This post may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’m not sure when this became “a thing”, but I have a pet peeve when it comes to video footage captured with mobile phones. If I was allowed to only teach you one thing about improving your video skills, this would be it!
Quick question…Which way do you hold your phone when you want to shoot a quick video of your kid’s birthday party, your spouse laughing, or the beautiful snow falling outside? Based on what I have seen time and time again over the past few years, you probably answered that question with… “I hold it vertically.” (What we in the business call “portrait orientation”.) Therein lies the problem.
“What’s so wrong about that?” you may be asking yourself. If you ever plan on potentially doing anything with that footage other than using it on social media (i.e. year end video montage, youtube video, vacation video, etc…) it’s NEVER a good idea to hold your phone vertically when capturing footage. This is why; the dreaded black bars!
Have you ever watched a youtube video or facebook video that has camera footage in the middle but a blacked out section on either side of it? That’s what happens when you try to use footage shot vertically in a full HD format video.
How do you fix the problem? Simple. Just hold your phone horizontally (landscape orientation) and the problem is solved. Unfortunately, there’s not a great solution for the footage you’ve already taken vertically, but moving forward you can make sure you don’t make that mistake again. Get in the habit of ALWAYS holding your phone in landscape mode and your footage will automatically be leaps and bounds better than your friends’.
“But I don’t really ever plan on making a video for youtube or vimeo.” Even if you don’t have plans on using that footage right now, it’s always good to play it safe so that if or when you decide you do want to put something together, you won’t have to deal with the dreaded black bars. See, you’re already capturing better footage than before!
Be sure to subscribe so you can be notified each time we post new content. We will have lots more tips and tricks on taking better photos and video both with your mobile phone as well as other cameras.
