How to film yourself talking on a phone
· 5 min read
A talking-head video is the simplest format there is: you, a phone and something worth saying. It is also the format where small mistakes show the most. A phone lying on the desk, a bright window behind you or a voice that echoes around the room can make a useful message hard to watch.
The good news is that every one of these problems has a cheap fix. Below is a setup you can build in a normal room in about fifteen minutes, whether you run a small business and want to explain your product, or you are a creator recording your first series.
Put the lens at eye level
Where the phone sits decides how the viewer feels about you. A phone on the desk looks up at your chin and the ceiling. A phone held above you looks down, which feels like a rushed video call. At eye level, you and the viewer are simply having a conversation.
You do not need a tripod for this. Stack books on a table, prop the phone against them, and adjust the height until the lens is level with your eyes. A cheap phone tripod or clamp helps, but it is not required.
- Raise the phone until the lens, not the screen, is level with your eyes.
- Frame yourself from the middle of the chest up, with a little space above your head.
- Keep your eyes roughly a third of the way down the frame. Switch on the grid to check.
- Sit or stand about an arm’s length or more from the phone, so your face is not distorted by the wide lens.
Face the window, not your back to it
The most common beginner setup is a desk against the wall and a window behind the person. The camera exposes for the bright window and your face goes dark. Turn around: the window should be in front of you or to one side.
Light from slightly to the side gives your face shape: one cheek a little brighter, the other a little softer. If the shadow side looks too dark, a white wall, a white sheet or a piece of white card on that side will lift it. Switch off the ceiling light if it adds a yellow cast or shadows under your eyes.
Clean up what is behind you
Viewers look at the background more than you think. Laundry, open doors, cables and piles of paper all pull attention away from your face. You do not need a designed set. A plain wall, a bookshelf or a plant is enough.
Step forward, away from the wall. A metre or so of space behind you removes the hard shadow on the wall and makes the background slightly softer, so you stand out from it. One living element, such as a plant or a lamp that is switched on, makes the frame feel less empty.
Get the microphone close
People will watch a slightly soft picture, but they quickly leave a video with bad sound. The phone’s built-in mic is designed to pick up everything around it, so at an arm’s length it records the room as much as your voice.
The simplest upgrade is a lavalier (clip-on) mic on your chest. A basic wired one is inexpensive. If you have none, record your voice on a second phone placed just out of frame, close to you, and line it up with the video later. Choose a room with curtains, a sofa or a rug: soft things absorb echo.
Look into the lens and keep it short
On the front camera, your eyes naturally go to your own face on the screen. To the viewer, it looks like you are looking slightly down. Look at the lens itself, a small dot at the top of the phone. Some people stick a tiny arrow next to it as a reminder.
Do not read a full script from the screen: your eyes will slide back and forth. Write three or four short points instead, and say each one in your own words. Record one point per take. Short takes are easier to repeat and easier to edit, and nobody needs to see your pauses and restarts.
If you can, use the rear camera. On most phones it has better image quality than the front one. Check the frame with the front camera first, then switch, or ask someone to watch the screen for you.
What to wear
Plain, mid-tone clothes are the safest choice. Very fine stripes and small checks can shimmer on a phone camera. Pure white can glow in window light, and black can merge with a dark background. A colour that differs from the wall behind you helps you stand out from it.
A quick test before the real take
Record ten seconds, then watch and listen to it with headphones. Is your face brighter than the background? Is the lens at eye level? Is there a hum, an echo or a fridge in the sound? Fixing a problem now takes a minute; fixing it after a full recording means starting again.
Questions and answers
- Should I use the front or rear camera to film myself?
- The rear camera usually gives better quality, but you cannot see yourself. A practical approach is to frame the shot with the front camera, mark your position, and then record with the rear camera.
- How far should I sit from the phone?
- Around an arm’s length or a bit more. Too close and the wide lens stretches your face; too far and you get lost in the room and the built-in mic picks up more echo.
- Can I film with a window behind me?
- It is best not to. The camera adjusts for the bright window and your face goes dark. Turn so the window is in front of you or to one side.
- How do I stop looking at myself on the screen?
- Look at the lens, not the screen. A small sticker next to the lens helps, and so does recording with the rear camera, where there is no screen to look at.