Myth: Creating great looking videos needs professional equipment and expertise.
Reality: You can create great videos by just using your smartphone.Every other day we admire a great video created by others but find ourselves ill-equipped to create a decent quality video. Mind you, videos can get lot of things done in an enterprise. Leaders can send a motivational message using a video, HR managers can explain policies, an outgoing employee can share his tacit knowledge or a sales manager can share how he won a deal. There are innumerable possibilities when everyone uses the power of videos to communicate their message. In this blog we share few tips on how anyone and everyone can create impressive videos using a modest smartphone.

Sunny Lenarduzzi (@SunnyLenarduzzi) gives some tips on creating videos using smartphones.

Creating a storyboard

It is so easy to pick up a phone and start shooting, but without a storyboard, you may just end up wasting time and energy. So, while this is not a thumb rule, it is a great idea to plan your shots, and visualize what you want to say, or you will let yourself get carried away by the surroundings and lose focus.

Face the light

While you can go and get lighting kits, they are not necessary if you follow the simple rule of facing the light when you shoot. You can use natural light or any other light source but remember to face the light to avoid shadows. If your phone supports it, always set the exposure manually and use the auto-exposure lock.

Frame

Always shoot in landscape mode. There is no other way to say this except to say, “simply don’t shoot in a portrait mode”. The black bars on the side when you shoot in portrait mode don’t look good. So, always hold your phone horizontally so that videos can be played on any screen.

Learning to stay steady

Bad videos are often distorted or blurred. Avoiding this is very easy. Depending on the length of your video, you can either hold your smartphone as close as possible and with both hands or you can use devices like selfie sticks, stabilisers, tripods or camera cages. The devices are perfect in keeping your mobile device still as you shoot, and allows you to create stable videos.

Getting the audio right

You can have a great video, but not having the right audio or having poor quality audio can ruin a good video. Phones capture wind and unnecessary environmental noise, so one way to avoid this is to shoot indoors in a quiet place. The inbuilt mics are good enough if you are going to shoot close to your phone. If you are going to be far from the phone, you can use a simple mic that connects to the phone. Another option is to use a video editing software that lets you add an external audio track. Adding a background music to your video goes a long way in making it cheerful or setting the right tone.

Editing your video

Use a video editing app to give your phone video a professional look. If you are using an iPhone, then the iMovie app is great. It lets you add audio, text, and effects. If you are using an Android phone, you can use VivaVideo, Videoshow etc. Transferring your videos to a desktop, and using Filmora Video Editor for Windows or Filmora Video Editor for Mac, is another option. It is also extremely easy to edit videos on your mobile. You can use apps such as PowerDirector, LumaFusion, KineMaster, Quik, and many other powerful ones.

With these tips, you are all ready to go ahead and shoot your own video on a phone. All the best!