Video is an important asset that helps brands tell their stories. It can highlight a significant event, provide viewers with more insight and demonstrate the impact of actions. And, while it is important for brands, it is also important to consumers. Video is highly consumed by those around the United States. In fact, FOX News Channel had 1,836,000 daily viewers in Q4 of 2020, with MSNBC not far behind with 1,442,000 daily viewers.

With the rise of social media, video has also played an important role in distributing news through those platforms as well. On YouTube, one billion hours of video are watched daily and 100 million hoursof video content are watched daily on Facebook.

Luckily, in this day and age, filming high-quality videos for members of the media or for leveraging on social media, is easier than ever. Most cell phones have built-in cameras and high-quality ones at that. Below are three tips for recording a video on your cell phone. 

1. Hold your phone horizontally. This framing fits t.v. and most social media platforms best. It also helps to better capture the scene and background.
2. Consider your background noise. If you are filming outside, make sure that you can be heard over wind, traffic and/or neighborhood pets. If you are filming inside, make sure that other household members are not talking in the background and that appliances such as an air conditioner or heater aren’t too loud.
3. Consider your lighting. Lighting plays an important role, as it helps viewers understand where to look, showcases the interviewee or product and sets the overall mood for the video. Natural lighting does look good on camera, so find an open window or door. Take note of the direction that the light is coming from, so that you can best avoid shadows.

About the author: Andie Mirabal is a visual media enthusiast with a love for telling stories

Published March 30, 2021