It’s easier than ever to shoot high-quality, vivid videos on your phone. And following a few best practices can elevate the quality of your videos even higher! We’re excited to be collaborating with Film Director Leef Parks to share these simple but super useful tips on how to film high-quality video with your phone…

How to Film High-Quality Video on Your Phone

A few more tips:

1. Shoot horizontal!

Not vertical. At EditMate, we make vertical videos for brands (we love short, 15-second teasers for InstaStories) but if you’re planning on uploading your video to the usual spots (YouTube, Vimeo) — keep it horizontal to fill up the whole frame.

A horizontal video can always be edited into a vertical video if that’s the format you need, but shooting horizontally from the beginning will give your Editor more options to work with to make final videos in multiple formats like horizontal, square, or vertical.

2. When you need an extended, steady shot (like for interview footage) use a Tripod.

3. Don’t use the zoom.

Physically walk closer to the subject you’re shooting.

​​Otherwise, your video will get pixelated and blurry.

4. Wipe the lens

Keep your videos crystal clear by wiping off the lens before you start shooting.

No special cloth or chemical is needed, your sleeve will do the job just fine.

5. Use the Exposure Lock

6. Pay Attention to The Audio

To capture audio, use a simple voice memo on your phone and/or an external microphone but always make sure to get your microphone as close as you can to the subject. Additionally, clap once at the start of each take (with your hands in the shot) so your editor at EditMate can line up the audio and the video perfectly. Audio is super important, so here are some more of our audio-related tips and tricks.

7. Consider Extra Phone Gear

Need an extra wide shot? Get a clip-on lens adapter, like this one from Ollo Clip. Need a brighter or more flattering light? Consider investing in a ring light.

8. Avoid Slow-Mo

Slow-motion can be cool, but only when appropriate. Use it sparingly.

We hope you use these tips yourself and share them with your community when crowdsourcing video footage for your next project! Want to learn how easy it is to create content from crowdsourced video using EditMate?

Contact Us!