How to make quality videos with a smartphone?

Graphic designer / Videographer / Photographer

September 14, 2022

Justin Thomas

Graphic designer / Videographer / Photographer

September 14, 2022

"To make videos, you need professional equipment and it costs too much". If you've ever thought that, you're wrong. Making videos without professional equipment is possible! Oh yes. Nowadays, your smartphone will do the job just fine.

As a business, incorporating video into your strategy can really boost your bottom line. Whether it's to boost your sales, develop your brand awareness, present your company, optimize your internal communication,... video adapts to all your needs. Moreover, it is important to make a video that matches your objectives. Discover some concrete examples in this article.

How to make a video without professional equipment?

That's all well and good, but how do you do it without equipment? Well, we give you some tips to make a quality video with a smartphone only in this article. In the era of snack contentMost people make their TikTok videos, Instagram reels,... with their smartphone. And if you want to know more about how to make videos like a pro, it's by here.

Remember to put your smartphone on airplane mode so you won't be bothered by notifications while shooting. It may sound silly but it's very annoying when it happens to you 😉

It is important to bring enough light to your video. Beware of overexposing natural light. It is quite possible to get a nice result without artificial lights. Take advantage of natural light and position yourself in front of a window with the smartphone in front of you. We advise you to position yourself on the side or 3/4. Make sure you never position yourself with your back to the window, you would find yourself against the light. Also, make sure you stand out from the background so as not to create shadows, so don't stand too close to your background.

It all depends on the type of video you're making, but the risk of holding your phone in your hand is that you'll get the shakes. And be aware that even if you stay still, you will never be perfectly still (we see you doing the test live. Yes, your hand is shaking!). So always prefer to use a support to put your camera: a tripod, a piece of furniture, a window sill,... The image will then be stable and more pleasant to look at for the viewer.

Today's smartphones are equipped with a built-in microphone of fairly good quality. However, be sure to place yourself in the quietest environment possible without noise. Prefer indoor locations to avoid noises such as wind, neighbors, cars, ... The range of these microphones is also limited so be sure to stay close to your device to be heard. And if you want an optimal result, there are small affordable microphones that will do very well. Practical, discreet and efficient, the lapel microphone is a very good solution.

The framing is very important. In the camera settings of your smartphone, activate the "grid" option to display a grid on your screen. Never place your subject in the center of your screen. Place it at the intersection of the power lines on the grid (which divide the screen into thirds). Also, be sure to adjust your device orientation (portrait or landscape) depending on the type of content you are producing. For example, for Instagram and TikTok, you'll need to hold your device vertically while for YouTube the content should be in landscape format.

Pay attention to the environment behind your main subject. Prefer a plain background, without too many details that could disturb the viewer.

Avoid zooming as much as possible. Indeed, zooming on a smartphone will make your image completely pixelated and of poor quality. Place yourself as close as possible to your subject to avoid this kind of situation.

If you are speaking in your video, always wait 1-2 seconds before you start. If you start directly when the recording begins, your sentence may be cut off.

During the shooting, we advise you to let the camera run even if you make mistakes. In fact, if you're struggling with a sentence, don't hesitate to start over to keep a dynamic tone. Videos can easily be cut during the editing stage, no matter what.

After shooting, it is now time to edit your video. This step will allow you to assemble several videos and cut out certain moments. There are many free smartphone applications that are very easy to use. During this step, you will be able to give rhythm to your video and remove the missed sequences. Always remember to add subtitles to your video. Indeed, 85% of videos are watched without sound on Facebook. So your video should be attractive and understandable even without sound. Discover all our tips for a silent but attractive video on social networks.

And then of course make sure you always have battery and storage space on your smartphone. But also save your work on a hard drive or server to avoid bad surprises.

Need a video?

If you want to use an agency to make your corporate videos, Duckmotion will be happy to listen to your request and discuss the project together. Duckmotion is a Brussels-based video production agency specializing in motion design, snack content and digital marketing. We create powerful videos that achieve your goals.