Smartphones have become increasingly effective in creating high-quality video along the way High-resolution video mode and ProRes can choose multiple focal lengths from 10-bit video, and super-high framerate, little smartphones on the video front. But having a smartphone in your hand and having an adventure in front of you doesn’t mean you can’t boost your game to differentiate yourself from the competition.
All you have to do is point your camera at your face, press the record, and make a pretty decent video – and many more do. However, if you want to make your production as good as possible and make the most of what your smartphone’s camera has to offer, you can think carefully about how to complement that great visual quality with good audio quality, enhanced lighting. And some form of stability.
I’m sure you’ve heard that audio is just as important as the picture quality of your film, so it makes sense for us to start there.
Myth
As important as image quality is, a Vlog is as good as your footage as well as the audio you’re capturing. While some smartphone makers have put great effort into their built-in microphones, the reality is that any integrated microphone is going to capture a lot more environmental noise than you might plan to capture.
Fortunately, microphone technology has come a long way and now creating a small Lavalia microphone or compact shotgun microphone on your smartphone makes it easier than ever to get audio quality that helps you differentiate your voice.
The Boya BY-M1 Pro is a simple clip-on microphone that cables directly to your smartphone, providing an audio pick-up much closer to your face than the phone’s own mic. |
Generally speaking, when blogging you have two options for an external microphone: a lavalier (lav) microphone or a shotgun microphone. A Lavalia microphone, whether wired or wireless, is usually attached to a piece of clothing near your chest / neck area. Due to its proximity to your face and chest, the lave mic will better differentiate your voice from the surrounding environment, resulting in clearer audio.
A shotgun microphone also helps to detach your voice, but usually mounted on a camera rig (more on the bottom), the microphone is on the subject. With a more focused recording pattern, the shotgun microphone helps to ignore any sound that does not come directly from the subject facing it. Since both Lavalier and Shotgun Mike will get the job done, it comes down to personal preference.
A shotgun microphone, seen in the picture above the Red Shock Mount, helps to minimize environmental noise. |
If you are looking for lavalier mics, Mirfak, Road And Cinco Everyone makes wireless solutions consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. Using a wireless lav kit you can mount the receiver and transmitter to your phone without having to worry about wiring. The Mirfak WE-10, Rode Wireless Go and Syncope P1T kits all have microphones built into the transmitter, so you don’t even have to plug in an external Lavalia mic if you don’t want to.
Featuring a transmitter with a built-in clip-on mic and a USB-C receiver, the Synco P1T is a wireless smartphone audio kit that packs in a clean charging case for storage and refreshments. |
If you prefer to mount a shotgun microphone, Diet, Road And SmallRig Everyone has a compact option that can be attached to a camera rig using a cold shoe mount or 1/4 “-20 mounting point. When you need to connect a microphone to your phone via USB-C and / or 3.5mm audio jack, the cable The setup will be next to the camera so no cable can be seen in your footage.
The microphone that comes with the SmallRig kit is good, but it’s worth noting that its wide receiver arc picks up a lot of environmental noise – which is great when it’s important for vlogs, but not so much when you want to get viewers’ attention. It still suffers from strong winds.
Stability
With such a large camera you want, you want to make sure that the footage of your smartphone is as stable as possible. Many smartphones have built-in image stabilization, but with the built-in stabilization, a phone without decent grip can be uncomfortable to hold at arm’s length and create shaky footage.
Mounting your phone on a tripod or a mini-tripod like this is a great way to avoid cluttered footage, but it does mean you can’t move around much and it can make your film feel a bit static. |
The simplest solution is to get a small tripod designed specifically for smartphones. They usually bend to sit on a flat surface and fall down to create a comfortable grip to hold the length of the weapon during shooting. Joby, Manfrotto And SmallRig Makes all quality options, including something that offers external mounting points for connecting microphones and lights. If you plan to shoot more stand-still footage, it may also be worth getting a larger travel tripod, so you don’t have to rely on a table to keep your phone at eye level while sitting or standing.
Lighting
The SmallRig Professional Phone Video Rig Kit comes with a rechargeable light that can be mounted on a phone cage. It has warm and cool color modes and brightness consistent with ambient conditions |
Vlogging is usually done with available lighting, due to its run-and-gun style. But no matter where you are shooting to make sure you are well-lit, you will want to invest in an LED light. Having a light point on your face during shooting will help to add a little fill light outside and dramatically improve image quality in low light scenes as you don’t have to bump up your phone to capture your face.
There are dozens of options for small and large brands, but you’ll want to make sure that whatever you find fits your needs. Like all light, the larger the source, the softer the light. So, if you are going to get light, go as big as you feel comfortable holding. Lights with a built-in battery are desirable, as it leaves less to handle, but you’ll want to make sure you know when your lights are low so you don’t waste a shot when the battery inevitably leaves.
Having on-camera lighting when taking pictures indoors can make a big difference and help fill in the dark shadows |
Includes offers from some popular options Godox, Lumcube And Apuchar, All of which have credit card-sized LED lights that fit a compact vlogging rig. Depending on which model you go with, you can usually adjust the brightness and color temperature to suit your needs.
Vlogging kits
Holding your smartphone to yourself may be enough for your most initial shots, but once you start throwing lights, microphones and other accessories into the equation, you can ask for a dedicated rig to keep everything in order.
Like the cages you’ll see for popular video cameras and mirrorless cameras, accessory makers have created cages specifically for smartphones, sometimes even going so far as to create a specific cage for a specific model of phone.
Mic mounted under the camera enhances audio with this kit because it keeps the mic close to the speaker’s mouth while the lens is at eye level. |
While model-specific cages can be nice, if you want a little more versatility and futuristic, you might want to consider something along the line. SmallRig’s Professional Phone Video Rig Kit. This $ 169 kit includes an adjustable cage for your smartphone, a pair of handgrip, a tripod, a microphone and all the cables you need to get up and record.
The cage has multiple ColdShow mounts for multiple 1/4 “-20 and a variety of accessories needed for your specific use ৷ even a powerbank holder so you can plug your phone into auxiliary power when you’re expecting to shoot জন্য for extended periods of time.
Nowadays a lot of video content is shown in steep adaptations, so the ability to adapt the Smallerig kit for portrait or landscape shooting is very effective. | The kit comes with a very nice mini-tripod which can double as an extra handle when you want the phone a little away from your face. |
Whether you go with this model or another, the advantage of a dedicated rig is the ability to quickly turn on your phone and run it as your vlogging camera without having to reconnect each accessory whenever you want to start shooting. It is not necessary in any way, but it will definitely make your life easier, especially if your phone has audio gear, lights and other accessories attached.
General tips
Always check your framing before shooting. Since you will want to use the rear cameras on your smartphone, it can be difficult to get the right framing if the monitor is not looking. Do some practice to get used to holding the camera in a consistent position so that your head stays in the frame while walking around.
This will be very clear when you start thinking about what you are going to say after you press the record button. You will hesitate, stumble, say many ‘wrong’ things and talk in circles. Work in advance and practice a little |
Plan ahead. You don’t have to write a complete script, but think about what you want to say in your blog. Keep the main theme straight in your head, decide how you will present it and how you will finish the shot. Try to keep to the point and don’t waste viewer time on self-indulgent rambling — you may be slick, but keep your message short if you want people to finally see it. Pretend you’re chatting with someone in a bar or cafe, slow down a bit and try to relax. You will come across more natural. And smile, given it’s appropriate.
Try to avoid a background that is dramatically brighter or darker than the light on you and be aware of how busy the scene behind you is as it will compete for the viewer’s attention. If you live in a noisy area, talk so that your voice is heard in the environment and try to keep the mic as close to your mouth as possible. Keep the lens at eye level or a little higher, but do not let it look down or up to you. And try to keep the phone steady while you record so that the viewer does not get sick of motion.
Above all, have a good time and make the most of the technology at your disposal. Happy Vlogging!
Disclaimer: SmallRig and Syncho have provided test units for use in this article.