Equipment Essentials

You can make great flicks with nothing but your phone, but a small kit goes a long way. Here's what matters most, in roughly the order it pays off.

Sound

Sound makes a huge difference in the quality and clarity of your video. Just because you can hear something while shooting doesn't mean it'll sound good in the flick. If it's a noisy environment — crowds, wind, traffic — consider a wired or wireless microphone.

Be aware of background sounds that you stop noticing as you live with them. Turn off fans, air conditioners, and TVs in the background before you start.

If you're narrating and you're the only voice, EarPods or AirPods will give you crisp, high-quality sound at zero extra cost.

What to buy

Your choices depend on what you plan to shoot:

• Just you on camera: a lavalier mic that clips to your shirt.
• You and a friend: a dual-mic that feeds into a single audio jack.
• General scenes that aren't focused on one or two people: a plug-in mic like the RODE VideoMic.
• Wireless: the RODE Wireless Go 2 is the standard.

Lighting

Lighting is the other big factor in perceived quality. A few starter rules:

• Avoid backlighting — situations where the light on your subject is dimmer than the background. This happens when your subject is in front of a window or outdoors with only sky behind them. Phone cameras are far worse than your eye at handling extreme contrast, and your subject will end up as a silhouette.
• Avoid direct sunlight. It casts harsh shadows and makes people squint. The best outdoor conditions are cloudy or overcast.
• Have a decent amount of minimum light. Phone cameras perform poorly in low light — dark shots tend to look grainy and blotchy.
• Use a flashlight or another phone in a pinch to illuminate the foreground.
• Consider fill light, even in a bright scene. If you're shooting outside and your subject looks too dark against the background, shine a fill light on them.

What to buy

Add 1–3 lighting units, depending on whether you're stationary or on the move. Ring lights are good for stationary close-ups. Lume Cubes are flexible across many situations. Aputure has a great line — the Amaran AL-M9 is a good starter, with the Aputure MC as a solid step up.

Stabilization

For stationary shots, get a tripod from Joby or Manfrotto. On the move, a selfie stick (ideally one that includes a light or accepts a clip-on) works for most situations. For anything more ambitious, a stabilizer like the DJI Osmo Mobile line is worth the upgrade — especially with a third-party clip that lets you mount a light or mic alongside the phone.