A modern phone films well enough for most social video. The difference comes from four things: the settings, the light on your face, a microphone close to your mouth and a steady phone.
Updated · 8 min read
Short answer
To film yourself with a phone, use the rear camera where possible, at 4K or 1080p and 25 or 50 fps: lamps on Europe's 50 Hz mains can flicker at other rates. Lock focus and exposure on your face. Put the phone on a tripod at eye level and face a window or one soft light. Record with a clip-on microphone near your mouth, and before the real take, film a 30-second test and listen to it on headphones.
Frame rate in Latvia and Europe
Film at 25 or 50 fps: lamps on 50 Hz mains can flicker at 30 or 60
Camera
The rear camera is usually sharper than the front one
Microphone
A clip-on microphone near the mouth beats the phone's built-in microphone at arm's length
Focus and exposure
Lock them on your face so they do not drift during the take
Window
Face it; never sit with it behind you
What are the best phone video settings for filming yourself?
Phone video settings to start with
Setting
Choose
Why
Resolution
4K or 1080p
1080p is enough for social media; 4K leaves room to crop
Frame rate
25 or 50 fps
No flicker under 50 Hz lamps; on an iPhone, turn off Auto FPS
Focus and exposure
Locked on your face
Focus and brightness stay put when you move a hand
Lens
The main 1× lens
The ultra-wide lens distorts a face up close
HDR
Off, unless you edit in HDR
HDR footage can look wrong in apps and on platforms that do not handle it
On an iPhone, the video recording settings are in Settings → Camera → Record Video. There you can turn off Auto FPS, which lowers the frame rate to 24 fps in low light, turn off HDR Video, and turn on Lock White Balance and Lock Camera. Lock Camera stops the phone switching between cameras while you record.
Apple's guide to recording video lists the PAL formats used in Europe, HD (PAL) and 4K (PAL), and 25 fps on the models that offer it. In Video mode you change the resolution and frame rate at the top of the screen. To lock focus and exposure, touch and hold your face on the screen until AE/AF Lock appears, as Apple's page on the camera tools shows.
On Android phones the menus differ by maker. Look for a Pro or manual video mode, which usually lets you set the frame rate and lock focus and exposure. The guide to recording a video podcast explains in more depth why Europe films at 25 or 50 fps.
Should you use the front or the rear camera?
The rear camera is usually the sharper one, but you cannot see yourself while you film. There are ways round it:
frame the shot with the front camera, mark where you sit and where the phone stands, then switch to the rear camera;
use a remote or a watch app if your phone supports one: on an iPhone, the Camera Remote app on Apple Watch can start the recording;
film a short test and check the framing before the real take.
The front camera is fine for quick stories and video calls.
How do you light your face with a window, a soft light or a ring light?
Good lighting for filming at home starts with a window. Sit facing it, with the phone between you and the glass. Soft daylight works best, with no direct sun on your face. A window to one side gives the face more shape, because one side falls a little darker.
After dark, place one soft light about 45° to one side of the camera and slightly above eye level. A ring light around the lens gives even, flat light and a ring reflected in the eyes, which suits beauty close-ups and talking-head shots. Ring light or softbox? The choice comes down to the look: the ring is quick and even, the softbox from one side gives the face more depth.
Window, soft light or ring light
Light
Gives
Watch out for
Window facing you
Soft, even daylight at no cost
It changes with the weather and the time of day; avoid direct sun
Window to one side
More shape in the face
The far side of the face can get too dark; a white board or sheet bounces light back
Soft light at 45°
Shape and control, the same at any hour
It needs space beside the camera
Ring light
Even, flat light and a ring in the eyes
It flattens the face, and glasses reflect it
Do not mix daylight and warm bulbs in one shot, or your face will take on two colours.
Turn off the ceiling lamp if it puts shadows under your eyes.
Which microphone should you use for phone video?
An external microphone for the phone improves the sound more than any camera setting.
Microphones for phone video
Type
Good
Watch out for
Wired clip-on (lavalier)
Simple: no battery, no pairing
The cable limits movement; check that it fits the phone's connector
Wireless clip-on
Free movement; a kit with two transmitters records two people
Charging, pairing and interference
The phone's own microphone
Always there
It works only very close, in a quiet room
Clip the microphone to your chest, about a hand's width below the chin, and keep clothes and jewellery from rubbing against it. If the room echoes, soft furnishings such as curtains, a rug or cushions help, and the guide to acoustic panels for recording goes further.
How do you place the phone and frame the shot?
Put the phone on a tripod with the lens at eye level or a little above.
Frame from the chest up, with your eyes on the upper third of the frame and a little space above your head.
A tripod with a built-in light is handy, but light from right beside the lens looks as flat as a ring light.
Film vertical 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, and horizontal 16:9 for YouTube. If you film a whole batch of videos at once, the guide to batch filming social video helps you pick one orientation for all of them.
Choose a tidy background with some depth: a lamp or a plant behind you works, a flat white wall right behind you does not. Before you start, turn on aeroplane mode and check that there is enough free storage.
How do you read a text while filming yourself?
Use a teleprompter app on the phone, with the front camera and the text scrolling close to the lens.
Work from bullet points instead of a full script.
Film in short sections and do several takes.
Look at the lens, not at your face on the screen.
For delivery, reading from a prompter and nerves, see the guide to speaking on camera.
When is a studio worth it?
A studio is worth booking when you need:
more than one camera, or a guest;
the same look across a series;
a teleprompter and studio light without buying any kit.
Video podcast recording in our studio in Riga gives you a 4K camera, professional lighting and a teleprompter at €90 for the first hour, then €60/h. With studio rental you get the lit set for your own phone or operator at €35/h, with microphones and cameras extra.
If you want to work on your delivery or learn to edit, the studio gives lessons in speaking on camera and in editing for €50/h, taught by a film and TV director of photography with 15 years of experience.
Frequently asked questions
4K or 1080p?
1080p is enough for social media. 4K helps if you want to crop in the edit or post on YouTube, but the files take up much more storage.
Why does my video flicker under room lights?
The frame rate does not match the 50 Hz mains that power lamps in Latvia and the rest of Europe. Switch to 25 or 50 fps, and on an iPhone turn off Auto FPS as well.
Do I need a ring light?
Not necessarily. In the daytime a window facing you is enough. A ring light gives flat, even light, while a soft light from one side gives the face more shape.
How do I keep the sound in sync with an external microphone?
A microphone plugged into the phone, or a wireless receiver connected to it, records straight into the video file, so there is nothing to sync. A separate recorder needs a clap at the start of each take, so you can line the sound up in the edit.
Should I switch on aeroplane mode while filming?
Yes, so no call or notification interrupts the take. With a wireless microphone, check that Bluetooth stays on or that the receiver is plugged into the phone.
