How to Make a Short Film on Your Phone

Today's phones give more than enough image for a short film; what makes a film look amateur isn't the camera but missing sound, light and planning. Lock the settings by hand (fixed focus and exposure, 1080p or 4K, 24 or 25 frames per second, landscape, no digital zoom), don't leave the sound to the phone's microphone, take your light from the window and keep the phone steady. Spend what money you have on sound first, then on stabilising, and on the camera last.

Phone settings

Shoot landscape. Festivals and screenings are horizontal.
Resolution 1080p or 4K; frame rate 24 fps, or 25 fps (the broadcast standard in PAL countries such as most of Europe). Where 30 fps is the norm, as in North America, that works too — just pick one and keep it for the whole film.
Lock focus and exposure: press and hold on the screen for AE/AF lock. Otherwise the image “breathes” every time the actor moves.
Turn off HDR and automatic “cinematic” effects: the colour won't match in the edit.
Don't use digital zoom; to get closer, move the camera closer.
Airplane mode + do not disturb: a notification in the middle of a take ruins the recording.
Clear the storage, charge the battery fully, bring backup power.

The real issue: sound

The audience's eye forgives; its ear doesn't. The phone's own microphone doesn't work beyond about a metre and picks up the room's echo. The cheapest fix: clip a wired lavalier mic to the actor's collar and record sound separately on a second phone; you sync it in the edit with a clap.

Listen to the sound on headphones after every take. The hum you didn't hear on set can't be cleaned up in the edit. A quiet location is almost always better: turn off the fridge, the air conditioning and the ticking clock.

Light: the cheapest part of the budget

Shoot by day: soft light from a window beats the most expensive lamp.
Have the actor face the window, and put the camera with its back to the window. Do it the other way round and the face falls into silhouette.
Fill the shadow on the other side with a piece of white card or foam board.
Turn off overhead fluorescent lighting: it puts shadows under the eyes.
Night scenes are the hardest job. In your first film, avoid night exteriors.

Stabilising and framing

Handheld shooting cheapens the film unless that shake is part of the story. A phone tripod is inexpensive; if you don't have one, a pile of books, the back of a chair and some tape will do. If you move the camera, move it slowly and in one direction.

Frame at eye level and leave a little space in the direction the actor is looking. Shoot the same scene in at least two sizes: a wide establishing shot and a close-up. Give yourself options in the edit.

In what order should you spend money?

1. Sound: a lavalier mic (this is where the biggest jump in quality is).
2. Stabilising: a phone tripod and a phone mount.
3. Light: reflector card, then a small LED panel.
4. Storage and power: a spare battery, memory.
5. Camera: leave it till last. A new phone won't improve the film until the first four items on the list are sorted.

Checklist

Are focus and exposure locked?
Are you shooting landscape at a fixed frame rate?
Is the sound recorded separately, and have you listened on headphones?
Is the phone steady (a tripod or a solid surface)?
Did you shoot at least two shot sizes for every scene?
Are battery, storage and backup ready?
Before the day ends, have you copied the footage to two separate places?

Frequently asked questions

Will festivals accept a short film shot on a phone?

Yes. Festivals ask about the quality of the file, not the brand of the camera; many ask for at least 1080p, and some ask for a higher resolution or a particular file format. If you meet the technical specs in the rules, shooting on a phone is no obstacle.

Which phone is good enough?

Even mid-range phones from the last few years record 1080p/4K and are good enough. What decides it isn't the phone's price but whether you've solved light, sound and stabilising.

What frame rate should I shoot at?

For a cinema feel, 24 or 25 fps is enough; 25 fps is the broadcast standard in PAL countries, 30 fps in NTSC countries such as the US. Shots you want in slow motion can be shot at 50 or 60 fps and slowed down in the edit.

Can I shoot vertically?

For social media, yes; for festivals and screenings, no. If the film is going to both festivals and social media, shoot landscape and crop vertical versions for promotion.

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