Make sure your video is no longer than 4 minutes.
Make sure you own the right to use all music & images on the video.
Make sure your video does not containt unappropriate language, images, or sounds.
Tips for Capturing Better Audio with a Mobile Phone
• Audio quality is VERY important for video. Although video is often thought of as primarily a visual medium, it is really the combination of on-screen visuals + audio that can make it so powerful. When it comes to the overall quality of your video, audio is just as important as the visuals, if not more so. Your audience may be patient with some shaky or out-of-focus footage, if the content is otherwise compelling. But if they can’t hear what is being said, they probably won’t stick around to watch it.
• Minimize the distance between you and your subject. Most cell phones don’t have great built-in microphones. This means physical distance makes a big difference in the quality of the audio you will get. For cell phone video, the closer you are to your subject, the more likely you are to get good audio.
• Don’t zoom in… move closer. For any sort of interview shot, if you want to film a tighter frame, rather than zooming with the camera, physically move closer to your subject. Again, reducing this distance should help improve your audio.
• Listen before recording, then adjust. If filming an interview (indoors or out), just stand and listen to the space you are in for 15 seconds, without anyone talking. Then make any feasible adjustments. Did you notice a noisy AC unit that could possibly be turned off for that room? Street noise from an open window? Noise from down the hall that a closed door could significantly reduce?
• Avoid filming toward traffic or crowd noise. For many stand-up interviews at an event or action, you will have minimal control over sound in the space. But you can avoid pointing the camera right at competing noise sources. If outside on a sidewalk, for example, point the camera away from the street and traffic noise, or away from jobsite noise. If at a union event, maybe go to a quieter hallway or lobby – don’t film your subject with loud, noisy conversations right behind them.
• Avoid filming in windy spots. Wind hitting the microphone on your cell phone will make a lot of noise – noise that can’t easily be reduced or removed in editing, and which might overpower the audio from your subject. If you must film an interview outside and there is some wind, try and do so on the lee side of a wall or tall vehicle – next to anything that might block most of that wind.
Tips for Capturing Better Video with a Mobile Phone Shot Composition
• Frame your image horizontally. For SMART member testimonials or profile videos, it is important to film horizontally with your phone. This enables us to better edit that footage in with other horizontally framed footage shot on regular video cameras.
• Be aware of your background. In particular, watch out for background objects that appear to be sticking out of or going through your subject’s head. Also watch for words on walls, etc.
• Be aware of moving shadows behind your subject. Avoid having your subject stand or sit right up against a wall. This often produces distracting shadows that move around as they speak and gesture. If space allows, simply move your subject a little further from the wall.
Exposure
• Don’t silhouette your subject (unless that is your intent). Avoid shooting with your subject in front of a day-lit window or other bright light source. If you do so, without an additional light shining on your subject, you will lose most of the detail and expressions of your subject in shadows.
• Pay attention to the direction of the sun. If outside, and it’s not overcast, try to orient yourself so the sun is somewhere behind you (as the cameraperson) and shining on your subject. At the same time, avoid having your subject look directly into the sun. Don’t force them to squint. Ideally, you want the sun falling on their face, but without them looking right toward the sun.
Framing
• Don’t always center your subject. Asymmetry can be good! And it is often more visually interesting. For both framing & composition, remember the “rule of thirds” – it often looks better to have your subject’s head at the upper left or upper right intersection of a 3x3 grid in the frame, rather than right in the middle.
• Maintain some “head room,” “chin room” and “look room.” You generally want to avoid framing that chops off the top of your subject’s head, or sticks their chin right at the bottom of the frame. Also, if you have them slightly off center in the frame, have the wide or open side of the frame be the direction they are facing or looking. It will look better and more balanced if they are “looking” into that open side, rather than looking at the edge of the frame right in front of their face.
Camera Shot Types
• Get a variety of shots. You’ll thank yourself later! Especially for any sort of member profile or video that includes worksite or union activity footage, get a variety of shots – long/wide/establishing shot, medium shots, high angle, low angle, close-ups of details of what people are doing or working on, etc.
• Remember to get that establishing shot. This one is easy to forget. But if they are at work, get footage of the outside of the building. If at home, get their house or apartment, or them walking into the building, etc.
Camera movement
• Film some moving shots. A little camera movement goes a long way in making a video more dynamic and visually interesting. In addition to traditional static interview shots, gets some shots that move the camera.
• Types of moving shots. These can include pans (left/right), tilts (up/down), truck or crab (left/right, could be filmed out window of a vehicle), zooms, dolly in or out (wheeled office chair, or just walk smoothly… ) and more.