This article was taken from the February 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Don't wait until you have the perfect camera to shoot a movie; use the one in your pocket, says Luis Juarez of the indieFone festival.
All smartphone cameras improve every year, but iPhones are the device of choice for artists and filmmakers. Have a play with some of the apps and accessories, but remember: masterly movie-making is not really about tech. "The story is the most important piece of the craft," says Juarez. "Know your story inside out before you even pick up your phone."
Hold your phone horizontally
It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people shoot vertically. Unless your TV is also portrait-oriented, it's a bad idea. "All movies are shot horizontally," says Juarez. "Because that format emulates the way humans watch the world."
Tap to Focus
Before you start shooting, get into the habit of tapping the subject on your screen to pull focus on it. "Sometimes the iPhone's screen is too small to see all the details and we think the subject we want to shoot is in focus, but it isn't," says Juarez.
Think about exposure
Do you want your video to look dark or bright? iPhones have a way of locking the exposure when you focus by tapping the screen. "But you can get better results with FiLMiCPro [£2.99]," advises Juarez. "This app converts your iPhone camera to manual."
Keep it steady
iPhones don't have tripod mounts, so steady footage can be a challenge. "Hold your camera with two hands instead of one and keep your elbows close to your body," says Juarez. "There are tripod mounts available for iPhones, such as the Olloclip case."
Frame carefully
"Don't slap your subject in the middle of the image -- set it slightly off-centre," says Juarez. Imagine the screen divided into a 3x3 grid. To achieve a good composition quickly, position your horizon on one of the horizontal lines and your subject at an intersection.
Get used to manual zoom
To get up close to your actor, you have to put your iPhone in his or her face. "To zoom, move backwards or forwards," says Juarez.
What if you want to get your actor's whole body in shot? "In that case you'd have to use a wide lens. Try Olloclip's lenses."
Focus on sound
Audio is more important than you think. "People accept bad images but not bad audio," says Juarez. But sound is the Achilles' heel of many phones -- the mic is easily buffeted by wind. "You must record with a shotgun mic plugged in," says Juarez.
Master the editing
"Tying your shots together, adding music and colour correcting will all make your story more attractive," says Juarez. The iMovie app is very user-friendly. See what's possible.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
