There are many Apps available that will enhance the video and recording features of your iPhone or Smartphone (
https://www.procamapp.com/) - while I encourage you to explore these options I’m going to focus on optimizing typical out of the box smartphone video camera functions.
Before you begin shooting, make sure your camera is set to an optimal video resolution. This higher resolution will use-up more space on your phones memory – so shoot your footage sparingly.
Your Video resolution should be set to 1280 x 720 and be sure to always hold the camera horizontal to fit the screen you will be showing your film on. This is KEY.
Screen Stability - If you’re doing a hand held shot be sure to hold the camera as close to your body as you can. Holding it far away from you body will accentuate motion, making for unsteady shots. Use both hands and hold your camera close. Also consider using a camera stand or making a simple camera mount from a coat hanger (as seen in class). You can place this rig on a chair, table-top, bookshelf – or add clamp and mount it to a door, shelf, or lamp to hold your camera steady. You can even make a simple dolly with a roller skate, swivel chair or even a book! You can also buy a cheep one on amazon -https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Cell-Phone-Tripod-Bluetooth/dp/B076529NV7/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519672585&sr=1-5&keywords=Mini+Cell+Phone+Tripod
Even Exposure - Unlike manual cameras like DSLRs you have no way to control the aperture of your cell phone camera. (Unless you download a special pho tap - see above) This means you need to make a conscious effort to maintain an even level of brightness in your shots. For example, if you subject is significantly darker that the background elements in you composition the camera will expose for the background, making your foreground subject shadowy and dark. Avoid shooting in front of white walls, daylight lit windows in the background and having bright lamps in the shots. If you panning your camera keep in mind that the aperture will try and correct for exposure throughout the move.
Flux focus - One of the handy features of a phone camera is the auto focus – except of course when your subject or your camera is moving! Keep in mind that unless you camera can “lock” focus it will always be adjusting for optimum focus on whatever is placed closest to the lens. If the subject moves or the camera moves the focus will shift. This "Fluctuation in focus" s magnified in darker environments. Solution: keep your shots simple, bright and avoid lots of motion.
Avoid Zooming in - The digital zoom function on a phone is not an optical zoom – it actually magnifies the electronic picture. Images that are zoomed in are always “noisy” and less sharp. Moving the camera closer to your subject instead of zooming will always look better.
Recording voice-over and dialogue (people talking) is very difficult with the camera mic. This video demo gives an excellent demonstration of a few recording techniques.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02SDsUvCzZU
I like to shoot MOS (MID OUT SOUND!) whenever I can because I like to treat sound as a separate design element. This approach gives me a huge degree of freedom when I’m shooting. The camera mic is great for collecting environmental or natural (nat) sound - but be aware that it is also prone to picking up unwanted "wind" sounds and hand noises.
But the on-board mic can be helpful for the filmmaker – especially when mixing “natural sound” with music.
Some handy terminology:
Preproduction – The planning and preparation done before you shoot
Production – Shooting/gathering images, sounds, CGI, Graphics
Post-production – Editing, combining, mixing multimedia elements to form a final product
MOS - I like to shoot MOS (MID OUT SOUND!) whenever I can because I like to treat sound as a separate design element. This approach gives me a huge degree of freedom when I’m shooting. Keep in mind that the camera mic. is of poor quality and it picks up all kinds of environmental and hand noises. If you are planning on recording audio in the field consider recording your sound separately on one of our digital audio recorders. The quality is infinitely better and you will have control of mic placement.
Field Recorder – Audio recorder like the Tascam units you’ve been using
VARY YOUR SHOTS!!!!! Sure, get that nice wide establishing shot – but then go in and get the details. Show individual things/different elements in a seen. A variety of shots and having many cut-aways will make your movie infinitely more interesting. Plus you’ll have plenty of stuff to play with in the edit!
Wide shot (establishing shot) – Image designed to show the audience where the action is taking place.
Medium shot (MS) - Waist shot a camera angle shot from a medium distance.
Medium Close up (MCU) - Frames a subject's head and cuts off around mid-chest
Close-up - tightly frames a person or an action
ECU - very close to a particular part of a subject
Macro Even more extreme close-up usually of very small subjects.
Dutch angle - Composed so that the horizon line of the shot is not parallel with the frame
Camera tilt – Tripod mounted vertical camera movement
Pan - Tripod mounted horizontal camera movement
Dolly – Horizontal camera movement as the camera travels on a dolly
The MONEY SHOT - The image that reflects high production quality, attention to detail and/or image capture/creation skills
Some editorial terms:
Ruff Cut - a loose edit just to get the shots in order and get a sense of the material
Jump-cut - 2 meanings:
1, Two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly if at all.
2, An abrupt transition from one scene to another.
Cutaway - the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually, although not always, followed by a cut back to the first shot. Shoot LOTS of cutaways to keep the movie interesting and avoid jump cuts.
Dissolve - an act or instance of moving gradually from one picture to another - 30 + frames.
Soft cut - a quick dissolve (15 frames or so) that softens the cut
Here’s a Smartphone Videography demo I shot with a Samsung Galaxy G5, edited with Final Cut X and scored with Garage Band.