Modern smartphones are absolutely sufficient for shooting high-quality videos. Recently, film professionals demonstrated this by filming typical TV footage with a mobile phone as an experiment.
Mars on Earth: The Documentary, Filmed with a Smartphone
When filming, there are no rules. The only thing that matters is good content.
– this is the freely translated quote from cameraman Casey Curry, who filmed impressive landscape shots at the perceived end of the world with a crew of adventure enthusiasts: 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 days of shooting:
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 that of expensive professional equipment, but it is definitely good enough for display on a laptop, tablet, or PC.
You can watch the video here:
Note: The obvious goal of this documentary was to advertise the Google phone “Pixel 3”. However, the quality of other modern smartphones is definitely comparable.
Good quality on TV = very good quality on smartphone or tablet
US comedian Jimmy Fallon also wanted to prove that modern smartphones come close to 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 all the more so for playback on a mobile phone or tablet!
Our eyes are arranged horizontally – that’s why you should also film horizontally with your smartphone.
Please do not film vertically!
One mistake you should avoid when filming with mobile cameras is holding the smartphone vertically! Our eyes are arranged side by side and not one above the other – and our regular playback devices like TV, laptop, or tablet are also oriented in landscape format for this reason.
At least 80% quality with a maximum of 20% effort and 0% cost
We at blink.it are also convinced that high-quality videos do not require expensive equipment. The advantages are obvious:
You nearly always have your smartphone with you.
It’s lightweight and fits in any jacket pocket.
You incur no additional costs for filming.
With the right app, you can edit your video directly on your smartphone – and upload it to the platform of your choice!
With the smartphone, you achieve not only good quality at zero extra cost but also have a very practical and handy tool for your filming.
Tips for Filming with a Smartphone
The quality is good enough – however, you can still make some typical beginner mistakes when filming with a smartphone. Holding the phone vertically is just one of them. You should also avoid shaky footage or poor sound when filming.
Find out now on our informative webpage,
how to create a video concept
what a practical cheat sheet for filming can look like
what equipment you need beyond the smartphone for filming
how to ensure good sound, good lighting, and a good setting
how to professionally edit your video directly on your phone or PC
and what videos shot this way can look like in online courses.
Have fun with affordable, practical, AND high-quality video shooting with your smartphone!
