Video recording can be a bit daunting, at least at first glance. There’s a lot of moving parts and you want your video to be the best quality possible. I’m here to tell you, it's not that much different from taking a good photo and you don’t need anything other than your phone to get quality video content. 

1. Don’t Worry About the Camera...

Modern smartphones can manage great looking videos that can challenge modern video cameras. If you have a smartphone made within the last 4 years, your video quality will be right at home in most cases. After all, most of our content is living on social media or YouTube, we’re not producing the next Avengers movie. The goal is to nail down techniques that improve your video quality, instead of focusing on the equipment itself. These tips will carry you through any camera you’re using and improve your quality in the long run. 

2. Get the Framing Right

Everything that is seen in the video or photo is considered “In the Frame”. The Frame refers to the image itself. Thinking about how the objects are spaced within the image is very important. Small tweaks can make an amateur looking video into something that looks a lot more professional. 

A great starting place is the “rule of thirds”. The “Rule” is more like a guideline that helps you improve your composition. The concept is that you can split your image into 9 equal sections and as long as your subject aligns with the intersection of a section, it will be framed well. The goal is to avoid placing the subject that’s important smack-dab in the center of the frame. 

Rule of Thirds (Left) vs Center Framed (Right)

As you can see in the example above, the center framed photo leaves a lot of empty real estate above the subject. The image framed with the Rule of Thirds looks well composed and the subject takes up most of the frame. Kick the habit of center framing your subjects!

To make matters easier, most smartphones have an option to turn on a little grid in your photo app to show you where the sections are located. These guidelines will make framing even simpler. 

Follow the quick tutorial below to learn how to activate the grid on your iPhone:

3. Vertical vs Horizontal

The biggest mistake I see others make when recording video, is choosing the wrong orientation for their phone. Vertical video orientation is where the video is taller than it is wide, or “up and down”. Horizontal video will be wider than it is tall. The biggest factor in choosing the right orientation is the final destination of your video. Are you recording this to be shown on YouTube? Consider shooting the video in standard horizontal mode. That’s how most of the videos on YouTube are presented and you want your viewers to feel comfortable. As apps like TikTok and Instagram stories become more popular, there are times when vertical video makes sense. Choose your orientation based on where the video will be played. When in doubt, square cropping after the fact could work as well, making it universal for almost any platform. 

4. Sounds Good, Looks Good

Surprisingly, viewers are much more forgiving of a bad quality image than a bad sounding video. If a video sounds bad your viewers are more likely to move on. The goal is to get the best quality audio possible without excess noise, static, or distractions (just like recording your podcast). This may take a little bit of training. You may not realize how many sounds are going on around you until you take a moment to listen, or those sounds show up ruining a recording. Stop what you’re doing now and listen to your surroundings, we’ll still be here when you get back... did you hear the AC running, computer fan spinning, outside traffic buzzing, or a distant dog barking? All of that extra noise will be heard by your phone’s microphone. Find a quiet location safe from the noise. Do what you can to cut down the noise that you can control! Shut down the air conditioning until you're done and close that laptop. For the sounds you can’t control, do the best you can to be conscious of the sounds and try to plan accordingly. Is street traffic really bad around rush hour? Try to shoot your video during off traffic hours. For noises you can plan around (dog barking or police sirens), the best solution is to give your video another take. Do what you can to give your video great audio and your audience will thank you with engagement. 

Video making can be a complex process, but is an important part of your branding. These are a few good tips to get you started on your video making journey. Stay tuned for more video making tips to come.