What To Do When Using a Phone Tripod
Holding your phone and creating shaky and unstable videos will be a thing of the past. With the help of a phone tripod, you can deliver smooth and stable footage for all your filming needs. The phone tripod provides stability and peace of mind when filming yourself with a phone. Capturing the perfect angle without a tripod can be challenging and potentially risky if you don't have a secure way to position your phone when you are filming. The last thing you want to do when you are filming yourself is to have your phone fall and hit the floor. Here are some tips when it comes to using a phone tripod to film yourself.
Inserting Your Phone
Most phone tripods use a clamp-type holder mechanism to secure your device. Pull up the top bar of the phone holder and then carefully insert your phone into the clamp. Many phone holders have clamps that can extend to accommodate a variety of device sizes. After inserting your phone into the holder, ensure that the phone is secure and steady in place. With your phone secured you are now ready to position your camera to film yourself.
See our post How To Film Yourself For An Interview (Using a Phone) about tips on choosing the right spot to film yourself in.
Positioning Your Phone
Ensure that wherever you place your tripod is sturdy and reliable. With the right location, the phone tripod should make setting up your phone camera’s composition a breeze. Make sure you have a good height and distance between the camera's lens and your face. The distance between you and your phone’s camera should be about 2-3 feet. Some phone tripods come with tripod leg extenders. If you need more height for your phone, extend the tripod legs until you can comfortably look straight into your phone. If tripod leg extensions are not available, consider using everyday items such as books and boxes to elevate your tripod to the height of your eyeline. As always practice common safety sense when elevating your tripod to your desired height. Many phone tripods also offer a ball-head mechanism that allows you to tilt and orient your phone to capture the perfect angle for your setup.
By: Prostock-studio
Landscape or Portrait?
A good phone tripod should make filming in either orientation an easy task. When in doubt, film yourself in landscape (horizontally). It is best practice to film yourself horizontally so you can capture the most of your environment. This format usually works the best to accommodate video projects and their mainstream players. However, be sure to check with your project coordinator to see whether filming landscape or portrait (vertically) works best for your project.
Using Your Phone to Record Yourself During a Video Call Interview.
If you find yourself being asked to film yourself with a phone for a video call interview, you may find yourself needing to use a phone tripod. The phone tripod is the perfect tool to position your phone right above your computer without having to worry about it slipping or falling down. Simply position the phone behind your computer as close to the top of the screen. Keeping the phone near the top of your screen ensures you will have a good eyeline of both your phone and your computer screen while talking to your host.
Phone tripods have many uses for both creative and professional tasks and can be a valuable, safe, and efficient tool to secure your phone while you present information to viewers.