If you want to make videos but don’t have a budget for camera equipment, we have excellent news: The barrier to entry has never been lower for making awesome videos, and the answer is something you probably already own. In recent years, our smartphones have evolved from ringing pocket bricks to incredible mobile content creation machines. Come along with us on a journey through this four-part series that explores the ins and outs of how to make a video on your phone.

Tips for getting started with mobile videography

First, a little information about what you should expect out of mobile videos. Not all phones are created equal, but it’s safe to say that they’re all pretty great these days. Whatever you already own is more than good enough to get the job done.

Phone attachments we like:

If you’re feeling limited by your device, there are a lot of third party companies making attachments for phones, enabling you to add a variety of lenses, microphones, stabilizers, and more that will bump your production value to a near-pro level. If you’re looking for hardware, we like: 

Mobile video apps we like:

There also exists a virtual cornucopia of apps available which expand your phone’s video abilities beyond what’s available in your default camera app. We really love FiLMiC Pro for both Android and iOS.

Tips for making video content on your phone

We know you’re eager to know how to make a video with your phone, but if you want something really polished, you need to think about your content before you hit record. Here are three key things to keep in mind:

1. Start strong

One of the most important things is to grab the viewer’s attention near the beginning of the video. As humans rapidly devolve into goldfish, our attention spans aren’t quite what they used to be. Create a sense of engagement upfront to make people want to continue watching. Want to hold them for the duration of the video? Keep it short and sweet and get to the point.

2. Map it out

To help you get there, make sure you map out your beginning, middle, and end. Making a video is like getting lost in a corn maze, it’s not so bad if you have a plan, but if you don’t, you’ll be stuck in there munching on raw corn until it gets dark and security pulls you out. Okay, so mobile video production isn’t exactly like a corn maze.

3. Think about the finished product

Oh, and don’t overlook your video’s thumbnail. Having one automatically generated rarely turns as good as when you shoot something specific for your video’s still image (peep the four vids in this post for reference). That way you’ll have an eye-catching introduction to your video.

Tips for recording video on your phone

You’re ready to start filming. Follow these five basic tips to increase the production value of your mobile content. Psst — we cover a handful of additional tips in the video above so we highly recommend checking that out. We made it for you!

1. Phone video settings

You’d be surprised how much a few switch-flips can make a difference when it comes to capturing beautiful mobile video. If your phone’s relatively new, we’re willing to bet it’s got the ability to capture video in 4k (fancy!), you just probably need to select it in settings.  Head to your mobile camera settings to check out the recording specs available to you to instantly bump up your video quality. (Heads up,  iPhone users — make your videos even more gorgeous by changing these iPhone video settings.)

2. Lighting for mobile video recording

Always make sure there’s more light in front of your subject than behind them. It’s more important that your subject is lit nicely than your background and if possible, shoot in shady or overcast conditions. That’ll help keep everything lit fairly evenly. Also: avoid fluorescent lights or dull backgrounds at all costs, okay? You’ve been warned.

3. Recording audio on your phone

The closer you are, the better the audio. If you’re using the built-in microphone for dialogue, get up close and personal to get your best soundbite. Clear the space of unnecessary background noise (kids and pets should head to another room, if possible), and you should be good to go. The good news is, your phone is already a pretty good audio capture tool!

4. Stabilizing your mobile video

One of the easiest ways to boost your production value is to ensure your mobile video is properly stabilized. Your phone is already pretty equipped to cut down on camera shakiness, but following these tips should help maximize your video’s stability: 
  • Move the camera slowly. This should be a no-brainer, but if you handle your camera with intention, you’re already halfway there. 
  • Keep two hands on your smartphone at all. Repeat after us: two hands are better than one.
  • Don’t zoom in if you don’t have to! You can always physically move closer to your subject in order to get the best shot. You’ll notice zooming in on your mobile video adds shakiness to the shot.

Tips for editing and uploading

You’ve made it to the final hurdle of the process: Editing and uploading. Luckily, Vimeo Create turns that hurdle into an easy to use, seamless experience which will get your video online in no time. Some paid account types have access to Vimeo Create at no additional cost and we think it’s one of the easiest ways to bring your video content to multiple platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. If you’re looking for a more traditional option, we have a few additional recommendations. For iOS we like iMovie and LumaFusion. For Android, PowerDirector and InShot are both great! This brings us to the end of our mobile content journey. We hope you’ve found a newfound pride in your smartphone’s videos capabilities. Now, go make something!

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