With these 10 video recording tips, you can take full advantage of the quality of the video features in your cell phone camera and learn how to use video from your smartphone as a powerful medium for your customers.

Video technology for smartphones has evolved tremendously in recent years, and you don't have to be a Steven Spielberg to see the added value of video. Everyone is filming and streaming and that's certainly the case now that we're all sitting at home. And almost everyone has a 4K video camera in their pocket these days. But what do you do with video if you like the idea of really getting everything out of your camera?

1. Framing film

Of rather do I film horizontally or vertically?

For example, when you want to film a presentation or workout, you can choose to record horizontally or vertically. This choice is determined primarily by the purpose of your video. What are you going to use it for. My advice: record horizontally (landscape). Why? Not only do you get "more in the frame" but you also have the option to cut from your 16×9 (length x width ratio) aspect ratio your video into another format. This can be 1×1 (square) or even vertical (portrait mode) 9×16.

Advantages and disadvantages of vertical filming

Are you sure your video is going to be viewed mostly on cell phones and are you going to post it as "Stories" or as "TikTok videos"? And is your subject a person who needs to be totally in focus? Then choose to shoot 'vertically'. This way you make the most of the platform you post it on. The downside of shooting vertically can be, though, that when used later on other video websites and platforms or on TV, you may suffer from the horizontal frame automatically filling the left and right with black.

Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

2. Resolution

In 4k or Full HD?

You've probably heard of them, terms like 4K, Full HD, 720p or 1080p. These terms all have to do with the resolution of the movie you are recording. What quality should you choose? Anyone who wants to see your video must first "download" it. In other words, a video you click on YouTube or on Instagram is loaded before you can watch it.

For that reason, until recently it was still quite common not to record your videos in the very highest quality. After all, downloading that high quality took quite a bit of time. But today, thanks to the Giganet and 5G, among other things, downloading video data is so fast that you don't even notice this so-called "buffering" anymore.

Load time and quality

So the higher the quality of your video, the bigger the file and the longer it will take to load, pretty logical right? But back to the present for a moment. Internet providers and also mobile providers now provide really fast Internet connections. So the files that you used to call big and heavy are not so big nowadays because the Internet connection has become many times faster.

So you can now assume that a video with 720p quality, due to the fast Internet connection in the Netherlands, is loaded in no time. This is important to know because it means that your video can be viewed almost instantly. If you upload a 1080p HD video (the superlative of 720p) it will take a little longer. This is followed by 1440p, 2160p and finally 4k (2160p). In short the higher the number the higher the resolution.

What is the advice?

My advice is, if you have the option to record on 4k, by all means do so. But make sure you have enough storage space on your phone then. To give you a brief example, filming in 4K takes about 375 mb of storage per minute. So with 16GB of free space left on your phone, you can film in 4K for half an hour at most. So if you need an hour for your movie, interview or workout then it makes sense to bring the quality down to 1080p.

The advantage of recording in 4k is that you can possibly cut the aspect ratio if you wanted to. And that again depends on how you want to "frame" the video, see Tip 1.

Source: Optoma

3. Frames per second

We have discussed framing and resolution, now the number of frames per second or rather; the number of frames per second (fps).

When you look at the video settings on your phone, you can often choose multiple options when it comes to the number of "frames per second" (fps). But what exactly does that mean? Video is really nothing more than pictures taken in rapid succession. The number of captured images (better said frames) that are in 1 second is expressed in fps. When you play back 25 pictures in 1 second, you get moving pictures. Want to know how many fps you should choose? I say 25 and if you live in America it will be 30. Why that is doesn't matter, Americans are just a little slower than us.

Often you can also choose 50 or maybe 100 frames per second, I would skip that speed. This is because these are meant, in an edit afterwards, to slow down the video. Basically, all videos we watch in the Netherlands are made at 25 frames per second. Stick to this and your video will appear smooth and sharp and play well everywhere, as it should.

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

4. Composition

Are all the previous settings right? Then it's time to determine the composition of your video. First, it is useful to find a way to make sure your phone does not move while you are recording. To do this, use a small special phone tripod or if you don't have one: clamp your phone between two books or use a piece of Duckt tape to stick it to something.

The grid as a tool

You've probably seen this many times, too. A "Grid" what sits in the viewfinder of your camera. You can also turn it on on almost any phone. Why? Because it can greatly help you to put your subject in the right frame. In this extensive blog post with 15 composition tips I explain the value of using the Rule of Thirds.

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Where do you put the subject in the picture? Basically in the middle. So you can keep the center square as a reference. Why in the middle? Then you could possibly crop the video later and make it a vertical video, clever!

To where can I move?

Always keep in mind that when your subject moves you have to move the camera as well. In that case it is useful to put pieces of tape on the floor so you know how far you can walk and you do not move outside the center square of your composition. Do check your screen to make sure that the pieces of tape on the floor are not in the picture, that is not very neat.

5. Focus

Focusing and/or (Auto)focusing?

When you record a video with your phone, the video settings are often all set to "automatic. You can compare that to your normal digital still or video camera that you set to the green A mark.

That wheel is not in your phone, to keep it easy and user-friendly, but basically the camera of your cell phone does everything pretty much the same as a digital camera does. However, there is one thing you can very easily take into account yourself that will make sure you get a better shot right away: autofocus.

Autofocus follows your movements

When you record a video, you probably have something that you want to have full focus on. A person narrating or demonstrating something, a prepared meal you are filming, you name it. But of course, the subject you choose may also be moving. That's where the "autofocus" comes to your rescue. The camera recognizes the subject, usually with a small yellow square, and moves with it.

When your subject continuously moves from left to right, or top to bottom in the frame, you don't need to do anything. Just let the autofocus follow that subject. It will stay in focus. But when the subject of your video remains stationary throughout your video, you can choose to give your camera a hand. What you can then do is to "fix" the subject.

A static subject

You tap your finger on the subject in the screen and hold it for a few seconds. On most phone, you will see focus square move for a moment and then lock. This will ensure that all other movement in your video will not come into focus, but that the camera constantly keeps the focus on the subject you think is important in your video. That person who is talking, or the pan on the stove where a new ingredient comes in every time.

Photo by Stefan Cosma on Unsplash

6. Light and exposure

Light (or no light) is perhaps the most important thing in making a good video. In the dark you see nothing, and if the light is way too bright you squint your eyes and see nothing either. This works the same for your camera. In other words, overexposure and underexposure are two things you want to avoid. It's all about proper exposure of your subject.

Your phone's camera vs. exposure

Of course, you would like to make a good video where the light is balanced so that the video is not overexposed but also not underexposed. Your phone's camera is very handy at this. As soon as you open the camera application, the phone immediately registers how much light there is.

If you are in a dark room you don't see as much on your screen, or the flash jumps on because the camera doesn't have enough light to get anything in focus. The same goes for overexposure. If you film something against the sun, your phone's camera also can't see the subject or it becomes a big black spot.

So how should it be done?

So where should the light come from? The rule of thumb you can remember for this is pretty simple; don't let what light there is come from the front. For example, are you standing outside? Stand with your back to the sun. When you put the subject in the picture, you will see right away if it is in shadow or not.

In other words, before you click the red record button, take a good look at where the light is coming from and whether your subject is exposed correctly. Do you see shadows on the subject you want to shoot? Then move the subject or move your camera until the subject is properly exposed.

7. Audio

Another super important part of your video is the audio, also called the sound. If the subject of your video is a person who needs to say something, it's very unpleasant if you can't understand the person in question. Fortunately, all phones these days have reasonable to good microphones built in. However, these are mainly intended for making phone calls that assume the sound source, your mouth, is close by. If you are recording a video and you are standing several feet away, the microphone has a much harder time picking up that sound. The solution to this is an external microphone or to record the sound separately.

External microphone

The way that will ultimately take you the least amount of time is an external microphone. External microphones you can often simply connect to your phone via Bluetooth. For example, Apple has the wireless airpods, but there are many other types of bluetooth microphones. By searching on Google for bluetooth microphones for your type of phone you will soon find a suitable microphone.

Record audio separately

Suppose you don't have an external microphone, one idea is to use someone else's phone. You use this one only to record audio with, for example, the earbuds that come with it. You put the extra phone in your inside pocket or pants pocket and guide the "earbuds" under your clothing to a place near your mouth. For example, you can stick them under your shirt with a piece of tape or sports tape. This way, the microphone cannot be seen but you have much better sound because the microphone is close to the sound source, your mouth.

Be aware that you will have to edit the video. The audio is recorded separately from the video and has to be put back together again. You can put the audio under the video on your computer with a video editing program. If this is too complicated or too much work, I recommend using an external microphone.

Don't forget about ambient noise, either. If you record a video outside and cars, trains, mopeds or planes pass by, you will definitely hear them in your video. If you record the video inside, don't forget to turn off the radio, coffee machine, washing machine or other appliances that might make noise. Saves you another take.

Photo by Ben Kolde on Unsplash

8. Background

You've chosen your topic, created your story perhaps, time to record? Almost. First, take a critical look at the background of your video. A white wall might be a bit boring, but a busy shopping street might also be too distracting. Balance is the code word here.

Create your own movie set

It is relatively easy to make your "movie set" a little more interesting with small interventions. Do this by decorating your background a little bit. For example, use a few different colors of accessories and possibly turn on a light. When you start using this 'movie set' more often, it will be recognizable to the viewer when a new video comes online. This way, you can play with your environment by, for example, substituting the white coffee mug or dumbell for a red one in the next video. It can also be fun to put something in the picture that responds to current events. Lately, you see a lot of toilet rolls and handkerchiefs in images. Why would that be?

9. Camera Fear

Uncomfortable... That's probably how you'll feel at first. This is because it is important to look into the camera in order to make direct contact with your viewers. This feels unnatural because you are talking to a lens and not a person. When the recording is done you will have to watch the entire video back to see if it was successful. Again, uncomfortable. Fortunately, with some practice you get used to this quickly.

Focus on the lens

If you film in "selfie mode," the camera on the front of the phone, do not look at yourself but at the small lens at the top of the screen. If you don't do this, you'll find yourself looking down or to the side in the shot, which is obviously not the intention if you want to create personal contact. The side note here is that filming in selfie mode, however convenient it may be, is something we actually prefer not to see. When you start filming you use the 'best' camera on your phone, which is almost always the camera on the back. Station your phone so that when you have properly prepared the settings, composition, light and sound, you can always, but always, look straight into the lens of the camera.

Remember one thing, you are the story in this video. Then you can't avoid filming yourself if you want to get the message across properly. Don't be afraid, you are the director yourself so you can always make a new take! You will see, the more videos you make, the easier it feels to look straight into the lens.

Source: Vidyard

10. Fine tuning

Did you succeed in recording but is your video still a little boring? Then try making an intro and outro. Say something nice that you start every video with and end every video with. This is recognizable and this is how you create trust with your viewer. A (word) joke or a quick wave to the viewer always works well too.

Preparing your video

What you are going to shoot, who you need to do it, and what attributes you want to use are all things you can write down nicely in advance in a script. Then you get a certain "format" for your videos that you can always fall back on. Continuity is key when you plan to make multiple videos for your product or service.

 Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Bonus tip: keep it clean

The bonus for video recording tips: Clean the lens of your camera with a microfiber cloth every time. Getting rid of some spots or dots makes a huge difference in the quality of your video! Good luck recording your own videos. It's easy. You can do it! Did these tips leave you wanting more? Be sure to read our composition tips for shooting with your phone.

Help!

After reading these 10 video recording tips, do you still really not feel comfortable directing your videos yourself, creating a script and editing the videos? Then of course we can help you with that.

Help with your video