<p>Don't shoot handheld and don't use a phone.  </p>

<p>Baring that, use stabilization such as a steadicam or steadicam jr (if using a tripod really isn't an option), use lots of well controlled lighting (phone cameras suck at low light) and plan your shots out very carefully.  Use external audio recording rather than the phone's built in mic and do a lot of grading of the color in post.  By the time all is said and done, getting a better camera is likely a cheaper option for the most bang for your buck, though any camera would benefit from the other mentioned options.</p>

<p>It is exceptionally hard to get a professional quality result out of using a phone camera.  There is a very valid reason that most decent video camera costs more than your average smartphone, and the camera in a smart phone is a very small portion of the actual cost of the phone.</p>

<p>There have been projects where smartphones were used to produce professional results, but these have more been marketing gimmicks done by experienced professionals and it made their lives more challenging rather than easier.  Trying to get similar results without a lot of experience is going to be quite challenging.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T19:08:22.853Z
I didn't want to say it but I totally agree with you @ajhenderson
Adam Mann Pro
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T18:13:06.320Z
2014-12-15T18:13:06.320Z
AJ Henderson
<p>getting a steadi-cam for the mobile phone can make a difference, they are not that expensive from the likes of eBay or Amazon and can take the hand shake out.</p>

<p>if there is something particular that you are trying to achieve, maybe you could explain it a bit more with maybe a few images or example of what your getting and what you want</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-16T07:02:05.253Z
This is what I am trying to achieve- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-held_camera. Can this be achieved using a smartphone?? @Adam Mann Pro
Smokey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-16T10:14:43.503Z
I would suggest getting a DSLR then, trying to achieve anything along those lines will make life very very hard for filming, as you dont have any control over the focus, light etc etc
Adam Mann Pro
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T12:12:12.560Z
2014-12-15T12:12:12.560Z
Adam Mann Pro
<p>The big issue when shooting with phones is not the resolution, it's the dynamic range.  Your videos will have low contrast and the colors won't be very vivid.  Although I've never seen reviews of the Nokia 808, I imagine it also suffers from noise in low light conditions.  To fix the issues with contrast and color, run your footage through a color correction program like Davinci Resolve Lite (free), Adobe Speedgrade (comes with CC), or Apple Color.  Davinci Resolve is my personal favorite, it is very intuitive and it will make your videos look much more professional.</p>

<p>If you don't want to invest in a steadicam like Adam suggested, you can also use a stabilizing feature in a program like Adobe After Effects, The Foundry Nuke, or Autodesk Smoke.  Just keep in mind that stabilizing footage in post means you will lose some of the information around the edge of the shot and the resolution will lower slightly.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T18:14:39.463Z
+1 overall, but I'd add that software stabilization of smartphone footage is also likely to have substantial motion blur wobble artifacts as well.
AJ Henderson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T14:38:27.493Z
2014-12-15T14:38:27.493Z
KC McLaughlin
<p>Phone Model I have: Nokia 808 PureView
fps available: 15, 24, 25 30
720p &amp; 1080p videos can be recorded using this phone.</p>

<p>I am trying to make videos using hand-held techniques. But whatever I shoot has an amateur feel attached to it. Any tips/techniques to shoot good professional looking videos.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T18:19:37.927Z
Very, very closely related https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/12114/how-can-i-make-professional-video-using-an-ipad
AJ Henderson
<video-recording><filming><shooting>
Tips to make professional looking hand-held videos using smart phones?
Smokey
# Tips to make professional looking hand-held videos using smart phones?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-15)

Phone Model I have: Nokia 808 PureView
fps available: 15, 24, 25 30
720p & 1080p videos can be recorded using this phone.

I am trying to make videos using hand-held techniques. But whatever I shoot has an amateur feel attached to it. Any tips/techniques to shoot good professional looking videos.

**Tags:** video-recording, filming, shooting

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Very, very closely related https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/12114/how-can-i-make-professional-video-using-an-ipad  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-12-15. Score: 2

Don't shoot handheld and don't use a phone.

Baring that, use stabilization such as a steadicam or steadicam jr (if using a tripod really isn't an option), use lots of well controlled lighting (phone cameras suck at low light) and plan your shots out very carefully. Use external audio recording rather than the phone's built in mic and do a lot of grading of the color in post. By the time all is said and done, getting a better camera is likely a cheaper option for the most bang for your buck, though any camera would benefit from the other mentioned options.

It is exceptionally hard to get a professional quality result out of using a phone camera. There is a very valid reason that most decent video camera costs more than your average smartphone, and the camera in a smart phone is a very small portion of the actual cost of the phone.

There have been projects where smartphones were used to produce professional results, but these have more been marketing gimmicks done by experienced professionals and it made their lives more challenging rather than easier. Trying to get similar results without a lot of experience is going to be quite challenging.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I didn't want to say it but I totally agree with you @ajhenderson  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-12-15. Score: 1

getting a steadi-cam for the mobile phone can make a difference, they are not that expensive from the likes of eBay or Amazon and can take the hand shake out.

if there is something particular that you are trying to achieve, maybe you could explain it a bit more with maybe a few images or example of what your getting and what you want

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is what I am trying to achieve- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-held_camera. Can this be achieved using a smartphone?? @username_2  
> **username_2**: I would suggest getting a DSLR then, trying to achieve anything along those lines will make life very very hard for filming, as you dont have any control over the focus, light etc etc  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-12-15. Score: 1

The big issue when shooting with phones is not the resolution, it's the dynamic range. Your videos will have low contrast and the colors won't be very vivid. Although I've never seen reviews of the Nokia 808, I imagine it also suffers from noise in low light conditions. To fix the issues with contrast and color, run your footage through a color correction program like Davinci Resolve Lite (free), Adobe Speedgrade (comes with CC), or Apple Color. Davinci Resolve is my personal favorite, it is very intuitive and it will make your videos look much more professional.

If you don't want to invest in a steadicam like Adam suggested, you can also use a stabilizing feature in a program like Adobe After Effects, The Foundry Nuke, or Autodesk Smoke. Just keep in mind that stabilizing footage in post means you will lose some of the information around the edge of the shot and the resolution will lower slightly.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: +1 overall, but I'd add that software stabilization of smartphone footage is also likely to have substantial motion blur wobble artifacts as well.  

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