Shooting video people want to watch

Your phone is a complete newsroom: camera, microphone, editing suite and transmitter. Good mobile video comes from a few simple habits.

## Decide the shape first
- Horizontal (landscape) for YouTube, websites and television.
- Vertical for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and WhatsApp Status.
Decide before you press record — you cannot turn a vertical video into a good horizontal one later.

## Keep it steady
Hold the phone with both hands, elbows against your body, or lean on a wall. A small tripod or a selfie stick with legs costs little and changes everything. Move your feet, not the phone, and avoid zooming while recording — walk closer instead.

## Light
Keep the main light (a window, the sun) behind you and in front of the person you are filming. If they stand against a bright window, their face will be dark.

## The five-shot sequence
For any action — someone repairing a road, a vendor making tea — shoot:
- a close-up of the hands,
- a close-up of the face,
- a wide shot showing where it is happening,
- an over-the-shoulder shot,
- one unusual angle.
Hold each shot for about 10 seconds. These five pieces edit together into a sequence that tells the story without a word.