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How to Vlog With Your Smartphone
Janine van der Kooij - Vink
Vlogging with your smartphone
Making videos has become an inseparable part of our lives — whether you do it with your smartphone, camera, or professional gear. Creating and sharing videos is fun. The cameras in smartphones keep getting better in terms of quality, which makes it even easier to create a vlog with your phone yourself. Want to start vlogging with your smartphone? We've put together a few tips to make smartphone vlogging even more accessible.
Plan your story in advance
Make sure you know in advance what you want to tell with your vlog and which footage you want to show alongside it. That way, you'll always have the right footage to work with when it's time to edit. You can even create a script or storyboard. By the way, you don't need to film in chronological order — during editing, you can easily put your footage in the right sequence. One more important tip: when writing your script, always think about your target audience. Who are you making your vlog for, and why?
Film horizontally
We often hold our phone upright while filming, but if you want to watch the content back on a computer or television, the image won't fill the screen. That's why we recommend turning your phone a quarter-turn and filming horizontally. It can be tricky to hold your phone steady horizontally for a long time while also filming. Luckily, there are very handy holders for exactly this. Think of the Shoulderpod, for example — a professional holder for your smartphone. Place your smartphone in the universal clamp and film away comfortably and steadily thanks to the wooden handle.
Make sure you have good audio
It's often forgotten, but the audio of your video may be the most important factor for a good end result. Your smartphone's microphone is designed to pick up sound from all directions. Very useful when making calls, but not when you want to film a vlog. Because this way, you'll hear all the ambient noise and the sound of your voice often gets lost. The Australian brand Rode offers several solutions for this:
Rode Videomic ME
Do you have a smartphone with a 3.5mm jack? Then you can connect the Rode Videomic ME directly to it. This is a compact and lightweight directional microphone that you plug straight into the iPhone's microphone/headphone jack. This microphone only picks up the sound it's aimed at, so you'll have far less trouble with ambient noise.
Rode SmartLav+
The Rode SmartLav+ is a handy lavalier microphone that you can connect directly to your iPod, iPad, or smartphone, and that you can easily clip onto your clothing. This microphone only picks up sound from very close range, so you won't hear any ambient noise at all. Even in very busy and noisy spaces, the Rode SmartLav+ works well.
Adapter cables
The connection on a phone looks very similar to the one on a camera, but you can't simply plug a video microphone straight into your phone. The plug on a video microphone has three rings (TRS), while the phone needs one with four (TRRS). Rode has a solution for this too. With the SC4 adapter, you can still connect your video microphone to your phone, and with the SC3 adapter, you can also connect the SmartLav+ to a camera. A clever little trick to know whether you have the right adapter in hand is to look at the connector on the plug. Black is for a camera (TRS), gray is for a phone (TRRS).
Wireless microphone
If you want to be able to move around completely freely, you'll need a wireless microphone with a transmitter and receiver. With the Rode Filmmaker Kit, you get a receiver you can connect to your phone and a transmitter with a built-in lavalier microphone (like the SmartLav+). The system uses a Series II 2.4 GHz 128-bit encrypted digital transmission signal that continuously switches between frequencies and monitors them to select the strongest signal. The kit offers a high signal-to-noise ratio and delivers high-resolution 24-bit 44.1 kHz digital transmission within a range of 100 meters.
Rig it up
If you want to use a video microphone with your smartphone, you might be wondering how to mount it. Shoulderpod has a solution for that. The S2 (the basic set) from Shoulderpod is fully modular and can be expanded with handles, plates, screws, and cold-shoe mounts. On this, you can attach your microphone or, for example, a light.
Stabilization
To keep your phone steady, there are special smartphone gimbals. These have multiple (motorized) axes that keep your phone nicely stable and horizontal. Here you can browse all the gimbals and grips for your smartphone.
Quiet on set
Want to film undisturbed? Then put your phone on airplane mode. That way, you'll prevent calls and notification sounds from your phone during filming. You won't be interrupted by incoming calls while recording, and there will be no beeps from messages or emails in your vlog or video.
Power up
Making videos puts a lot of strain on your smartphone's battery. A power bank for on the go is therefore not a luxury you can do without.
