If you are passionate about smartphone photography and wish to push professional grade stuff on your YouTube or social media channel, you would need some equipment and some expertise. Of course, good quality camera sensor and Lens in your phone matter, but still, if you are more into recording videos, here are some tips which will help you embellish your content irrespective of what device you are using.
Software
What app you use while shooting videos, doesn’t make much of a difference. You can very well proceed with the app that comes pre-installed on your device, unless you are looking for a specific file format that the default app doesn’t’ support. Several third party apps offer post shooting advantages, but for most people, the default camera app should do just fine.
Orientation and Steadiness
While recording videos, make sure to hold your smartphone in landscape mode. This is sort of Mandatory requirement or you will see loathsome black bands on side when playing the videos on a larger display than your smartphone screen.
OIS or not, it is highly recommended that you invest in a simple Tripod if you are serious about recording videos from your smartphone. They are available in all sizes starting from around 600 INR. Even minuscule vibrations are recorded and can potentially ruin video quality.
If clamping a Tripod or Gorillapod is not an option, avoid making jerky sideway movements. Hold your smartphone with both hands and try to keep your elbows close to your body.
Recommended: Optical Image Stabilization VS Electronic Image Stabilization
Lighting
Proper lighting is the single most important factor to impact video quality. If you are shooting indoors, you should properly test lighting and add some extra luminous lamps if possible. However, try to record most of your smartphone videos in outdoor environment. Avoid light source, like Sun, directly behind the subject you are shooting. Avoid using LED flash.
Audio
If background narration and natural sounds are important for your purpose, an external Microphone will be useful. However, even that won’t guarantee a perfect audio. Besides good quality external microphones for smartphones aren’t readily available and might not be compatible with your device. Your best bet will be a USB Microphone.
You should avoid noisy environments and places with echo. Proximity to sound source will help. If you are planning on recording and adding audio separately or play music in the background, this won’t be a problem.
Editing
After shooting your videos, you can edit them using several useful apps. KineMaster is one such app which has what most of you will ever need. The app also allows you to record your voice as narration on top as a workaround for poor audio. You can tweek colors, add filters, add text and do a lot more while editing videos on your smartphone. There are several other apps to choose from.
Conclusion
These are some tips which will help you improve video recording experience on Android devices. Make sure you record test footage to judge ambient conditions. You can also put your phone in airplane mode to avoid interruptions. Recording good quality videos can be challenging, but you will get better with practice.
