Camera & Tech
Your phone defaults to convenience, not quality. These five toggles unlock what the sensor can actually do.
Use the back camera
Always shoot on the main rear lens (1×). The front selfie camera has a smaller sensor and visibly lower quality.
Clean the lens
Wipe the lens with a microfiber cloth (or your shirt) first. Smudges read as cloudy, hazy footage.
Resolution & frame rate
Set the camera to 4K resolution at 24fps — or 30fps only if 24 isn't available.
4K · 24FPSTurn OFF HDR Video
Disable HDR Video in settings (especially on iPhone). Standard range gives our colorists room to match studio grade.
Lock focus & exposure
Tap and hold on your face until AE/AF Lock appears. This stops the brightness and focus from drifting while you move or speak.
This is the lens you want
On the back of the phone, the glowing ring is the main 1× lens — the biggest sensor and sharpest glass. Ignore the dimmed 0.5× ultra-wide and 3× telephoto. And never flip to the selfie camera.
Match your screen to this
Open your camera or phone settings and set each switch exactly like the mockup. Green = on, grey = off. The HDR toggle is the one people miss most.
Lighting
Get light right and almost everything else forgives itself. Get it wrong and no edit can save it.
Face a large window
Stand facing the window so soft natural light hits your face directly and evenly.
Never backlight yourself
A bright window behind you turns your face into a dark silhouette. Keep the light source in front.
Kill overhead & mixed light
With good window light, switch off ceiling bulbs. Daylight mixed with yellow indoor light makes skin tones look unnatural.
Shoot in daylight, softly
Film during the day but avoid harsh direct sun on your face. An overcast day, or stepping back from the window, is the most cinematic.
Face the window — light falls evenly on your face.
Window behind you = dark, flat silhouette.
Framing
How you place the camera and yourself in the room decides whether the shot looks intentional or improvised.
Shoot horizontally
Turn the phone sideways into landscape mode. Always.
Frame a medium shot
Capture from mid-chest up to just above your head. Not too tight, not too wide.
Lens at eye level
Position the phone exactly at eye height — never angled up or down. Use a tripod or prop it on books to keep it steady.
Create depth
Leave 1.5–2m (5–6ft) between you and the wall. The gap gives a natural background blur and depth of field.
~1.5–2m of separationTidy, not empty
Keep the background clean and professional but lived-in. Plants, a bookshelf, or a neat office work far better than a blank wall.
Land yourself in the frame
A medium shot: from mid-chest to just above your head, with a little headroom. Turn on your camera's grid and put your eyes near the upper third line.
Eye level & breathing room
Prop the phone so the lens sits level with your eyes — not tilted up from a desk. Then leave 1.5–2m to the wall so the background falls into soft blur.
Audio & Take
Clean sound and clean edit points are invisible when done right — and impossible to fake later.
Silence the room
Close windows and doors. Switch off fans, AC, and any hum before you record.
Project clearly
Speak toward the phone. If you're too far away, the voice sounds thin and distant.
Give the editors handles
Hit record, hold 3 seconds of silence looking at the lens, deliver your message, then hold 3 more seconds before stopping. Those quiet tails are what let us cut cleanly.