How do I use an iPhone for pro filming cheap-but-good?

March 20, 2022 1:26 PM

I recently got an iPhone 13 Pro because I needed a new phone and was impressed by the camera. Now I want to make my shots a little better with a minimum of gear, what should I do?

I recently got an iPhone 13 Pro, because I needed a new phone and I was really impressed by the camera.

I'd like to take better film and video with it, which to my mind means (in order of importance, I think?):

- Lighting
- Tripod / steadying gear
- Mic

What have people found works for them in this space? Any other advice that people have on this is definitely welcome.

posted by phildini to Technology (4 answers total)

For video, you do totally need a tripod. I buy this one, I buy two at a time because I leave them everywhere. A remote is nice but optional if you do not want to install apps from China. (Yes that's an evil fast fashion website, but the exact same tripod sells on Amazon for 3 to 4 times as much, same of I buy it locally. It is the same tripod, and they are all made in China.)

Lighting I would get a ring light on a tripod. A bigger ring is better but I don't know what you're shooting. The LED colour option is fun. (You definitely won't lose it, because it's a fucking pain to cart anywhere.) I use mine specifically for venue shots indoors in low lighting in rooms with no natural light. If I took selfies or portraits I'd use it more; the ability to mount the phone on the same ringlight tripod is great.

I can't speak to the sound issue as I've never done sound rigging to my phone but I would 100% take advantage of the Lightening pairing for a wireless lavalier mic that can double as a directional mic.

Take all of this with a lot of salt; my phone photography use case is solid photos for marketing and press, which is when I use the above, and my own photos for Instagram where I just turn the phone upside down, brace it on a table, and shoot.

PS: You do need an editing app. I like Color Story because it does everything for you, you don't need to learn to use Lightroom or anything.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:04 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

Smallrig makes a bunch of stuff for people who shoot with phones. Their Instagram is a good source of ideas for shooting setups.

I don't shoot with phones, but I use a lot of their products for commercial shooting with mirrorless cameras.
posted by bradbane at 4:00 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

People are willing to accept less-than-perfect images, but poor audio ruins the whole project. If people can’t understand the dialogue, nothing else matters.

Second, lighting is huge. It doesn’t have to be expensive.

Tripods and steadying equipment can be improvised and handled on the cheap. A simple phone clamp and a block of wood can suffice.
posted by bug138 at 4:45 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

Not sure if you've looked at any of Apple's advertising of their phone cameras, but there are a bunch of filmmakers who've made great looking work on iPhones. They've all got access to great ancillary hardware and other resources of course, but the other important factor is that they are good at filmmaking.

Across the creative pursuits I'm involved in - music and still photography mainly - one thing that is consistent is that talented people do great work regardless of their equipment because they're good at their craft.

So, as well as getting yourself some good hardware, which is always helpful, I'd recommend some kind of study, even if it's just carefully analysing and attempting to recreate the work of filmmakers you admire. Copying the greats is a longstanding and venerable tradition in the arts.
posted by mewsic at 9:56 PM on March 20, 2022