How to Shoot Cinematic Videos on Android

by Jonathan Mann
16 minutes read

How to Shoot Cinematic Videos on Android


Shoot Motion picture Video Android Featured 3

Smartphone cams have come a long means, being lugged out to accumulate utility-length films. The apocalyptic legend 28 Years Later on, which was introduced in 2025, was filmed gaining gain utility of of several iPhone 15 Pro Max machines, while the 2019 documentary Midnight Guest was inoculation gaining gain utility of of three various Samsung mobile phones. If you, too, would prefer to accumulate superstar-peeking videos that rival those lugged out by superstar supervisors, you, too, can ranked your Android to job.

1. Check Your Phone’s Aboriginal Web video camera App

Multiple mobile phones, specifically better-end, rushing the latest Android OS, are outfitted with capable video camera apps, full with manual manages to shoot in RAW style. The endemic apps can lend access to a wide selection of products that can markedly simplify your videography initiatives.

It’s awfully realistic to stress that several smartphones transaction the corrects of high-attribute lenses from sector leaders, such as Zeiss or Leica. This more forceful optical cornerstone gives the handset closer information to job with, resulting in tremendous end results across a more considerable selection of nailing maladies. Situate out how to readily read your Android smartphone’s requirements.

2. Void a Manual Web video camera App

If you pine to seize things even further, ponder mounting a thirdly-celebration video camera app, such as Blackmagic Web video camera. This is a superb tool that purchases agglomerations of customization. It’s also 100% emission and doesn’t entail any ads.

3. Movie in the Highest Attribute Realizable

Counting on what your machine can take care of, nailing at a better resolution chiefly formulates closer end results. You can button to a better resolution on a Pixel machine by tapping Video at the bottom of your Web video camera app, then importuning the production icon on the vacated.

Switch to 4K for the highest resolution your handset stabilizes.

Poses the "Resolution" for Video in Pixel Web video camera app.
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Through the Blackmagic Web video camera app, tap on the Poses icon in the bottom sustenance selection. Surf through Resolution, choose 4K, and in the Facet Proportion contingent, opt for the Amenable Gate 4:3 substitute, if obtainable.

This makes it feasible for the video camera to record video gaining gain utility of of every pixel obtainable on the sensor. In comparison, the endemic Web video camera app on Pixels standoffish intakes a part of the sensor to record and crops it to a stock straightforward ratio of 16:9.

Be thoughtful that nailing at a better resolution will markedly boom the dimension of the video records. This is useful from a film-gaining standpoint, as your videos will encompass added information. It will come in handy once matching your footage during editing and simplifying.

The shortcoming, of course, is that it will chew up storage region. If this is a top priority, opt for a minimum bitrate of 10 Mbps once nailing in 1080. If nailing in 4K, you’ll pine markedly more, around 40 to 50 Mbps. To readjust the bitrate in the Blackmagic Web video camera app, participate in Poses → Codec.

4. Package the Correct Structure Rate

Structure rate, or frames per second (FPS), is the regularity at which frames are presented on a display. Optimal structure prices fluctuate. For example, video arcades on a PC are chiefly recommended to be rushed at 60 FPS.

Since 1927, Hollywood flicks film at 24 FPS. Television doesn’t have a “stock” structure rate. But, unlike affirms fall between 24 and 30 FPS. Of course, with modern technologies in technology, some supervisors have been simplifying the structure rate of their films. For example, Peter Jackson filmed The Hobbit trilogy at 48 fps, twin the stock.

You can method your structure rate better, yet chiefly chatting, Hollywood films are locked in at 24 FPS. If you pine your footage to attractiveness as much prefer a Hollywood film as thinkable, it’s superb to stick to 24 FPS.

For smoother playback, traditionally lugged out digital, button it up to 30 FPS. For sluggish-moving-activity inoculations, the selection is between 60 and 120 FPS.

In your endemic video camera app, participate in the Video placements again, tap the production icon, and method your structure rate from there.

Matching FPS in Pixel Web video camera video placements on Android.
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If gaining gain utility of of the Blackmagic app, press the FPS button at the optimal of the video camera app to readjust the rate.

Matching FPS gaining gain utility of of Blackmagic Web video camera app.
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5. Lock the Direct exposure and Emphasis

Cams in mobile phones readjust the personality exceedingly, so your videos go from light to somber and recommend again, with one voice in the range of time that it took you to read this sentence. This unflagging state of change earns your videos attractiveness unskilled.

Prefer immediately acclimating the personality, cams found in mobile phones immediately readjust the emphasis based on what they assume you pine to shoot. This can be madly unsatisfactory as your handset stands out in and out of emphasis.

The good news is, you can inhibit this type of behaviour by long-importuning somewhere within the structure in the Blackmagic Web video camera app, then tapping the AE/AF Lock substitute.

Tapping "AE/AF Lock" substitute in Blackmagic Web video camera on Android.
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In your handset’s endemic video camera app, try long-importuning on the display. On my Pixel machine, a padlock icon stands out up, which locks in emphasis, too as the personality.

Making gain utility of of Autolock Emphasis/Direct exposure utility in Pixel video camera app on Android.
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6. Play with Shutter Rate

Smartphones traditionally intake high shutter rates, which can gain footage appear skittish, due to the lack of with one voice-natural activity blur. Cheapening the shutter velocity can help, yet maintain in subconscious that this eases depth of sector and lets in more light. To remunerate, intake an ND or IRND filter over the menisci to readjust personality.

If it’s not thinkable to intake an ND filter, you could final notification to intake a better shutter velocity to full commensurate personality, yet this could lose some with one voice-natural activity blur in relocating elements.

Most mobile phones don’t transaction shutter velocity readjust for video by default, yet the Blackmagic Web video camera app can help. Tap on the Shutter button at the optimal, and gain the necessary corrections from there.

Matching shutter velocity in Blackmagic Web video camera app on Android.
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7. Experiment with Multiple Focal Measurements

Today, it’s prevalent for mobile phones to have more than one menisci, such as stock (leading), ultra-wide, and/or telephoto lenses.

If your handset possesses several lenses, try exchanging between them to encompass selection and depth to your videos.

Fetch the leading menisci for times once image attribute is a top priority, as it delivers the superb low-light performance and unlike in commitment colors. Decide for the ultra-wide menisci once nailing vivid and fast-relocating scenes. When lighting is tireless, the telephoto menisci can help you study more remarkable ideologies.

Switching focal length in Pixel Web video camera on Android.
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To readjust the focal length from Android’s endemic video camera app, intake the healed magnification switches:

  • 1x – leading
  • 0.5x – ultra-wide
  • 3x/5x – telephoto

In the Blackmagic video camera app, tap the Crescent icon, press Auto on the correct, and gain your selection.

Switching focal length in Blackmagic Web video camera on Android.
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Administer sure you button focal measurements between inoculations, not mid-clip, to proceed to be clear of libelled precisions and conspicuous attribute dives.

If your handset standoffish possesses one menisci, you can invest in a smartphone menisci.

8. Stabilize Your Inoculation

To maintain your inoculation, you final notification added tools. At the awfully the awfully least, you final notification a respectable tripod. If you’re strapped for coinage coinage or pine to overture nailing comfortably, there are unlike other contingencies.

First, intake your ambience. Great aesthetic attractions for a secure fencing, a agglomeration of stories, anything made utility that you can rest your handset on optimal of. This will help to wipe out the mild tremors from your hands.

If you pine to shoot video on the glide, purchase a attribute gimbal. Also, gain sure you revolve off in-app stablizing to proceed to be clear of distortion.

In the Blackmagic app, tap on the video camera icon at the bottom and gain sure the substitute is method to Off.

Pivoting video stablizing off in Blackmagic Web video camera app on Android.
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In the Pixel Web video camera app, the substitute is obtainable in the Video placements sustenance selection.

Pivoting video stablizing off in Pixel Web video camera app on Android.
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Alternatively, if you can’t orchestrate a gimbal, try a selfie stick. It won’t be as nice, yet the selfie stick will be a significant creation over readying your handset in your hand.

9. Apply Color Grading

Color grading is an straightforward concoct-up-manufacturing quantify, permitting you to optimize the attractiveness and state of subconscious while retaining aesthetic tune across with one voice inoculations.

If you’re gaining gain utility of of the Blackmagic Web video camera on your handset, miss this intervene concoct-up-manufacturing. Tap the LUT button at the bottom to study various capital.

Applying shade grading correct from Blackmagic Web video camera app.
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Alternatively, intake an app prefer CapCut or Adobe Hardest Familiarity for concoct-up-manufacturing, which stabilize shade grading.

If you gain trying out with your Android video camera, learn how to seize closer images at night with your Android handset.

Blackmagic Web video camera
Expense: Separate

Pixel Web video camera
Expense: Separate

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