It’s amazing what an iPhone can do nowadays. Video on an iPhone can be beautiful. Here are a few tips that can help you capture the best iPhone films.
Use a tripod
Though iPhones have built-in optical image stabilization now, which makes shooting decent handheld footage easier but nothing beats using a tripod. Shop for a decent tripod adapter, which is about $20-$80 depending on the phone model.
If you have to film handheld, you can stabilize your shot by:
- Keeping your phone close to your body.
- Resting your elbows on a nearby table, chair, etc.
- Tucking your camera close your body to absorb shakes and/or bounces.
Avoid the iPhone digital zoom
Using the zoom feature on your iPhone can cause pixelation. Never good. If you want to get a close-up shot of your subject matter, move the phone closer until you find the perfect frame. When you think you’re close, get closer!
Light your video
Lots of light is great for iPhone made movies. If you’re shooting indoors though, adding supplemental lighting helps. The built-in camera on an iPhone will not compare to using some off-camera light to shape the mood of your video. If you can’t get your hands on any studio lights, but you’re still shooting indoors, position yourself facing a window and use the sun. Window light is always so pretty.
Exposure lock? Yep, use it!
The iPhone automatically focuses and exposes on your subject— a great feature for fast photos. But, the iPhone tends to keep refocusing, which can lead to jerky-looking footage. We recommend using the exposure focus lock. This will help to keep the focus and exposure constant throughout your shot. Not sure what this is? Here’s an overview article for you to reference.
Put the mic close to your subject
For clear audio, place your microphone close to your subject. You can actually place a second iPhone directly above the subject’s head just to record audio and then sync the film and audio later in simple editing software. Clap once at the beginning of each take to create a reference point for syncing video with audio.
Slow-motion and time-lapse
There are some pretty cool editing apps available for the iPhone, but they still don’t beat editing on your computer. When you finish shooting, plug your phone in, offload your footage, and import your videos into your editor of choice.
Above all else, just practice, practice, practice— and have fun!
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