Want to Shoot Better Cellphone Videos? Here Are 4 Quick Tips

Remember when taking home movies involved bulky camcorders, temperamental projectors, or clunky reels of film? Well, that’s another relic of our youth that has been handily replaced by the cellphone. And I, for one, couldn’t be happier about it.

Today’s smartphones record pristine, high-definition video that you can easily capture, view, edit, and share right from the palm of your hand. By keeping these 4 important tips in mind, you’ll be creating mini-cinematic classics in no time—or, at least, capturing beautiful memories of family gatherings, holidays, and special events that are well lit, tightly focused, and just plain fun to watch.

Start by checking your video settings. Make sure that you’re using the highest quality setting possible; for high definition video, this is 1080p. Use “HDR” (high dynamic range) to get the best color and clarity. And turn on the motion stabilization option, if you have it, to keep your shots steady.

Be aware of your environment—shooting in natural light, or at the very least a well-lighted area, will always yield the best-looking video. To make your shots a little tighter, move closer to your subject if possible. This way, you’ll avoid using your camera’s zoom, which often produces pixelated, distorted images.

Remember that video creates very large files, which will use lots of storage. Try saving videos to an SD card, or to cloud storage, to preserve your device’s memory. Though it seems like a natural thing to do, avoid narrating if possible—when you’re taking video with your device, you are much closer to the microphone than the person you’re filming, so your voice will be extra loud.

Finally, for a much better viewing experience, be sure to turn your phone to the side and film video in the horizontal, or landscape, position. In addition to capturing more of the scene, it will fill much more of the screen when being played back on a phone, laptop, tablet, or other display device.

Turn your home movies into art with these simple, effective tips. Who knows? Maybe your next “Family Movie Night” will be spent watching your own newly created masterpieces!

 

13 Thoughts on "Want to Shoot Better Cellphone Videos? Here Are 4 Quick Tips"

  1. Sandra Rorrer says

    Tried to post a comment on fb and it would not happen for me. Great that you are giving phones to your customers. I hope thattoday is my lucky day and I recieve one Happy Holidays!!!

  2. Debra says

    We would like our bill sent to us now. We do not want to continue auto pay

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for reaching out to us, Debra. I reviewed your account, and I see that we were able to make this change for you. If we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!

  3. Janet Slivinski says

    Thank you. Merry Christmas& Happy New Year.

  4. richard sims says

    Do you have a tutorial for iPhone photos etc?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thanks for asking, Richard. We recommend you check out the Apple Support channel on YouTube here. They offer some great videos that walk you through some of the popular camera features on your iPhone. We’re also here to help you with any questions at 888-345-5509 if you need us. We appreciate you taking the time to post, and we hope you capture some great memories!

  5. Naida Green. says

    Consumer Cellular. I have a Moto G4 Play android phone. Recently changed carrier from ATT to Consumer. When someone send a photo with a text it take about 20 to 30 minutes trying to download (little circle going round and round). Then, finally see an arrow pointing down that says, Tap to download. If tap process starts all over again. Can’t see what was sent.

    • Hi Naida, thanks for your question. In order to receive a picture by text message, cellular data has to be active. We would be happy to help you out with this and perform troubleshooting if necessary. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509. We look forward to getting this resolved for you, have a great day!

  6. jerry arrand says

    35min on hold still

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We apologize for any time spent on hold, Jerry. Thank you for your patience as we train new customer account advisors to assist our customers. We are happy to help you at 888-345-5509 if you like, so please don’t hesitate to call us at this time. Thank you for your feedback, and we look forward to speaking with you!