Let’s face it. At least 65 percent of the planet owns some kind of mobile device – cell phone, portable music player, GPS navigator etc… and mobile technology is becoming smaller, faster and, well…mobile-er. Because of this, 25 percent of cell phone users world-wide have used their devices to shoot video. Most of these videos are deleted or forgotten about – never to see the light of day and much less, the silver screen.
Mobile filmmaking is gaining a presence for itself simply because these devices capable of video capture are always where the action is (for example, at the karaoke bar around the corner) and ‘directors’ are coming up with better material and better production methods every day. Here are some tips for making your next mobile masterpiece a hit.
They say that it is easier to forgive poor video quality than it is to forgive poor audio quality. Mobile filmmaking is no exception to this and until your flip phone has its own stereo condenser mic built into it, you should always record audio separately using a digital recorder and some decent-quality microphones.
Although no amount of editing can fix bad camera work, some patience and the right tools can put you on the right path to success. Keep your shooting short, sweet, and stable if you can help it. Shorter shots mean less room for wobbly camera work.
Being able to export video from your mobile device to a familiar format (ie Apple’s Quicktime or Windows Media) is a definite plus because the most popular video editing software titles support a multitude of formats.
Mobile filmmaking is still very much in its infancy and we at ACEFEST urge you to go out and experiment with different techniques and subject matter. Who knows, the next thing you shoot on your cell phone could be the next viral video sensation!