Smartphones seem to have become the Kodak camera of the 21st century. They have become increasingly popular, and smartphone owners have used them to become amatuer photographers. A benefit of having a smartphone that might just slip your mind is the ability to record a pro quality video! Being able to record a pro quality video straight from your smartphone greatly improves your advertising ability by cutting down production costs.
A great example of maximizing your advertising abilities using your smartphone would be to create a YouTube ad. For example, a smart card technology company could promote their company through video ads that could easily be produced on a smartphone, by Mifare DESFIRE experts around the world. Here are 10 great ways to get pro quality video from your smartphone:
#1 Take advantage of your surroundings
Nature is a beautiful thing and it makes for a beautiful background – the calming, relaxing and awestriking views. The sounds that are recorded, along with the natural light that is offered can improve the quality of your video, giving you a pro quality video from your smartphone. By utilizing the calming sounds and views of nature, all you should focus on is getting good audio of the subject speaking.
#2 Learn how to utilize natural lighting
Natural lighting is your friend! While shooting your video, try to position the subjects of the video with the sun facing their face. This will enhance their features and decrease the shadows in the shot.
#3 Consider the distance limit for getting good audio
When shooting a video with a big camera, the person has a microphone to hold up to the subject, enhancing the audio. While you don’t have this luxury with your smartphone, you don’t have to settle for low quality sound. Keep in mind, the microphone is in your phone, therefore, the further you move away, the lower the sound gets.
#4 Try out an editing app.
Apps have made it where editing no longer has to be only for the pro’s. There are free apps out there that will allow you to drag multiple clips, add transitions and even create a title and add in some music. From the editing app, you can upload your video directly to YouTube and get started on your advertisement!
#5 Focus on framing.
You want to ensure that the video seems conversational. This will allow your viewers to become more engaged with your video and improve the effects it has on them. Try to remain at eye level with your subject.
#6 Start with a story.
Creating a pro quality video is a craft. It is important that you design it to impact your viewers in a certain way and guide them to whatever outcome that you want out of the video. By crafting a story you will impact the viewers and give them the push they need to follow through with the call to action. Remember, you are making a video to tell a visual story – take advantage of the different things you can do with that.
#7 Use something to stabilize the phone.
No matter how hard we try, we are human, we cannot keep our bodies totally still for a long period. Your hands will inevitably shake slightly, which can cause a distraction to your viewers. But, there are many different stabilizing products, such as a mini-tripod that work for your phone.
#8 Invest in a lens.
As in camera lens, but for your smartphone! By using one of these tools, you are almost guaranteed a pro quality video from your smartphone. This will give you an overall higher quality image, and make the content very like that of an actual video recorder.
#9 Keep your gear clean.
This can be tough since your gear is your smartphone. But, before shooting footage for your pro quality video, take a moment to wipe off your camera. If you are using other gear, such as a lens, be sure to clean that off too. Grime gets all over your gear, even if it is just sitting in your closet. And, even the smallest speck left on the screen could still show up in your video.
#10 The direction of the shot matters.
People tend to shoot video vertically. Most people take pictures vertically, so why not do the same for a video? But, this is an amateur mistake that could cost you the quality of your shot. By shooting vertically, you will have the infamous black vertical bar on each side of your video when it is uploaded to your outlet. Instead, try shooting the video horizontally. This will eliminate the black lines and give your viewers the ability to get the full effect of the video.
