Filming high-quality videos with your smartphone doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require a solid understanding of the settings that impact your footage.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your content, this guide will walk you through the essential settings and techniques to help you film like a pro.
In this post, I’m going to break down the steps for filming a video using your smartphone. I will make references to the Beastcam app. However, these settings are going to be universal.
We’ll go over everything from adjusting your resolution and frame rate to fine-tuning exposure, ISO, white balance, and more.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have the practical knowledge needed to turn all that theoretical camera talk into real-world filming success. Let’s dive in and get your smartphone ready for your next video project!
1. Set Up Your Video Settings:
Before you start filming, it’s important to make sure your video settings are optimized for the best quality. Here’s how to get everything set up:
Resolution:
- Start by checking your resolution setting. For a more detailed image, move from 1280×720 (standard definition) to 4K. This will give you a much sharper image and allow you to crop or zoom in without losing quality.
Frame Rate:
- Set your frame rate to 24 fps. This is the standard for cinematic video and gives your footage a smooth, film-like look. While 30 fps and 25 fps are also options, 24 fps is the go-to for most filmmakers and content creators.
Quality Settings:
- Select High quality or beast quality if you’re using an app like BeastCAM. This helps, if you’re shooting something that requires maximum detail. Just keep in mind that filming in high quality results in larger file sizes.
Bitrate:
- Set the Bitrate to 10-bit HDR (High Dynamic Range) for richer color and more detail in both the highlights and shadows of your video.
- Once your general video settings are in place, you’re ready to move on to adjusting focus and exposure for even better results.
2. Focus and Exposure Control:
Now that your video settings are dialed in, it’s time to focus on getting the right exposure and sharp focus for your shots. Here’s how to do it:
Focus:
- On the left side of your screen, you’ll see a square focus box. Tap on it and drag it to the area you want to focus on, like your subject’s face. Make sure the focus is locked by tapping on it again.
Exposure:
- On the right side of the screen, you’ll find a circle exposure box. Tap on it to adjust exposure settings, which control how bright or dark your video appears.
Locking Exposure:
- After adjusting the exposure, tap to lock it. This will prevent the exposure from changing if the lighting in the scene shifts.
Adjusting Exposure on the Fly:
If you need to adjust the exposure during filming, simply tap on the circle exposure box and slide it left or right to brighten or darken the image.
By focusing on both the sharpness of your subject and getting the exposure right, you’re setting up a solid foundation for the rest of your filming process. Next, let’s tackle white balance to make sure the colors in your video look as natural as possible.
3. Adjust White Balance:
Getting the right white balance is key to achieving natural-looking colors in your video, especially when you’re shooting in different lighting conditions. Here’s how to adjust it properly:
Understanding White Balance:
Tap on the WB (white balance) icon on the bottom left of your screen. This will open the manual white balance settings, allowing you to adjust the temperature of your video.
- Why it matters: White balance helps correct the color tones in your video. Without it, your footage can look too cool (blueish) or too warm (yellowish), affecting skin tones. Learn more about how to master white balance to get accurate colors.
Using Kelvin (K):
- White balance is measured in Kelvin (K). For most daylight conditions, you’ll want to use a 5200K to 5600K setting, which matches the natural daylight temperature. Select the Daylight preset for the most accurate results.
Adjusting for Different Lighting:
- If you’re filming under artificial lighting, you may need to adjust the white balance to match the light source. The presets for Tungsten (for warm light) or Fluorescent (for cool light) can be helpful.
Auto White Balance (AWB):
- If you’re unsure which white balance to choose, switch to Auto White Balance (AWB). This will let the phone determine the best white balance for your scene.
Locking in the White Balance:
Once you’ve found the perfect setting, lock it in by tapping the K (Kelvin) icon to keep it from changing during filming.
- Why it matters: Locking the white balance prevents the camera from automatically adjusting the color temperature as you move between different lighting areas, keeping your footage consistent throughout.
Getting the right white balance ensures your footage looks professional and the colors are accurate. Now that you have the color temperature set, let’s move on to adjusting the shutter speed and ISO for the perfect exposure.
4. Set Shutter Speed and ISO:
The next step in perfecting your video is adjusting the shutter speed and ISO. These two settings have a big impact on the exposure and overall look of your footage. Here’s how to get them right:
Shutter Speed:
- The shutter speed controls how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to light, which impacts how smooth the motion in your video will look.
Rule of Thumb:
- Set the shutter speed to double your frame rate for the most natural motion blur. Since we’re filming at 24 fps, set the shutter speed to 1/48. This gives you that classic cinematic look.
- A shutter speed that’s too fast (e.g., 1/1000) will create a staccato, unnatural look, while a shutter speed that’s too slow (e.g., 1/24) will introduce too much motion blur, making fast-moving objects look too smeared.
Adjusting Shutter Speed:
- Tap on the shutter speed setting and adjust it if needed. Lower the speed to let in more light in darker environments, or increase it for brighter environments. However, make sure you don’t go below 1/48 for the smoothest motion.
- If the shutter speed is too low or high, it can drastically alter the look of your footage. You want to find that sweet spot to ensure both proper exposure and natural motion.
ISO:
- ISO controls the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the brighter your footage will be, but it also introduces digital noise (grain), which lowers the image quality.
Set ISO as Low as Possible:
- Ideally, keep your ISO low (e.g., ISO 34) to maintain a clean, sharp image. If you’re shooting in a well-lit environment, you shouldn’t need to increase it much.
Raising ISO in low light can help brighten your footage, but it comes with the downside of noise. If possible, keep the ISO low to avoid grainy footage, especially in darker scenes.
Balancing ISO and Shutter Speed:
- If your footage is too dark even with the correct shutter speed, increase the ISO slightly. However, be cautious not to go too high, as that will introduce noise.
The goal is to find a balance between the shutter speed and ISO that gives you the proper exposure without introducing unwanted noise or motion blur. A larger sensor can also improve low-light performance—see how sensor size affects video quality.
Once your shutter speed and ISO are properly adjusted, your exposure should be looking great. Now, let’s move on to the final step—adjusting the exposure to fine-tune the overall brightness of your video.
5. Handling Low Light:
Shooting in low light can be tricky, but with the right settings, you can still capture high-quality footage. For an in-depth guide, check out this step-by-step low-light filming guide. Here’s how to manage low-light situations without sacrificing the quality of your video:
Understand the Challenge:
Low-light situations often result in underexposed, grainy footage. To fix this, you’ll need to adjust your shutter speed and ISO, and possibly add external light sources.
Adjusting Shutter Speed:
When you’re shooting in low light, you can lower the shutter speed to let in more light. The downside is that a slower shutter speed can introduce motion blur, especially in fast-moving subjects.
What to do: If the scene is still underexposed, you can drop your shutter speed to 1/24, but be careful—this could make motion look too blurry. It’s important not to go too low to avoid ruining the overall look.
Raising ISO:
The best way to brighten the scene without adding motion blur is by increasing the ISO. However, this will also introduce digital noise, which can degrade the quality of your video.
What to do: Gradually raise the ISO until the exposure looks good. Start with ISO 100 or 200, and if the image is still too dark, increase it further. Just remember that higher ISO values lead to more noise.
Using External Lighting:
If possible, bring in external lights like lamps, softboxes, or ring lights to boost the lighting in your scene. This can help you keep the ISO lower and reduce the amount of noise in your footage.
What to do: Adjust the lighting angle to ensure the light is soft and flattering. Avoid harsh lighting that creates unwanted shadows or overexposure in certain areas.
Digital Noise Awareness:
If you’ve increased ISO too much, you might notice digital noise creeping in. This shows up as grainy, static-like spots in darker parts of your video.
What to do: If noise is present, try to reduce the ISO and add more external light, or use noise reduction in post-production if needed.
- Finding the right balance between shutter speed, ISO, and lighting is key in low-light conditions. By properly adjusting your settings, you can get a bright, clean image without compromising too much on quality.
Once you’ve got your exposure sorted, don’t forget to check your shot and make final tweaks. You should now be ready to handle any low-light situation and still create stunning footage. Let’s move on to the final adjustments and preparing your shot for the best result!
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve made it through the essential steps of filming with your smartphone! By now, you should feel more confident adjusting your video settings, managing exposure, and handling tricky lighting situations. Here’s a quick recap of what we covered:
- Setting up video settings like resolution, frame rate, and quality to ensure your footage looks sharp and cinematic.
- Adjusting focus and exposure to make sure your subject is sharp and the lighting is just right.
- Mastering white balance to achieve natural colors and true-to-life skin tones.
- Fine-tuning shutter speed and ISO to balance exposure and avoid motion blur or digital noise.
- Handling low light by adjusting your settings and using external lighting to improve the scene.
Remember, the key to mastering these settings is practice. The more you experiment with different scenarios—whether in bright daylight or dimly lit rooms—the more you’ll understand how each setting affects your video.
Don’t be afraid to get hands-on and try new things. Filming is a skill that improves over time, and with these tools at your disposal, you’ll be able to create professional-looking videos right from your smartphone.
So, grab your phone, find a subject, and start practicing! The best way to improve is to apply what you’ve learned and keep experimenting.