Do you want to shoot YouTube videos but don’t own a camera? Stop feeling bad about it for there’s no reason you should be. Phones are as good as DSLRs for making videos. You can do a lot with your phones and today, I am going to share some tips about how to shoot YouTube videos with phone.
Who am I? I make Booktube videos and daily vlogging videos on two different channels on YouTube. While I shoot my Booktube videos with a DSLR, my vlogging channel is all about shooting with phone and making the best out of my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Before I give you my tips to shoot YouTube videos with phone, I have to inform you that not any phone would work. Yours has to be a good quality phone with a good quality camera. I am not a tech-guru to inform you which phones have great cameras.
I have only tried the one of Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s cameras for filming videos and both work fantastically, if you follow the following tips.
I suggest you check the reviews about a phone’s camera and then decide if you can film videos with it. However, I strongly feel that you can improve the quality of any video shot by any phone using the following tips:
Shoot horizontally
The most common mistake people make while shooting with a phone is holding it vertically while shooting. I mean, there are people who call themselves “professional vloggers” and still don’t understand how irritating and stupid it is to shoot a video vertically and then post it on YouTube. Half of the screen stays black and it gets annoying to watch such a video.
Don’t do that. Be smart and always keep your phone horizontally.
2. Shoot in good light
Good lighting is most important. To be honest, nothing matters more than lighting. You can have a very basic camera and still shoot a video that can compete with a professionally shot video just by optimized use of lighting.
Never shoot in dark places. I understand how you see your favorite YouTubers shooting in dark places and still have amazing footage but it’s not possible with even good quality phones. I have tried to shoot with latest variants of Apple and Samsung phones (Apple iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) and both have terrible video quality in low-light.
Lighting is your responsibility. Be in well-lit places. Ensure light is coming on your face from two different sources and at same point. Ensure you’re facing the light. And never shoot in dark if you want to shoot YouTube videos with phone and expect great video quality out of them.
3. Shoot in quiet places/ noise cancellation
In a way, phones are actually better than DSLRs. Anybody who owns a DSLR and struggled with shooting videos without a mic would vouch for that. Phones are equipped with good audio recorders because that’s what phones originally do – they help you communicate using your voice.
Hence, the audio of your video would be great with a phone. But don’t test the greatness of your phone and take it to crowded places, film and then complain about excessive noise. It’s bound to be there.
Use some good editing software to reduce the affect of the background noise. But to be honest, if you shoot with your phone in a quiet place, the audio would be just perfect.
4. Use a tripod
It’s hard to hold your phone. If you’re vlogging, it’s still (tough but) manageable. But if you’re making sit-down videos or any other kind of videos, you need the camera to stay stable. A shaky video isn’t liked by anyone.
Hence, grab a tripod for your use. For vlogging, use a bendy tripod that you can hold and move around. For usual YouTube videos, get a stable sturdy tripod and get a mount that will hold your phone. That’s all you need.
5. Edit well and have a script
Lastly, I would say that you can make your good videos shot with your phone even better with editing and a good script. When you shoot YouTube videos with phone, it becomes even more important to have good editing. Because, you may not have those popular bokeh effects DSLRs can give you but you can definitely have great edits to impress the viewers.
Having a script improves the overall quality of your videos. So, ensure you know what you’re talking about and aren’t just blabbering on random topics. Keep your videos meaningful, informational, entertaining and useful.
Those are my five tips on how to shoot YouTube videos with phone. I do it and I am about to hit 100,000 views on my vlogging channel where most of the videos (Read almost 70 out of total 75 videos as of now) all through my phone. It works well, if you implement these tips.
Do you have some other question about Youtubing? Is there some thing you think I can help you with? Please feel free to ask and also let me know if this helped you out, RIGHT HERE!
