How to make a short documentary with a smartphone

Online Videos are enjoying great popularity. 55% of people watch videos online every day and using the word ‘video’ in an email subject line boosts the open rates by 19%. Nevertheless videos are still underepresented in science communication. Although it is quite easy to make a short documentary with a smartphone and some apps. The process is so simple that anyone can make them very easily. In this workshop I show you how to get better video with your smartphone including mistakes to avoid, and general filming tips on stabilization, framing, exposure, focus, lighting, audio, and must have accessories. The final sections presents suggestions for further reading .

Cover Photo: Niccolò Caranti, WikiCon 2016 – Eröffnungsfeier 03, CC BY-SA 4.0

In this workshop I will demonstrate how to create video content with apps and how to upload the material. I will present some of the best video editing applications for Android and iOS devices and the required equipment. Finally, I will give an overview of the basic shooting rules to create raw material that is easy to edit into meaningful sequences. This basic course provides an introduction into video editing on a smartphone. It is aimed at the interested layman and beginners who never edited a video before.

Workshop: How to make a short documentary with a smartphone

Part 1: The best apps for making videos

Part 2: Mobile journalism must haves

Part 3: General filming tips

Part 4: Michael Rosenblum’s “five shot” method for meaningful video sequences

Part 5: Tips for shooting dynamic video interviews

Part 6: Working with video apps

Part 7: How to make a documentary

Part 8:  Further reading

Music „Italian Afternoon“ by Twin Musicom is licensed under a creative commons license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/122/italian-afternoon
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org