The Ultimate Guide To Shooting Manual Video on Mobile

Shutter Speed

Defined at its most basic level, the “shutter speed” refers to the amount of time the camera’s shutter is open. Think of it as the length of time that your image sensor ‘sees’ the scene you’re attempting to capture in motion.

Most filmmakers follow what’s coined as the “180 rule”. With your camera’s physical shutter, 180 means it's open for half of the exposure and closed for the other half. So at 24fps, you'd have an effective exposure of 1/48. At 50fps, it would be 1/100. At 100fps, it would be 1/200. So on and so forth. Of course, you’re more than welcome to utilize a higher shutter speed, although that is never generally recommended as it will look more haggard.

In many cinema cameras, there’s something called the 180º shutter angle rule; which, if you set it to 180º, it will automatically adjust the shutter speed for you. Granted, some cinematographers like to switch up the shutter speed or shutter angle based on stylistic preference.

ND Filters

If you’re wanting to create a shallow depth of field in your shot by using a wide aperture, but are struggling to find proper exposure, using a neutral density (ND) filter will dramatically improve your chances at catching your shot correctly. ND filters make it possible to maintain your desired exposure settings, while still reducing the amount of motion blur being produced by a slow shutter speed.

Using these little guys can be especially helpful for shooting timelapses or buttery slow motion that require additional tools to perfect the shot. Adjusting each control setting on your phone (such as shutter speed, exposure value, etc.) is made easy on the ND filter.

ISO

ISO is the level of your camera’s sensitivity to available light in the scene. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera.  Always begin with an ISO at the lowest possible number. This will introduce the least amount of noise into the frame, which is crucial for producing an overall high-quality video. High noise levels produced with a high ISO is extremely noticeable in video and can be uncomfortable to stare at for long periods of time.

If you are wanting to shoot in low light – how far can you bump up your ISO without making it look terrible? You’re safe for anything under an ISO of 600, but anything over may either require a tripod or external lighting systems.

White Balance

Not all light is created equal – so it’s imperative to understand the basic essentials of what white balance is how we can adjust it accordingly.

Light sources emit a range of colorful sources known as “kelvin”. No, not the terrible Instagram filter from 2012 (though I see why they got the name), but a colorful spectrum that runs from white/blue to yellow/orange. The cooler the image, the more blue in tone and the warmer the image, the more yellow in tone. Simple, no?

One of the best ways to ensure you’re in the correct white balance setting is holding up a white piece of paper in front of the sensor. Adjust the kelvin setting to a higher number (cool) or a lower number (warm) until the piece of paper looks like white to your naked eye.