Tips for using Android phone to record video

Choosing apps for your Android phone

Add one of these Video apps for Android devices.

First choice; use the camera app you’ve already been using, like the stock camera app that came with your phone.Most camera apps also shoot video, so just go for it. Hit the video button!
Third-party apps we’ve talked about, like Open Camera, also work well.
However, some video-specific apps can give you more professional control and features, so consider them. Ex. Cinema FV-5 ($4.50 USD) is a great choice that works well on both high-end phones and more basic smartphones.

Considerations of using Android phone as video camera

Setting up your video camera. Here are things to think about!

Storage on your phoneVideo footage takes up much more storage than any other kind of media
1. Can you clear your library and delete apps you don’t use?
2. Add storage by adding an SD card, if your device allows it
Battery lifeVideo shooting really uses your battery quickly
1. Be sure your phone is charged before you go out to shoot some footage
2. Keep a car charger handy and use it
3. Purchase an external battery pack and cable

Video Settings

Now you’re ready. Let’s fire up an app.

Open Camera App – [screen image showing default shooting mode]Tap the video camera icon
Settings Menus – some are specific to video shooting

Settings: Video Resolution

Refers to the basic size of the video frame
Most video is presented in Full HD, 1920×1080 pixels
4K resolution is slowly becoming more standard, 3840×2160 pixels.Be aware that 4K video clips are MUCH larger than Full HD clips, so you’ll fill your memory much faster.
Tip: Full HD will cover most of what you’ll want to do

Settings: Video bitrate:

Generally, a higher bitrate means higher quality, but it takes up a lot more storage.
Tip: 20-50Mbps is fine quality for most uses

Settings: Video frame rate is how many frames are captured each second.

24fps is the same as most movies are filmed. Use this if you want a more “film-like” look.
25fps is the frame rate of television shows in most of the world. This is a good one, if you don’t live in the U.S.
30fps is the standard in the U.S. and a few other countries
Higher frame rates, if your phone is capable, are good for shooting slow-motion footage. We won’t go into that detail

For other settings, refer to the app help functions and tutorials

Note: You may be able to set these for what you normally want to shoot and not have to set them

Image controls

Remember that we want to control what the image looks like, not depend on the automatic functions of the camera.

On the main camera screen, be sure you’re in video mode – the little film camera icon.

Your manual controls are set by the little icons (three dots) in the upper right corner
First, touch the little ‘vertical dots’ icon

Focus – the app will be in auto-focus when you first launch it.

“m” – Manual focus works two different ways, depending on your device
1. On a higher-end phone (using Camera2API in Android) you will let you use a slider to adjust focus. On more basic devices, you can tap to set and lock the focus.

You want to look at the second row of icons to set a focus mode.

“A” is automatic focus
The “flower” is for focusing very close to the lens
The ‘lock’ is a good mode for most shooting; it lets you tap to set and lock the focus on an object in the scene.
The “m” icon is for manual focus using a slider if your phone supports the feature.
Tip: try the “lock” or “m” icon to start

Exposure

White balance

This is set again using the vertical dots icon
Tap the icon and scroll to the White Balance menu
The simplest way to set white balance is to choose a preset
1. Incandescent: if your main light is coming from incandescent bulbs
2. Fluorescent: if you main light is coming from fluorescent bulbs
3. Daylight is best for bright sunlight outdoors
4. You can test each choice – there are more – to see what looks most natural to your eye. That’s the goal, just normal colors.

For a video-specific app, like Cinema FV-5

How to hold your phone

For most uses, hold your phone sideways, in ‘landscape’ mode. This is the way most films are shot and presented
God made our eyes side by side. (That’s one argument!)
It will make your footage usable in most kinds of projects
However! Many people shoot ‘vertically’ in ‘portrait’ mode. It’s natural for people to do this if you know that you will share your footage only in vertical mode. Examples: Stories on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook
Instagram TV (IGTV)
Messages you share to people on mobile devices
1. When in doubt – hold it sideways – horizontal – landscape – do it! For most uses, hold your phone sideways, in ‘landscape’ mode. This is the way most films are shot and presented
God made our eyes side by side. (That’s one argument!)
It will make your footage usable in most kinds of projects
However! Many people shoot ‘vertically’ in ‘portrait’ mode. It’s natural for peopleDo this if you know that you will share your footage only in vertical mode. Examples: Stories on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook
Instagram TV (IGTV)
Messages you share to people on mobile devices
When in doubt – hold it sideways – horizontal – landscape – do it!

How to make your video footage look more professional

Set up your camera properly, before you begin to shoot!
1. Learn and practice with your basic video settings
2. Learn and practice with your camera app image controls
Hold it steady
1. Use a tripod or other mounting system
2. If hand-held, use two hands and tuck in your elbows to your body to better support the camera
Move the camera slowly as you follow action or show a scene so your audience doesn’t get dizzy!
Zoom with your feet, not your camera app. If you want a closer shot, move closer.
Think about where the light is coming from

Video Shooting Process

Let’s walk through shooting process for a couple of kinds of video

ACTIVITY – Shooting a simple interview

Jump down to the Activity section and follow the plan there.
After you’re done, gather the group together to talk about shooting an event video

Shooting an event or place

[This VIDEO is a good introduction to shooting a place or event: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0z-UlrPUCfGbi1GSHAzRUlVU1E/view?usp=sharing]
Learn about what you’re seeing
Find the “story” in the event you’re filming
1. Are there some main “Characters” in the scene?
2. Be sure to give the audience a good view of the “Setting” of the event
3. Capture the “Action” of the event from different angles and creative shots so you have more footage to work with when you edit.

A 5-Shot Sequence technique can help you cover an event or activity with a sequence of shots to help you make a more interesting edited program. See the link in the Power Links section. http://www.mulinblog.com/five-shot-sequence-tutorial-and-example/

Reader Interactions