is that you can easily avoid this situation by adjusting your position so that the light is facing the subject rather than coming from behind the subject. Change your location to see which spot gives the best setup.In addition to these tips, you might also want to get a video editing app for your android smartphone or PC. This can help you add titles, transitions, and effects that make your video more presentable.
