Self-Filming Instructions

A guide to help those filming themselves speaking, especially for videos to be shared  on social platforms where the portrait orientation (9:16 aspect ratio) is preferred, such as Instagram and TikTok.

 

Setup

 

Background and Attire 

  • Choose a non-distracting background and avoid busy clothing and accessories 
  • Ensure background does not blend with clothing 

Lighting 

  • If indoors, recording in daylight is best, facing a window at about ¾ towards the light 
  • In limited daylight, set up a light at the same position, consider a ring light attachment 
  • Avoid bright lights, even sunlit walls, behind your head and overhead to limit face shadows 

Framing 

  • Place your phone on a flat, stable surface at eye level; avoid handheld shots 
  • Leave room between the top and bottom of your head and the frame 

Sound 

  • If sitting, find a seat that is stationary and not noisy 
  • Find a quiet location with little background noise, away from sounds such as traffic, animals, and other people, silence devices, and turn off machine noise, such as air conditioners, fans, heaters, etc.; if you hear it, your viewers will hear it 
  • Avoid spaces that echo 

Recording

 

 Camera 

  • Use the back camera on your smartphone as its typically higher quality than a front camera 
  • Do not use the camera’s zoom function, if too far way or close, move the camera or your position 
  • Look at the camera at all times 

Subject (You) 

  • Avoid hand movements 
  • Stand/sit straight and relax your shoulders 
  • Smile, especially at the beginning and end of your sentences 

Filming 

  • Do a test shot with a few sentences before recording to ensure visuals and audio look and sound the way you want them to 
  • Wait a few seconds after hitting record to begin and wait a few seconds when ending before stopping the recording 
  • Speak more slowly than you would in person and clearly 
  • If answering questions, rephrase the prompt at the beginning of your response and end your answer definitively (not trailing off) 
  • If you’re stumbling over your words, uttering a lot of “so and um,” or interrupted, begin again 
  • Try rephrasing or a few different ways of answering, too much footage is better than not enough 

Technical

 

Specifications 

  • Settings should be at least 1080p at 24fps (higher, such as 30fps and 60fps are fine); 4K is fine 
  • On Android phones, settings are usually in the main camera app using the gear wheel settings 
  • On iPhones, the camera settings are in the main settings gear icon in the photos and camera section 
  • Your camera’s default settings are generally okay for recording video 

 

Sharing 

  • Avoid emailing or texting files as they are often compressed and will lower the quality of the recording 
  • You’ll want to use a cable to connect the camera to a computer and copy the file directly from its location on your smartphone. The type of cable and steps will vary for smartphones and computers 
  • If using an iPhone and a Mac computer, you can use AirDrop to copy the file 

 

Additional Help