Have You Heard? BEST TIPS TO RECORD OUTSTANDING VELFIE VIDEOS? [VIDEO SELFIES] Is Your Best Bet To Grow

Selfies, mostly stills, are the rage these days. They are a great way to communicate on social networks.

Video selfies are also an effective method of communication, as well as education.

I recently returned from a two-week trip to South India, where making video selfies was an important and fun part of the trip. The image on the left that opens this article shows me how to make one of those video selfies. I am in an elephant training camp where the elephants are trained by the forest service to work on the forest trunks.

I made two types of video selfies in this incredible adventure:

Here are my 7 quick tips for making video selfies:

• Get a camera with good image stabilization (actually, excellent) and good audio. When making videos, audio may be more important than video. All my video selfies were made with my Canon Powershot G5 X.

• Shoot the wide-angle configuration of your zoom lens. The wider the setting, the firmer the videos will be. In the adjustment, set the focus point on you. In the G5 X, that is done with a touch on the screen.

• Hold your camera very stable with your arm fully extended. That position will show some of the most important backgrounds. Use a small handle to hold your camera,

• Turn the pop-up screen so you can see what's on the frame, but be careful not to look directly at the screen. Rather, look at the lens. The use of sunglasses can hide where you are looking.

• Hold the camera slightly above eye level, which will further reveal the background.

• Keep your videos short and sweet, in less than a minute. Planning your video in advance will save you time with replays.

• In iMovie (which I use) or in your video creation program, add some pictures, which will add some interest.

Have fun making your own selfie video, but always remember: meet your audience. Share your video selfies with those who are interested in your subject.

Practical advice for video bloggers to record better selfies videos.

Background.

Much has been said about the background of the videos and some say that the blogs suggest having a smooth background, although that is good advice, sometimes it gives a boring look to your video. We take a look at the video of Youtube superstar, Casey Neistat, and we see that his background is full of many things, but it's blurry! This gives a not-so-boring background, but it also focuses on Casey.

casey-blur-backgroundvideo

The next case in question is that of Lily Singh from Superwoman. She also has a messy background and it is not blurry, but the lighting in her videos was aimed at her and shed no light in the background which makes her stand out and make her shine!

Lilly Singh Youtuber Selfie video tips

Therefore, there is no strict and fast rule when it comes to the background, as long as you can make it work. Even though. To avoid confusion here is the simple role: to record video selfies with a smooth background or anything that does not distract the audience from the main object of the video, that's you!

Light

One of the first phrases in the Bible is: "Let there be light."

This can not be more true for a Velfie since light plays an important role in having a good production value. What kind of light do you need? Again, many blogs only suggest a lot of light, but that is not true in many cases.

What would happen if you had to take a Velfie on your camping trip at night? There can not be any other light in that case. Therefore, for the morning shots, it is better to have natural light, since it is the perfect amount of light for the camera, which adjusts its aperture according to the light that is sent.

Take a look at the video of Lily Singh with more than 10 million visits using Luz Natural.

Natural light - best light

In the dark, when artificial light is used, a light with a yellow tint really gives an appearance. The unnatural white light seems a little false compared to that of a yellow. Take this example of yellow light used in a Dubsmash video.

Yellow light-for-night videos

Light on the subject is also a super key. When you are taking a video, make sure that the light falls on you, which will help you focus on not everything around you. An intense light focused on your face will improve your camera functions and make you look sharper and people will be able to see your functions better. If you have low light problems, see Chatlight, which is an innovative product for recording the front camera.

Movement and Stability

Most of the time, while taking videos, it is a movement. But the cameras need to adapt to these movements and many times they do not succeed in this effort.

Take the example of panoramic. Many people move while taking videos to show their viewers the whole scene. This is a small movement for us, but a giant movement for the camera that has to adjust to the scene of rapid change in seconds.

Use equipment

Video recording equipment

The equipment is ten cents a dozen to make additional support to our camera work. A stable camera equipment like the one that helps you have a better grip when holding the larger handle and allows you to take control of your phone. Of course, you can buy high-end devices to make sure your videos look strong, but to begin with, even with a decent smartphone tripod is enough. In the next few days I will share some of the best equipment you can buy for video blogging.

Shots without equipment.

If you need bread and take a constant shot. Be sure to hold the phone with both hands close to your body and keep your arms firm. Also, your knees should not be blocked and should rotate with your hips.

Here is a good example of that technique. It starts at 3:43 for the technique.

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Many techniques related to movement come through practice and can be learned.

Avoid portrait mode and use landscape mode.

This is a rookie mistake when taking Selfies. Although taking a selfie in portrait mode is much easier. It is important to use the horizontal mode due to the depth and range, and it is also better to watch videos on the phone through the landscape mode. Look at the two examples below. The first screenshot only takes the central part of the screen, but the second one is distributed and offers a wider view that is a better experience.

vertical video

horizontal video

Audio quality: Without good audio, your video sucks!

The sound is an important component in a selfie video. You can have a great video, but if the sound quality is bad, the experience of your video is lost. Imagine watching a Star Wars movie without any sound.

The best advice for having good audio is to avoid any kind of distracting noise. The biggest culprit is the fan. The fan pushes wins towards the phone and silences his voice while speaking. It is best to turn off the fan.

Most of us live in cities, so it is difficult to avoid the noises of vehicles and the sounds of other humans talking and interacting. It is best to plan the synchronization of your video where the least noise is expected. Taking the video is a closed room is also a solution, but make sure it does not echo.

phone recessed - better audio

Another strategy to try to cut as much video as possible is to try to cover the audio hole with your hand and place it in the audio source. I use Rode smart lav + Mic for Smartphone (iPhone + Android) and it makes the sound quite clear. Watch the video below to see the audio quality in action.

Extra tips to improve the videos of selfies:

Blur by the screen saver

This is a problem that I have found personally. The screen protector of the Android phone of my phone went on to cover the front camera, which blurred the image and made it blurry. When putting on a screen protector, make sure there is an opening for the front camera. This was a bad experience because I had to remove my previous screen protector.

Do not zoom

Zooming is one of the fastest ways to reduce the production quality of your videos. Zoom technology pixelizes your video considerably and makes it grainy. If the videos are currently pixelated, nobody will see their content. With 720p as standard, avoid pixelating your video with zoom.

Be generous with your expressions - Use that face

One thing that I have noticed with the camera, that does not capture all the subtle expressions that can be noticed in real life. This is true because our eyes have zoom capabilities and nuances that can not be obtained in a camera today.

So, when you're taking a selfie video, make sure your expressions are a bit exaggerated, otherwise, you will be speechless. When you smile, smile generously.

Remember, 'smile when you're on camera'

I am still experimenting and learning to take good videos with Smartphone and DSLR. In the next few days, I will continue to share my learning and experiences to help you improve your videos as well. Make your first selfie video and share the link with us in the comments section below.

I hope these tips have been useful for taking video selfies as much as we have fun making this article. For now, if you want to share a suggestion or two, let us know in the comments section below.

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