How to Shoot a Video With Your Mobile Phone
We've all heard that having video on your website is a must if you want to lead the market online. People today want to know your story and how things are made, fixed, built and used.
Below we have some tips on how to shoot your own video using your mobile phone.
Should I Shoot My Own Video?
There are times to hire a professional videographer or multi-media company and there are times that you can do it yourself with nothing more than a mobile phone.
We partner with a professional video company for commercials, branding videos and other types of video that need professional lighting and actors, but we also know that it's sometimes ok do make your own!
However, there are rules that you should follow to make sure that your home-made video is pleasant to watch for your customers and prospects.
Tips For Making a Great Video With Your Phone
Get a good tripod for your phone
First, you need to make sure that you have a way to hold the phone steady. We recommend getting a tri-pod for your phone. This only works if you are going to be standing or sitting in the same spot filming. If you need to move the phone around to pan or film on the move, then just be sure that you hold the phone steady with your hands.
Here is the type of tri-pod that we use. We don't specifically endorse any Amazon products, but the link on the left will give you an idea of where to start.
How to Hold the Phone When Shooting Video
Think about how your video will be viewed. If you are shooting video for your YouTube Channel, then film it holding your phone horizontally. This way you won't get the black or blurry bars on either side. That's the same as "landscape". Even if you are filming vertical subject matter, hold the phone horizontally. No matter how much you want to just hold the phone up the way you shoot a snap-chat video...don't do it.
If you are shooting for an Instagram story or SnapChat, then hold it vertically. Just keep in mind that if it is viewed on other platforms, it may not show as expected.
When you pan to the side, pan slowly. You can't move the phone as fast as you turn your head. You will make your viewers dizzy and they'll get annoyed and stop watching.
If your hand shakes, get someone else to hold your phone. You will see all those little movements on your video.
Lighting for Your Mobile Phone Video
Lighting is one of the most important things in video. Just because you're filming with your mobile device, doesn't mean you can forget about the lighting. The most important thing to remember is, don't film into the light. Don't stand in front of a window or have the sun behind you. You want the light to be on you, not behind you.
Shoot a short test video and look at it to see whether it looks good. You will know if it's hard to see what is happening in the video.
If you're shooting a how-to video, be sure that your work space is well-lit.
Use a Microphone
It's best to use a microphone when recording from your phone. That will get rid of background noise and make sure that people can hear you if you are far from your phone or moving around.
What to Say in the Intro to Your Video
Make sure that you prepare an intro that can be recited at the beginning of every video that you shoot. If you're shooting a series, it may be easy to forget this. But some viewers may only watch one of the videos in the middle of your series. So identifying yourself and your company is important.
The second reason to have a good intro, is that Google transcribes your audio verbiage into searchable text if your video is hosted on YouTube...as if we needed another reason to host our videos on YouTube.
Your intro should go something like this, "Hi, I'm Barbara Ingram with The Paramount Group in Satellite Beach. Today we're going to talk about how to shoot a great video for your digital marketing using nothing but your cell phone."
I included, my name, my company name, my location and what the video will be about. If someone searches Google for "how to shoot video using my cell phone", my video will have a better chance of showing up in search results because of my introduction.
If you are shooting a series of how-to videos, you might want to say, "Hi, I'm Barbara Ingram with The Paramount Group in Satellite Beach. This is part 3 in our video series, 'how to shoot a great video for your digital marketing using nothing but your cell phone.'"
How to Upload Your Video to Your Website
It's best to host your videos on your YouTube Channel so that you get the benefit of the voice transcription for Google Search, AND so that it doesn't use up too much storage space with your website hosting provider.
If you don't have a YouTube account or channel, go ahead and sign up for one.
Once you are finished shooting your video, upload it to your YouTube Channel so that you can get the link to put it on your website.
Depending on the platform that you use for your website, you can either "embed" the code, or use a link. This way, people coming to your website can watch your video, AND have the option of clicking the YouTube logo and watching it on your channel. That way, they can also see any other videos that you have uploaded.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- Get a tri-pod
- Hold the phone steady
- Check your lighting
- Have your intro prepared
- Upload to YouTube
- Post on your website