Well, I can't really do that sequence because if I did, it would look like this when you're starting out, it's easy to feel daunted by not having enough camera gear money or knowledge to feel worthy enough to make a successful youtube video through some miracle.

However, armed only with my iphone, this channel recently passed six million views.

And the footage that got me there range from an iphone five S to an iphone 11 pro.

There are certainly better looking travel videos out there.

But the point I want to make is you already have everything you need to make something great and it's the phone in your pocket.

So in this video for the first time, I'm going to go into super detail of how to make your smartphone video.

Not just iphone look the best it can do without any additional purchases.

This is suitcase monkey on how to shoot the best video on your smartphone.

Keep an eye on the bottom left of the screen throughout this video.

This is all raw footage I've shot from my previous travel vlogs and I'll add which iphone is being used.

You'll be able to see how your device might compare and what is possible with each.

Again, pretty much everything I'll be talking through is transferrable to other smartphones, ill at the time stamps here and in the description if you're particularly interested in something specific.

If you're new here.

We normally make travel movies from around the world trying to inspire you on where to visit next.

So if that sounds like your sort of thing, then please subscribe to join the monkey troop.

So I want to start with how you can use simple composition to make your shots really stand out for this.

Make sure you have the grid turned on in your camera settings.

This will split your camera intersections, which is a good reminder for something known as the rule of thirds, roughly speaking.

This is the idea that by moving your subject to where the lines intersect, it creates a stronger dynamic within your composition, making for better framing and therefore a better looking shot.

Now I use this all the time in my videos and often find myself preferring to actually nudge the subject well into the far third of the frame immediately.

This will create a more cinematic look when used correctly.

Something else to consider with composition is variety.

There is nothing worse when editing than not having enough variety to play with.

For our 14 more days in Japan video, I shot 4000 individual clips in total in the 40 minute finish vlog, I only used 1000 of them.

That travel dog is actually my personal favorite.

So I think it's a good video to watch after this one to see everything I'm talking about in action.

So whilst filming, think about getting a wide variety of shot types, you could start with a bunch of wide shots.

For example, often called establishing shots.

These can make a great introduction to a scene, maybe you've arrived somewhere and want to give your audience a taste of what's to come.

Also get a variety of mid shots.

These are great for capturing people since they're usually around waist height, it allows more information for the viewer creating a better focus story which is the ultimate goal.

Also get a nice mixture of close ups so you can really see those textures burst onto the screen then mixed with in all of this is color.

Always look for bright colors as it can act as beautiful punctuations throughout the video.

Then for the cherry on the cake, be aware of both the light and dark in your surroundings.

Since finding these can create some beautiful contrasting shots with all of this.

Your phone will automatically focus on the objects and people in front of you and then adjust the light accordingly.

But experiment with manual focus and manual exposure.

For complete control tapping on the screen will force the iphone to focus on that particular area which can create a nice depth effect for the background.

To get even more control tap and hold the screen until you see E.

A.

F.

Lock.

This locks both the focus and exposure coming into the lens.

This is great if there's lots of movement or changing light in the scene and you don't want the camera to auto change all the time.

This is almost a must when filming things close up?

If everything is locked and you stay the same distance to your subject, you will be getting the best results possible.

Swiping up at any time.

Will increase the light being let into the lens.

If you already have lots of light such as from the sun swiping down on the display will decrease the exposure to create a dramatic silhouette.

Having all this variety of clips wide mid close ups, color, light and dark can really spice up your footage and allows for greater options when you get to the final edit, the more options you have the better storytelling choices.

You can make another big thing that will really take your video to the next level is the movement of the camera itself.

You'll notice that in lots of shots.

I do.

There is often some movement involved.

Sometimes it is moving the camera forwards ever so slightly or from one side to the other.

This all adds to the pace of a scene instead of it just being static shot after static shot.

If you're walking and moving through a scene, then use the objects around you as if you're dancing the tango together.

Maybe you're walking straight forward as an area starts to reveal itself to you.

Maybe you're shooting to the side to provide a nice parallax.

Maybe you're panning from one side to the next or tilting the camera up or down?

How did the subjects in your frame relate to each other and move with each other.

Are you using the rule of thirds or playing with symmetry?

There are loads of options here.

Now.

I've had numerous people thinking that I use a gimbal for my iphone, but I promise you my arm is just very steady to achieve this.

I either hold the iphone from the bottom with index and little finger running along the sides or add the other hand to steady it from the bottom connected to the movement of the camera is the added benefit of pacing your story and emotion.

So don't forget to film plenty of still shots, speeding up the pace of a scene can only really be earned if it's in contrast to something of a slow pace.

Otherwise, if everything is fast then nothing is fast and that's very deep.

If you would like more tips on the editing side of things, please leave a like below and comment to let me know what else you would like covered.

Something that really helps with pace.

Of course is the music you choose for your videos.

The right song often makes a good video great.

So before we look at using the ultra wide lens and delving into the settings.

This leads us nicely into this video sponsor For the last 15 months.

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There are a few things that set art list apart and it's why I still continue to use them today.

All the music is approved for YouTube so you won't have any monetization issues.

but you can also use it for professional film and tv work.

Also the music you download while your subscriptions are active will always belong to you.

Even if your membership expires, this is not always the case for other subscriptions and was a big reason for me to sign up in the first place.

So for anyone interested in art list, I have a special link below that will get you two months for free when you sign up to their 12-month plan.

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So thank you to anyone who takes up the offer below something else I wanted to touch on in regards to composition is the new ultra wide lens introduced in the iphone 11 range.

The ultra wide lens allows us to zoom out and introduces tons of new possibilities but I think knowing when to use it is key.

I got to explore this myself when we were recently on holiday in Barcelona Barcelona vlog coming soon by the way.

So for example, look at this shot here showing the impressive Sagrada Familia here.

The ultra wide angle really comes into its own making the shot more pronounced due to the composition and movement and here the ultra wide allowed for both the balcony and background to being shot providing better depth.

Compare this to the normal wide lens which only had enough space for the background.

The ultra wide shot allows you to show the setting as well as the subject in lots of different spaces.

But one important thing to always keep in mind is that the best quality lens on the iphone is the standard one times wide lens.

That lens will give the best quality picture out of all three.

So if the composition of the shot is not improved by the ultra wide framing, then stick with the normal wide lands for best overall results.

The same can also be said for the two times zoom lens where possible.

Always use the standard lens to get as close as you can to your subject.

Then using the zoom when you can't move any closer.

And I would also suggest that never zooming manually beyond two times because again you are losing quality the further you zoom beyond this.

Just stick to a two time zoom and you can always crop into the shot later if needed.

So let's now get into the nitty gritty.

When I asked on instagram what you wanted me to cover most in this video, I was surprised that so many of you asked what settings I use.

So let's talk resolution.

Now if you have loads of storage space and a powerful computer to edit those large files, then four K will always give the best quality.

So just use that easy answer.

Having said that everything on this channel has actually been shot in 10 80 I've never had anyone complain.

Also specifically for Youtube, there's always the chance that the person watching your video will be streaming it on a four G connection on their tiny phone and they wouldn't see the four K.

Anyway.

So 10 80 is perfectly suitable for Youtube But feel free to use four K If the video is going on a big screen or you have the space and processing power to handle it.

But 1080s fine.

Don't stress.

There is one circumstance however, that I do switch to four K.

Within my 10 80 videos because four K is a higher resolution.

It means you consume into your footage and still have the overall resolution of a 10 80 shot.

I often flick to four K when I'm standing in front of a view that I might want to zoom in on later during editing 4K.

Is also useful for this when filming an interview or a piece to camera, it means you can crop into the footage to hide cuts, create camera changes or just re compose your shot.

And for anyone with an iPhone 11 or 11 pro, you can now change your camera settings right from within the camera app.

Just tap on the relevant presets and you will toggle through without having to go back into the settings.

Next is what FPs to choose.

This stands for frames per second.

And basically just means how many still images are recorded within a single second to make up the moving video.

Almost all the content on this channel has been shot at 60 frames per second.

Now there are countless YouTube videos, arguing the pros and cons of all of these frame rate options.

30 frames is a good standard setting for most things.

Nowadays, 24 frames gives a more cinematic feel to something a bit more dreamy, especially when the camera is moving.

But I shoot in 60 because having those extra frames allows me the option to slow my footage down.

If I only shot at 30 frames and slowed it down by 50%.

For example, you would be seeing the equivalent of only 15 frames per second which would look incredibly junkie.

Now, why would I want the option to slow my footage down?

Well, the main reason is to really emphasize specific moments.

Take this example in my seven days in sri Lanka vlog.

Yeah, if you watched the same footage back at normal speed, it just doesn't have the same feel to it.

Mm hmm.

Yeah, Having the footage at 60 frames gives me the option to slow it down and emphasis these moments, which really helps tell a story or highlight an emotion, which again is the ultimate goal.

Mhm With the newer iphones, I also have high efficiency turned on.

As long as your mac or Pc has the latest software that can read the H E V C format.

It's a great way to compress a movie file without losing any noticeable quality.

If you are shooting a lot more videos than photos, then this next setting is a must change.

Make sure you have camera mode turned on under preserve settings.

This means it will retain the mode you had previously used.

So the camera app will always stay in video as opposed to defaulting back to photo.

This can save valuable seconds when you open the camera app and means you're less likely to miss something if you're interested in having unlimited access to great music.

Please remember to check out the link in the description for two months.

Free from art list.

This video idea actually started life as a behind the scenes, but I quickly realized I couldn't fit everything into one video.

So if you are interested to hear more about my workflow or editing process or you think I've missed something, please let me know in the comments and give this video a thumbs up since it really helps the channel.

If you're not already subscribed for our future travels and check out our back catalog to see how I incorporated all these tips into a fully edited vlog.