Last month, I had an Instagram Reel go “viral”, receiving over 6 million views and 300,000 likes. A common question that I kept receiving was: “What camera did you use to capture this?” To some surprise, I captured the video on an iPhone 11 Pro with no added accessories or technology. Phones, in general, have come a long way over the past decade — specifically over the past two years. During this time, I have found some great tricks to capture high quality iPhone videography, and now I’ll be sharing them with you.
Shoot in the Right Light When Possible
One of the most important things about creating video content is making sure you film in the best light possible. Make sure it’s not too dark or you will see a lot of noise in iPhone video. These cameras are very capable in the right environment but they’re not yet ready for under-exposed files. If you are going to shoot in darker environments, try using the continuous flash to expose your subject.
It’s also important to never directly face your light source, such as the sun. Try to keep your light source just out of frame or behind you. This will allow you to get a good exposure on your subject. Having your light source just outside of your frame will give you a particular glow or lens flare effect that will add value to your frame.
If you are looking for more information on how to adjust your lighting, 42West has also covered the types of lighting in film.
Find the Frame
Just like photography, framing is arguably the most important part of content creation. Making sure to move around and experiment with different perspectives can bring your subject to life before you even start recording.
Most importantly, find the frame that makes your subject stand out and will bring your viewers attention directly to it. Use the rule of thirds and make sure you to fill your frame at all times.
There are many different angles you can try as a filmmaker, check out these different types of shots for inspiration.
Change Your Settings
This is a key part in getting the most out of your iPhone. Your default settings will have your frame rate and quality set at 1080HD at 30fps (frames per second). One way to give your video more clarity and smoothness is to raise the quality to 4k and the frame rate to 60fps. This will also allow you to slow down your video later on without it skipping any key frames.
Stabilize
Although most iPhones now include in-body image stabilization, giving your footage smooth movement using an external gimbal can give you that extra wow factor you need to impress your audience. This allows you to smoothly capture footage without the need for an external stabilizer. Newer iPhones (12 or later), feature a sensor-shift optical image stabilization offering even more advanced built-in stabilization.
There are plenty of options on the market as far as gimbals go, but I highly recommend the DJI OM 4 Handheld Smartphone Gimbal.
Experiment with Different Modes
Try experimenting with the different video modes that iPhones are now capable of — such as time lapse and slow motion. Time lapses are actually one of my favorite forms of video. You are essentially capturing hundreds of photos continuously. Time lapses are great for transitions as well as fillers for any possible b-roll you want to create. Try doing a time lapse during a full sunrise or sunset and see what you get.
Slow motion can give your videos a cool effect while also giving them more length. Always make sure to record more than you think you will post, giving you more room for error and more content to work with when you go to edit.
Use External Accessories
Though iPhone cameras are getting better with every model, they still don’t truly stand up to the power of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras (yet). But there are ways to increase the quality of the photos and video you create with an iPhone by using external accessories, such as lenses allowing you to zoom, or polarizers and ND filters that you can attach to your phone.
Luckily, Adorama has various external mobile photography accessories to choose from.
Editing
Editing your videos can take them to the next level — most of which can now be done straight from your smartphone. Using iPhone apps like Captivate or iMovie will allow you to piece together footage, add music titles, and even effects to your video. Creating entertaining compilation videos with smooth and creative transitions will give you a chance to reuse older videos you might have posted in the past, but in new ways.
Instead of posting a video of Yosemite, put together multiple videos from your trip to California and do a “California Bucket List” video. You already have the content, so be creative and find a way to utilize it multiple times to get the most out of that footage.
iPhones really have come a long way. You can record camera quality video with a device small enough to fit in your pocket. By stretching yourself creatively, putting in a little extra time and work, and maybe using some external accessories, you can create cinematic footage anytime and anywhere.
