How to film yourself with a phone

1. Sound first

People forgive a soft image; they don't forgive bad audio. Echo and distance are the usual problems.

• Film in a room with soft things: a sofa, curtains, a rug. Empty rooms echo.
• Get the microphone close. A clip-on mic, even an inexpensive one, beats the phone's mic across the room.
• Turn off fans and air conditioning while recording.

2. Light your face

Face a window, don't sit with your back to it. Soft daylight from the front or slightly to one side is the most flattering light there is.

At night, one soft light in front of you, a little above eye level, is enough. Turn off the overhead light if it makes shadows under your eyes.

TipTap your face on the phone's screen to set the exposure on it, so a bright background doesn't make you dark.

3. Frame for vertical

• Lens at eye level. Stack books or use a small tripod; never film looking up from a desk.
• Eyes about a third from the top of the frame, with a little space above your head.
• Keep important things out of the bottom fifth and the right edge, where TikTok, Reels and Shorts put their buttons and text.
• Use the back camera if you can; it is better than the selfie camera on most phones.

4. Look at the lens

Talking to the lens feels like talking to the viewer. If you read notes beside the phone, your eyes drift. A teleprompter puts the words right next to the lens, so you can read and still keep eye contact.

5. Record in takes

Don't try to get the whole video in one go. Say each line, pause, and say it again if it wasn't right. Pauses and retakes are easy to cut afterwards, and you'll sound more confident than in one long nervous take.