Hell half the stuff we get from Lumberjack is shot on a phone. Some of it's even pretty good. Some of it ;) The quality isn't the issue. The things are better than broadcast cameras 10 years ago. But like I say. Just cause you can buy a hammer doesn't mean you can build a house.
Why phone footage isn't a problem
Like I said the camera doesn't matter. What does matter is that there's a story and perhaps the framing and probably the most important thing is the audio. Man.. audio is important. Anyway a phone in steady hands can do all of this. We've built a business editing footage that was never meant to end up in a finished video, shaky handheld clips, family archives, someone's mum filming from a hotel room. The device it was shot on is rarely the thing that decides whether it turns into something good. That's where you and a Lumberjack come into play.
Vertical or horizontal?
Best to pick which one you need and then shoot for it. We can fix it a bit in post but really if this is for a reel then shoot it vertical and if you're playing it on Yama or in a board room please please please flip ya phone.
Before you shoot think about these things. It'll help the lumberjacks and in the end help your edit.
- Get close enough for the audio to actually pick up the voice. I can cut that background noise out and the car and the train and the bus. But I need to be able to hear ya boss before that can happen
- Keep the subject in frame, the edit can crop and reframe but it can't invent footage that wasn't captured.
- Hold the shot. Please hold that shot and count to 5.
- Think I need a wide shot. I need a mid shot. I need a close up. Rinse and repeat. You got this.
- Send everything, even the bits you think are unusable. We'll tell you what's worth keeping. More is better than less.
There's some fun little filming guides on this site. Get a coffee and watch the things. They're a bit of fun and they'll help. Truly. They'll help.
Common questions
Does phone footage cost more to edit? Nope.
Do you need a minimum resolution? Nah. The phones shoot heaps big enough.