I spoke to professional videographer, Bruce Garrod from Gingerbeard Media. This was part of a webinar I ran for the business owners I mentor. Bruce taught us how to create better video content with our phones. He covers the fundamentals of filming, lighting, audio, framing, composition, camera techniques, editing tips and the tech needed to get the most out of your phone.
Here’s a summary of Bruce’s advice:
Shooting Fundamentals
- Use the rear-facing camera on your phone (not the selfie cam) for better quality and to maintain eye contact with the viewer.
- Shoot in 4K for maximum resolution, especially if you might crop or repurpose the content.
- Clean your lens before shooting, dirty lenses are a major cause of poor image quality.
- Have a plan before filming, even a rough idea of framing, story, or questions will massively improve the result.
Audio Quality
- Audio matters more than video, people tolerate poor visuals, but they’ll skip videos with bad sound.
- Invest $200–250 in a wireless mic (e.g. RØDE or Hollyland), it’s more important than a new camera.
- Avoid handheld mic trends unless you really want the look, they can be distracting and unnecessary.
- Wireless mics with magnets are discreet and effective, especially for movement demos and walkthroughs.
Tripod Use
- Buy a simple tripod, $25 is enough to immediately improve angles and stability.
- Avoid shooting from the floor, eye-level or slightly elevated shots feel more professional and intentional.
- A tripod frees your hands, eliminates the need for balancing phones on dumbbells or water bottles, and helps you maintain consistent framing.
Lighting
- Natural light is your friend, use it whenever possible instead of overhead gym lights.
- Test different areas of your gym at different times of day to find the best-lit spots.
- Avoid harsh top-down lighting and roller doors that create extreme shadows. Consistency, not brightness, is the goal.
- If your footage looks green, it’s probably your artificial lights, you may need to adjust or turn some off.
Framing & Composition
- Use the ‘rule of thirds’, place your subject slightly off-centre, not dead-centre in every frame.
- For talking head videos, shoot vertically and look directly at the lens for connection.
- For b-roll (e.g. training footage), film from the front or a ¾ angle, show the face and movement, not just backs.
- Fill the frame with the subject, don’t make your audience squint to find the action in the background.
Camera Movement
- Use deliberate, purposeful movement, don’t just press record and hope for the best.
- Three basic moves to start with:
- Pan, horizontal movement across a scene.
- Tilt, vertical movement up or down to reveal.
- Orbit, circle around the subject while keeping them centred.
- Add layers to shots, foreground (e.g. gym rings), mid-ground (subject), and background to create depth and cinematic feel.
Editing Tips
- Keep videos short and punchy, even shorter than you think is necessary.
- Cut out dead space, start and end recordings with extra time so you can trim precisely.
- Don’t show full sets or workouts, highlight a single key movement or moment.
- Use editing apps only for trimming, no need to overproduce with filters or transitions for social.
