How To Create Production Quality Video With Your Smartphone
Remember back in the day (which was a Tuesday actually, way back in 2007), when Steve Jobs said that the iPhone was going to change your life? Well, as we now know all too well, it did. Probably more than Jobs himself realized at the time. We do everything from shopping and video chatting on our phones, to operating ecommerce stores and streaming every song known to mankind.
And now, that massive change has hit the film production industry with a wallop. Sure, the previous iPhone incarnations all made advances in filming, but the iPhone 15 hit it out of the park. The proof - Apple and Tim Cook made the decision to shoot their Scary Fast special event (including the launch of the all-new Macbook Pro and the M3 chips) entirely on an iPhone 15. The results, as you can see for yourself if you haven’t already, are as polished as anything you’d get on a professional video camera; an Alexa or RED is currently around the $40-50k arena and the Sony HDC-2000B won’t give you much change from $100k. Compare that to the price on an iPhone, which currently retails for around $1,200 for the Pro Max version) and you soon realize the savings are considerable. Plus, you can use the iPhone for a lot more than shooting video. It’s a win-win.
And when you look at that Apple video, it really is breathtaking to know it was shot on a powerhouse of a device; one that millions of people carry in their pocket or purse. It’s quality from beginning to end, and it’s yet another indication that traditional production tech is fighting losing battle with smartphones. Even competitor phones, like the Google Pixel 8, are making huge strides; this includes AI tech to alter photo and video, remove ambient sounds, and turn an OK shoot into something pretty special.
So, let’s break it down into three key areas. The tech, the prep, and the time/effort.
1: The Technology
Well, you have it already if you have the iPhone 15. It’s a done deal. And if you don’t, $1,200 isn’t gonna break the budget of any shoot.
Now, we could talk about other tech you may need. If your pockets are as deep as Apple’s (few are), you can go all-in on expensive camera rigs, dollies, lighting setups, and so on. But you really can work wonders with just the phone itself.
2: The Preparation
Just like a shoot with a traditional video camera, you’re going to need good lighting, as little ambient sound as possible, a good location, possibly a cast, and a skeleton crew. Yeah, Apple was all hands on deck, but you can make do with fewer people and still produce a great result.
This article covers the six essentials you need for a successful shoot, including a tight schedule, an overall vision of what you’re creating, a shot list, and more. As you probably know, great preparation is everything, and it can be the difference between awful and awesome. (For more helpful advice on prep, check out the ABC’s of filming on a phone. Easy to read, impossible to forget).
3: The Time and Effort
You may have drastically reduced your tech budget by shooting with an iPhone or Pixel 8, but you should never make cutbacks to the time and effort it takes to create something you’re proud of. However, you can definitely shave off some precious time if you’re using an app like Cinebody, and it’s not cutting any corners; it’s making smart choices. With the app, the footage you capture is instantly uploaded to the cloud and goes straight to an editor who can get to work. You really can go from shoot to finished product in just a few days, not weeks.
Then, think carefully about the camera movements you need to make. Consider the b-roll footage you need; it’s way harder to get once the production has wrapped. Craft this video as if you were shooting it on a six-figure piece of equipment. Attention to detail matters, no matter how big or small your production is.
Don’t cut corners. Don’t think small (Apple certainly didn’t). And don’t go bargain basement on everything. You’ll come out with a stunning piece of video that could easily scoop up an award or two, along with thousands (or even millions) of views around the world.
