How to Record Video on your Phone so a Video Editor Can Use it

You might want to Record Video on Your Phone to put on YouTube Shorts, TikToks, Instagram Reels, or other vertical videos, but the videos you end up recording don’t look like anything you see online. That is because those videos are usually highly edited by a video editor.

Unfortunatley the video editor can only do so much with the footage that is recorded, so it’s up to you to record video that is good for an editor to edit. This video tutorial quickly tells you how to record video on your phone with the expectation of giving it to an editor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I Record Good Video on my Phone?

To record good footage for an editor to edit down later, you want to

Use your phone camera
Record in a well-lit area
Record for longer than you need to
Don’t switch between landscape and vertical
Do not zoom

Should I use my Front Camera or the Back Camera?

The front cameras on most phones will provide better-looking video than the selfie camera. That being said, it can be challenging to record a video of yourself with the front camera, so only use it when appropriate.

What counts as a Well-Lit Environment?

Basically, as long as the lights are on and they aren’t very dim, it’s bright enough to record in.

How Long Should I Record for?

You should record at least 5 full seconds before and after the content of your video. Having these extra frames of silence gives the editor additional options and allows them to produce a higher-quality video

Why shouldn’t I Switch Between Landscape and Vertical while recording a Video on my Phone?

When you switch between landscape and vertical, it makes for an unpleasant watching experience. Additonaly the aspect ratio of a video is fixed, so by switching between the two, everything will be rotated in a bad-looking way. Also, it makes it harder on the editing side.

Why shouldn’t I Zoom?

When zooming on your Phone its only a digital zoom. The video editor can do the same zoom in the edit. By zooming all you are doing is restricitng the footage the video editor has to work with.

How do I Record Good Audio for a Video Editor?

Limit background noise
Be in a quiet room
Stay close to the phone

How do I Limit Background Noise

To reduce background noise, turn off music, fans, air conditioning, and other noisy appliances like refrigerators. Listen carefully, there is probably noise that you can’t hear without really listening to that will get picked up by your phone’s microphone.

You can also just leave the noisy room and record elsewhere that is quiet