Smartphone Cinematography 101: Learn to Shoot Mobile Video

Here we define cinematography and provide the setup for how we approach it in this mobile filmmaking course.

General definition and overview of the Cinematographer and key crew.

Learn the fundamentals of cinematography and you'll be able to work on any kind of production in the future.

In this lesson we define composition & framing and do an overview of how to use them. Learning this will enable you to create visually interesting images with the right emotion to help tell your story.

The Rule of Thirds is one of the most fundamental concepts to understand as it relates to composing an image, regardless of the kind of camera you use or project you make.

Static & Centered composition overview.

Dynamic composition overview.

High angle framing overview.

Low angle framing overview.

Side angle framing overview (along with "interview" framing/composition).

Framing dutch angles overview.

Over The Shoulder (or OTS) framing & composition overview. This can be used in a variety of ways - in movies, interviews and a lot more.

General overview of lenses and shot size as it relates to framing. Always keep in mind that there is a reason behind every shot.

Learn the basics of composing and framing vertical video. But please ONLY shoot vertical for social media, otherwise shoot horizontal! :)

Stage direction and "The 180° Rule" are very important concepts to understand in cinematography.

PRO TIPS: Additional related info that will help make your videos & films better!

Download several reference images below from the Stage Direction lesson on how to utilize the 180 Degree Rule.

Lighting 101 overview for shooting an interview in a typical interior office building space. This is an introduction into using a traditional 3-Point lighting scheme, but adds in an additional background light.

(Video camera app used was FiLMiC Pro, but could be any app you prefer.)

Overview of basic light modifiers to control and shape light. And please note, we go over how to use these in several upcoming lessons.

An overview of using reflectors on an interior setup (also called by the brand name FlexFill).

Soft light is the most pleasing and typically the best way to go, especially when shooting people (and skin tone). In this demo we go over different ways to use silks and diffusers to soften hard/bright light in an interior scene.

Sometimes you don't need to soften the light - you need to reduce its intensity or cut it out completely. In this demo we go over different ways to use nets and flags to reduce and block light in an interior scene.

If you have to shoot in the middle of the day (and in bright sun) make sure you can diffuse the light - or try to shoot in the shade.

Please note: The HDR tone mapping looks better with later gen iPhones when shooting skin tone in bright light, but it is still something to keep in mind.

One of the best times of day to shoot outside is called "Golden Hour". This is the hour either just after sunrise or just before sunset when the light is very warm and pleasing. However, we often call it "hours" as the light is typically very nice for two to three hours within those times of the day.

Or, on the flip side if the sun in not shining and it's cloudy that can also be a good time to shoot as the sunlight is being diffused and tends to be very soft and pleasing especially on people's faces.

When shooting interviews at events or for news stories it's often necessary to use on-camera lights, but they don't always look as good as they could, especially on people's faces. However, there are ways to improve the way they look.

A behind-the-scenes look at the 3-Point Lighting setup used to shoot the intros for this course.

Properly coiling cables is imperative for working on a film set and also just for general upkeep of the gear (including stingers and audio cables).

PRO TIPS: Additional related info that will help make your videos & films better!

Camera movement: Pans & Tilts

Note: The sample shots included are from various movie and TV projects (some shot on smartphones and some not), however, the concepts and techniques could be used in any kind of production.

Camera movement: Handheld

Note: The sample shots included are from various movie and TV projects (some shot on smartphones and some not), however, the concepts and techniques could be used in any kind of production.

Camera movement: Gimbals & Steadicam

Note: The sample shots included are from various movie and TV projects (some shot on smartphones and some not), however, the concepts and techniques could be used in any kind of production.

Camera movement: Dolly shots

Note: The sample shots included are from various movie and TV projects (some shot on smartphones and some not), however, the concepts and techniques could be used in any kind of production.

Camera movement: Jib & Crane shots

Note: The sample shots included are from various movie and TV projects (some shot on smartphones and some not), however, the concepts and techniques could be used in any kind of production.

PRO TIPS: Additional related info that will help make your videos & films better!

This is a general overview and explanation of exposure as it relates to shooting video with both traditional cameras and smartphones (demo using FiLMiC Pro, but information applies to working with any video camera app).

All smartphones today have at least two built-in cameras/lenses, most though have a lot more. In this lesson we cover the pros & cons of using each and make some Best Practice recommendations.

Overview of using video codecs and Apple Log (if using an iPhone).

General look at frame rates from standard shooting at 24fps to slow motion.

General look at how to adjust the focus on a smartphone (demo using FiLMiC Pro, but is similar process in all third-party apps).

PRO TIPS: Additional related info that will help make your videos & films better!

Before you shoot any serious video make sure you adjust these settings on your phone (and this applies to all types of devices, not just iPhones).

This is a general overview of the native iPhone camera app including some how-to training. However, this is not a full tutorial. This section shows what different apps can do (or not do) so that you can decide what will work best for your projects.

NOTE: This section was primarily shot with an earlier version of iOS, and so if you are an iPhone user running a newer version of iOS the camera app will look slightly different, however, the functions are still the same.

This lesson is an addendum to the previous one looking at the native iPhone camera app as now the iPhone 15 Pro/Max or later phones offer Apple ProRes Log. And this really opens the phone up more than ever before to be used in professional shooting scenarios.

When using Apple Log the iPhone dramatically reduces dynamic tone mapping and sharpening, so we now get much more pleasing video results - and it can easily match in with other higher-end cameras (like if the phone is being used as a B-camera).

The Max version also includes a 5x telephoto among other features that are shown in this lesson.

Starting with V7 the FiLMiC Pro app is subscription. This is a first look video at that version of the app.

The 13 series iPhone introduced "Cinematic mode" to their lineup (meaning shoot with a blurry background / shallow DOF simulated look), which is great, but you don't have to use an iPhone 13 to get this look as other apps do a similar thing - and on older devices or Android phones, too.

This video is an in-depth comparison & overview of three iPhone apps that allow you to shoot "cinematic mode" (a.k.a. portrait) style video. The apps are the native iPhone 13 camera app (Cinematic mode), Focus Live and Protake.

Use iOS Shortcuts with Automation to easily set your iPhone up to start shooting video faster. This requires iOS 13 or later and is only available on iPhone or iPad.

Why using external lenses is a good idea on smartphones.

There are lots of lens and phone brands on the market, so this is just a general look and side-by-side focal length comparison of third-party Moment lenses and two of the built-in iPhone lenses.

Here we demo attaching each lens on the iPhone 1X WIDE lens and 2X TELE lens. Lenses shown are the Moment 18mm, 14mm Superfish, 58mm and 1.33x Anamorphic.

Please note that lens compatibility will depend of the phone model you have. Some phones only have two rear-facing built-in lenses and others can have 4 or more.

Neutral Density (or ND) filters are more or less "sunglasses" for your camera.

They help reduce the amount of light that hits the sensor, which for smartphones allows you to shoot with the proper shutter speed to create ideal motion blur (very important).

One of the very first things you need to get is a tripod mount for your smartphone. Here we look at one of our favorites from Shoulderpod along with two portable tabletop style mini tripods.

A tripod is a must-have accessory. Here we look at a photo tripod from Manfrotto and at a fluid head video tripod from Sachtler.

A look at different kinds of camera dollies and sample footage shot with them.

A look why you should consider adding a camera cage to your mobile filmmaking kit.

A look at two portable on-camera style LED lights.

A look at two different sizes of external USB batteries. You'll definitely need to pick one of these up if you plan on shooting a lot of video with your smartphone.

With the introduction of a USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro/Max you can now record video externally to an SSD and more. In this lesson we look at how to do this in the native camera app and Blackmagic camera app, along with what accessories are needed.

You can use the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro/Max to record external video or audio individually, and with the right accessories you can also record them simultaneously.

In this lesson we use the Blackmagic Cam app and look at several options to do this.

PRO TIPS: Additional related info that will help make your videos & films better!

In this lesson we look at additional shooting tips along with some important reminders and "The Secret" to shooting great video with your smartphone.

Short film shot on an iPhone and partially on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K camera. Produced for the 2019 FiLMiC Pro short film contest.

A behind-the-scenes look at the production of the short film "The Movie Star".

Short film shot on an iPhone and a Movi Cinema Robot gimbal and entered into the Moment short film festival.

Winner of the 2018 FiLMiC Pro short film contest (narrative fiction category). Shot on iPhone with additional footage shot on a Canon C200.

Music video shot on an iPhone and a RED Weapon cinema camera.

Starting with the iPhone 13 series phones you can now shoot in "Cinematic mode", which creates a shallow depth-of-field look - like Portrait mode for stills, but here it's for video.

This is a short example using this feature.