Modern smartphones are absolutely sufficient for shooting high-quality videos. This was recently demonstrated by film professionals who filmed typical television shots with a mobile phone as an experiment.
Mars on Earth: The Documentary, Filmed with a Smartphone
There are no rules when shooting video. The only thing that matters is good content.
– as paraphrased by cameraman Casey Curry, who filmed impressive landscape shots at the perceived end of the world with a crew of adventurers: with a smartphone. The quote refers to Curry's experiment of shooting the entire documentary Mars on Earth: A Visit to Devon Island with a mobile phone.
The conclusion after several shooting days:
A smartphone is much more practical than any professional video equipment; it fits in your jacket pocket and is easy to use.
The quality does not completely match high-end professional equipment but is definitely good enough for display on a laptop, tablet, or PC.
Here you can watch the video:
Note: The obvious goal of this documentary was to promote the Google phone “Pixel 3.” However, the quality of other modern smartphones is certainly comparable.
Good Quality on TV = Very Good Quality on Smartphone or Tablet
US comedian Jimmy Fallon also wanted to prove that modern smartphones can approach expensive professional equipment: His camera team filmed an episode of the “Tonight Show” with the Samsung Galaxy S10.
The message is the same: Why not just use the smartphone to shoot professional videos? If the quality is sufficient for modern television screens, then it is even more so for playback on a mobile phone or tablet!
Our eyes are arranged horizontally—therefore, you should also film horizontally with your smartphone.
Please do not film vertically!
One mistake you should not make when shooting with mobile cameras: Hold the smartphone vertically! Our eyes are arranged side by side, not one above the other—and our regular playback devices like TVs, laptops, or tablets are also designed in landscape format for this reason.
At Least 80% Quality with Maximum 20% Effort and 0% Cost
High-quality videos do not require expensive equipment, and we at blink.it are also convinced of this. The advantages are obvious:
You almost always have your smartphone with you.
It is lightweight and fits in any jacket pocket.
You have no additional costs for shooting the video.
With the right app, you can edit your video directly on the smartphone—and upload it to your platform of choice!
With the smartphone, you achieve not only good quality at zero additional cost but also have a very practical and handy setup for your video shoot.
Tips for Shooting Video with a Smartphone
The quality is good enough—yet you can also make some typical beginner mistakes when shooting video with a smartphone. Holding the phone vertically is just one of them. Avoid shaky images or poor audio during the shoot.
Find out now on our informative page,
how to create a video concept
what a practical cheat sheet for shooting can look like
what equipment you need to shoot, in addition to the smartphone
how to ensure good sound, good lighting, and a good setting
how to professionally edit your video directly on the phone or on a PC
and how videos shot this way can be exemplarily featured in online courses.
Have fun with convenient, practical, AND high-quality video shooting on your smartphone!
