Filming with a Cellphone

Stabilizing your Cellphone

It is always a good idea to use a tripod when filming so that you avoid camera shake. Handheld footage may look OK when viewed on your cell phone screen but when the video is displayed on a computer screen, TV, or classroom projector, it will be obvious (and distracting!).

Tripods of various sizes and cellphone mounts are relatively inexpensive and are a good investment if you plan to make a lot of videos.

If you don't have a tripod, don't be afraid to improvise: Rest your cellphone on a shelf, prop it up on a stack of books, anything that will keep the cellphone level and steady will help get better footage. 

A tripod (or an improvised one!) will also help improve the audio quality by eliminating handling noise and stopping you from covering the built in microphone with your fingers.

Phone Orientation

People are now often more used to recording video with their phone vertically (portrait format) rather than horizontally (landscape format). While the portrait format is well suited to social media platforms or viewing footage on a phone, it doesn't work so well for videos that you intend to be seen on a monitor or TV. For tradiitonal video projects, remember to shoot your video in landscape format.

Microphone

You can improve your audio quality by using a microphone. If there is only one person talking on screen, you can even use ear buds with a built in mic.

The closer the microphone is to the person speaking, the better the audio quality will be. So if you are using the built-in microphone on your cell phone, try to get as close to the person speaking as possible.

Avoid the Elements

If you are filming outside, strong wind or sunlight can affect the quality of your audio and video. 

While there are windshields and lens hoods for cellphone, you can easily imporivse your own. You cna use card board to block unwanted light or wind from the cell phone. Even positioning yourself between your cellphone and the sun or wind can help block unwanted light and noise.

Clean Your Lens

As we are constantly handling our phones, it is very easy to get the lens dirty with fingerprints and dust. Using a soft microfibre cloth to clean the lens can really improve the quality of your footage.