Yes! it is absolutely possible!
Before you set out on your cinematic journey, be sure you are all charged up and have plenty of memory space. You will need good battery life and enough memory to suit the length of your project, but the same is required when using professional cameras, so this just good practice. (Be sure to bring a charger with you too, you never want to be stranded without one).
Fortunately, the quality of most smartphones today is right up there with that of a professional camera, so it just comes down to filming technique.
There is so much that goes into filming an editing exciting videos, so if you’re interested and want to learn more, check out my course dedicated to just that, How to Film and Edit on Your Phone.
Now, to get you on your way, I have put together 3 big tips to help you make incredible videos all on your phone!
3 Keys to Creating a Great Movie All on Your Phone:
1. Hold it Horizontally.
To recreate the “cinematic look,” be sure to always hold your phone horizontally (landscape) as opposed to vertically (portrait). This will prevent the black spaces from appearing on the side of your videos which makes them look amateurish. Holding your phone horizontally results in the same look you’d get from filming with a professional camera. It creates a more professional outcome.
2. Create a shot list and use shot variety.
You want to be sure you film is engaging to watch, so get creative with your shot types and camera movement. Let’s look at some examples:
Shot types:
-Extreme wide shot
-Wide shot,
-Medium shot,
-Medium close-up,
-Close-up,
-Extreme close-up
Camera movements:
-Static shot (still shot)
-Pan (r to l / l to r)
-Tilt (up/down)
-Push in
-Pull out
Creative shots to think of:
-Reveal- move camera from behind object to reveal the subject
-Reverse reveal- move from subject to behind object that blocks the subject
-Low angle (shot low, aimed high)
-High angle (shot high, aimed low)
-Bird’s-eye- if more elevated location is available
Using a variety of shot types and camera movement will make your video much more interesting to watch. Have you ever watched a movie or documentary where it seemed like every shot was the same? It didn't hold your attention for too long, did it? By having variety in your videos, you keep your audience engaged and better position yourself not to lull anyone to sleep.
3. Trust your gut. Creating a movie all on your phone can seem like a daunting task, but it should be something that is fun and exciting. The creative process is great because there are no wrong answers. Now, I am not suggesting you go aimlessly film a bunch of random things and hope to slap it together and have a great movie just because “there are no wrong answers.” (But if that is your cup of tea, then by all means take that approach and go for it!) I mean, take creative risks. Make decisions based on what you think will look good. Enjoy the process of filmmaking and trust your abilities even if this is your first time filming. Believe that you can create great work!
BONUS KEY: ALWAYS film more than you think you need! You never want to sit down to edit and wish you had “that extra shot.” There will still be times where you go to edit and you want/need to film more, but you put yourself in the best position to win when you ALWAYS film more than you think you need!
Have fun, enjoy it, and keep on creating!