Videos that look professional on a phone

A phone video looks professional when the light is in front of you, the mic is close, and the frame is steady. The phone is rarely the weak part.

Evergreen

The cheap upgrades that show up on camera

Face a window or a soft lamp. Do not sit under a ceiling light. Clean the lens. Prop the phone at eye level, not at your chin. A cheap clip-on mic or a wireless mic near your mouth beats the phone mic across the room.

Lock exposure and focus. Shoot 4K if you will crop, otherwise 1080 is fine and easier to edit on the phone. Turn on captions in the edit. Export the vertical file, then make the cover frame a readable picture, not a random middle second.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a gimbal?

Not for talking-head videos. You need it when you walk. For a desk or a stream recap, a stack of books is enough.