Need ClearPG to edit video for you? Here’s how you can help us help you! Below are some tips and tricks for you to help us get the most out of your footage.
Always shoot landscape!
If you forget everything else you read here, don’t forget this – always shoot your video in LANDSCAPE. Repeat after me: L-A-N-D-S-C-A-P-E.
Every time we get a video from a client that is shot in portrait mode, someone at ClearPG dies on the inside. We’re clearly kidding – but landscape video is the only video we can really work with, so be sure to spread the word in your office to only shoot video in landscape mode.
Shoot in 4k (or the highest resolution you have)
The better the quality of the video, the more flexible and usable it is to us. Not only will it look better, but it’s going to give us the flexibility of zooming into a shot and reframing it without losing quality.
The exact settings we **really** want is 4k @ 24 frames per second.
Attached below are links on how to set that up for both Apple and Androids phones:
Shoot further back than you think
We always recommend people shoot just a bit wider (further back) than their instincts tell them to. What this does is it gives us room to go back in and frame the video exactly how it should be. If you shoot too close, we don’t have any options and we’ll have to use exactly what you give us.
So do us a favor and start where you think you should be, and then back up about 2 feet!
Consider A Tripod or a stabilizer
If your shooting someone who isn’t going to be moving, consider purchasing a tripod for your phone. This is going to help increase the quality of the video as well as reduce the amount of shake in the video.
If you are going to be moving around with your iPhone, we recommend using a phone stabilizer. They’re super cool and incredibly helpful when it comes to providing us quality video to work with. You can get a quality stabilizer for just over $100.
Attached below are some good examples of gear we recommend without spending much:
- Amazon Basics Lightweight Camera Mount Tripod Stand With Bag
- UBeesize Selfie Stick Tripod, 51″ Extendable Tripod Stand with Bluetooth Remote for Cell Phones
- Vastar Universal Smartphone Tripod Adapter Cell Phone Holder Mount Adapter, Fits iPhone, Samsung, and all Phones
- DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Combo – 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal Handheld Stabilizer
Consider A Mic
While this is the last item on the list, it could be one of the most important. One of the biggest issues we have with office-provided video is the sound quality.
We recommend a few things to help people account for this:
- Ask your subject to speak strongly and clearly
- As much as you can, eliminate any background noises (fans, music, computers, vents, etc)
- Consider purchasing a microphone just for your phone.
We’ve attached a link to the microphone we recommend below:
- Movo VXR10-PRO External Video Microphone for Camera with Rycote Lyre Shock Mount
- Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter
Overall
These things will really help us get the most out of your footage. Some might seem trivial but they all make a big difference. It’s going to save you time and money and also make your videos look much better!
If you’re looking to shoot something in the office and have questions, please reach out to our account managers and they can walk you through the details!
Thanks so much!
The ClearPG Production Team