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Skateboarding => PHOTOS/VIDEO => Filming/Editing => Topic started by: augustmoon on December 05, 2020, 07:45:44 PM

Title: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 05, 2020, 07:45:44 PM
I posted in the tripod thread on the Gear board, but thought I should start its own thread here.

Just a place to talk about what setups we're using, filming/editing software, techniques, and to share and critique footage.

I'm using a dreamgrip frame, a pack of random lenses from Amazon, a Deathlens, some cube lights, etc. 

Iphone XR

Filmic Pro for filming, Lumafusion for editing

haven't really gotten to much skate footage yet, but starting to get more into it

(https://i.imgur.com/G0X53yQ.jpg)

what are you all using?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: CHONGO on December 06, 2020, 05:59:45 AM
That is quite the setup for some iphone footage. Looks pretty sick!
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: layzieyez on December 06, 2020, 06:39:26 AM
I use that same kind of handle except I zip tied a 2 1/2 pound weight to the bottom to make it more fluid and less shaky. Deathlens pro and a phone clip from a selfie stick screwed in to hold it.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 06, 2020, 07:49:45 AM
the weight sounds like a good idea.  gonna experiment with that
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: cosmicgypsies on December 06, 2020, 07:56:17 AM
small tidbit of info, i believe deathlens have their own app you use to shoot with on iphones, however if you're just using a regular cheap clip on fisheye chances are the vignette of it is bouncing everywhere. you can use third party camera apps such as Procam to disable "optical image stabilization" which fixes it and also gives some more control over shooting photos/video.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Chatbot on December 06, 2020, 04:21:05 PM
small tidbit of info, i believe deathlens have their own app you use to shoot with on iphones, however if you're just using a regular cheap clip on fisheye chances are the vignette of it is bouncing everywhere. you can use third party camera apps such as Procam to disable "optical image stabilization" which fixes it and also gives some more control over shooting photos/video.

This. Also the Deathlens app allows you to shoot in 4:3 if you want that vx look while using the deathlens. Just need to zoom in a bit because there’s too much vig otherwise.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 06, 2020, 04:37:06 PM
cool, thats helpful. I can change it to that in the Filmic app.

any other settings that are better for filming skating?  resolution, frame rate, shutter speed, stabilizaton?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Fly_Hoenn on December 07, 2020, 03:15:11 AM
How to you guys control the iPhone while using a handle? Use the screen or do you have like a small remote to start/stop recording?

Also, what settings do you adjust when filming at night?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: cosmicgypsies on December 07, 2020, 05:04:45 AM
Expand Quote
small tidbit of info, i believe deathlens have their own app you use to shoot with on iphones, however if you're just using a regular cheap clip on fisheye chances are the vignette of it is bouncing everywhere. you can use third party camera apps such as Procam to disable "optical image stabilization" which fixes it and also gives some more control over shooting photos/video.
[close]

This. Also the Deathlens app allows you to shoot in 4:3 if you want that vx look while using the deathlens. Just need to zoom in a bit because there’s too much vig otherwise.

yeah you can do the same stuff with procam, has a shit ton of resolution options.

(https://i.imgur.com/wnEvAxC.jpg)

How to you guys control the iPhone while using a handle? Use the screen or do you have like a small remote to start/stop recording?

Also, what settings do you adjust when filming at night?

you can use the volume button to start/stop recording. my friend has one of those death grip handle things for phones and i always found it odd they didn't have a button to record with, so i went and bought a selfie stick for £1, cracked it open and took all the wiring out which just boils down to a button to 3.5mm jack, then taped it to the death handle so the button was on top. worked pretty well.

wouldn't advise trying to use the screen while it's in a handle, i fucked up one day doing that by accidentally flipping to the front camera lol.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Szechuan on December 10, 2020, 11:09:43 AM
https://www.instagram.com/p/Biq9z7tnC3t/?igshid=19e6v0t043elw (https://www.instagram.com/p/Biq9z7tnC3t/?igshid=19e6v0t043elw)
Custom made for any phone.
Here's the footage, I never use it but it was a fun project.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi29yTJHQUa/?igshid=1iby5olrkco7s (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi29yTJHQUa/?igshid=1iby5olrkco7s)
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 11, 2020, 01:39:57 PM
Nice, I need to check that rig out

Messed around with my setup today, filmed a couple test lines:

http://youtu.be/1XfiO5ume3Q

http://youtu.be/gQ_tx-mqSGs
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: layzieyez on December 12, 2020, 12:52:45 PM
Looking good. Are you zoomed in a little or full wide?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 12, 2020, 03:49:51 PM
Zoomed in a little to avoid the vignetting.  Could definitely use some pointers when it comes to aspect ratio, white balance, resolution, focus, etc
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: cua on December 15, 2020, 09:09:38 AM
An app´s question....

Someone knows if the moment pro cam app allows choosing 4:3 aspect ratio?
( https://www.momentprocam.com/ ) 

Just thinking of buying it (it´s on sale right one, around 7 euros) but need to know if there is the 4:3 aspect ratio option or that app don´t have that option in its menus.

Thanks!!!
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: augustmoon on December 15, 2020, 01:36:44 PM
You can do it in Filmic Pro, but I'm not sure about Moment.  I just bought it because it was only 5 bucks, and I'm gonna try to figure it out
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: cua on December 16, 2020, 01:36:53 AM
You can do it in Filmic Pro, but I'm not sure about Moment.  I just bought it because it was only 5 bucks, and I'm gonna try to figure it out

Thanks !! yes, i know about filmic pro but is almost 20 euros...,i have a normal dslr for filming but a few bucks like the moment app offer doesnt hurt anybody and you have something else to play with....that´s the reason about moment...as you said is around 5 bucks

let me know about your experience using it

regards!
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: clintendo on December 26, 2020, 07:14:43 AM
I had a fully iPhone set up with an iPhone XS Max and it’s cool concept but painful to film with, especially for stuff that is low, trying to get the tilt right was hard on the legs and back.

I had weights on the handle and still couldn’t get it to move slow, always jolting on tilts.

This was one of the edits which will show you the stuggles

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BAx4KhsEo/?igshid=gb3muw1j7u7c

It was definitely fun and convenient to have everything on one device though.
Ramped slo-mo app + splice for editing and documents app for using YouTube to MP3 conversion to source music as you can then copy straight to splice, super easy
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Fly_Hoenn on January 06, 2021, 11:06:19 AM
It actually looks pretty cool, considering it is a phone setup. The night clips look way better than I am used to see. What does your setup look like?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Burton Ernie on January 06, 2021, 01:02:24 PM
I got a Moment Anamorphic 1.33x lens for xmas. I've started messing with it some, and decided to buy a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Gimbal as well.

I'm not sure how I feel about the gimbal yet, it's cool but seems limited to certain types of shots. Need to use it more to get comfortable with it.

Not quite the standard "skate videography" setup, but it's something fun to play with.

Been working on a "standard" skate video for awhile with my regular cam, and now I'm playing around with the phone setup on sessions as well. The anamorphic lens is pretty sick, the blue lens flares are cool too. Gonna try to put something together that's 24p/2.39:1.

To answer @cua ( I think?) question: I'm not seeing anywhere in the Moment Pro app where you can set the aspect ratio at all. If it's possible, I can't find it. I think the cheapest option that I've seen for setting 4:3 is the Deathlens app.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: clintendo on January 07, 2021, 02:04:04 AM
I got a Moment Anamorphic 1.33x lens for xmas. I've started messing with it some, and decided to buy a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Gimbal as well.

I'm not sure how I feel about the gimbal yet, it's cool but seems limited to certain types of shots. Need to use it more to get comfortable with it.

Not quite the standard "skate videography" setup, but it's something fun to play with.

Been working on a "standard" skate video for awhile with my regular cam, and now I'm playing around with the phone setup on sessions as well. The anamorphic lens is pretty sick, the blue lens flares are cool too. Gonna try to put something together that's 24p/2.39:1.

To answer @cua ( I think?) question: I'm not seeing anywhere in the Moment Pro app where you can set the aspect ratio at all. If it's possible, I can't find it. I think the cheapest option that I've seen for setting 4:3 is the Deathlens app.

When I had the set up going I wanted to use the anamorphic so bad but postage and conversion to AUD just didn't seem worth it.

I picture that lens with the gimbal (i have the same gimbal I use for work stuff) would be so good for filler footage
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: cua on January 07, 2021, 03:22:31 AM
Thanks!! i contacted Moment directly yesterday,and as you said there is no option to set the 4:3
they replied : "the aspect ratio is associated with the moment lens that you use,there is no menu to set the aspect ratio".

Also as you mentioned, im thinking about the death lens app .

Thanks for the feedback

I got a Moment Anamorphic 1.33x lens for xmas. I've started messing with it some, and decided to buy a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Gimbal as well.

I'm not sure how I feel about the gimbal yet, it's cool but seems limited to certain types of shots. Need to use it more to get comfortable with it.

Not quite the standard "skate videography" setup, but it's something fun to play with.

Been working on a "standard" skate video for awhile with my regular cam, and now I'm playing around with the phone setup on sessions as well. The anamorphic lens is pretty sick, the blue lens flares are cool too. Gonna try to put something together that's 24p/2.39:1.

To answer @cua ( I think?) question: I'm not seeing anywhere in the Moment Pro app where you can set the aspect ratio at all. If it's possible, I can't find it. I think the cheapest option that I've seen for setting 4:3 is the Deathlens app.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: SneakySecrets on January 16, 2021, 12:47:23 PM
I literally lean my phone against a water bottle and lay down in the ground to try and get an idea of what it’s going to look like.  And it shows.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Glurmpz on January 18, 2021, 08:45:51 PM
I just got a Deathlens for my iphone 6s Plus today, so I also went and picked up the phone holder tripod mount, but wish I had shopped around because it was $35. That's more than the lens cost me. Already had the extra handle my friend gave me a while back (I have a custom one I usually use for my other cameras), so with the Deathlens app downloaded I'm ready to fuck around. Figure this must be a pretty standard set up.

(https://i.imgur.com/EB9GS44.jpg)

Nothing wrong with the ol' water bottle tripod, Sneaky! I've always filmed like that with my iphone and then crop in and add motion in post on a 4:3 timeline. Looks fine.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: InquisitiveGentleman on February 09, 2021, 09:04:06 AM
How does one use zoom effectively with a phone? Filming long lens and having to "squeeze" the phone screen to zoom is challenging. Also is there some sort of handle or stabilizer that can be used for filming long lens? Any advice?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Burton Ernie on February 09, 2021, 12:36:52 PM
How does one use zoom effectively with a phone? Filming long lens and having to "squeeze" the phone screen to zoom is challenging. Also is there some sort of handle or stabilizer that can be used for filming long lens? Any advice?

the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 has a physical zoom rocker switch that works pretty well I guess. Not sure you're going to get much great zoom out of a phone though. It also stabilizes pretty well, if that's what you're looking for. Can find em used under $100 I'm sure, I think mine brand new was $120ish.

I haven't even used it much since getting it, but it does do the 2 things you asked about.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: InquisitiveGentleman on February 09, 2021, 03:06:20 PM

the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 has a physical zoom rocker switch that works pretty well I guess. Not sure you're going to get much great zoom out of a phone though. It also stabilizes pretty well, if that's what you're looking for. Can find em used under $100 I'm sure, I think mine brand new was $120ish.

I haven't even used it much since getting it, but it does do the 2 things you asked about.

Thanks. The gimbal you shared is what I was looking for. Can I ask why you do not use yours much?

Also, a different question for everybody, when filming with a phone should I be adjusting the phone video settings manually or just leave it set to auto? Is there a thread about settings? I couldn't find one.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Burton Ernie on February 09, 2021, 06:39:44 PM
Expand Quote

the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 has a physical zoom rocker switch that works pretty well I guess. Not sure you're going to get much great zoom out of a phone though. It also stabilizes pretty well, if that's what you're looking for. Can find em used under $100 I'm sure, I think mine brand new was $120ish.

I haven't even used it much since getting it, but it does do the 2 things you asked about.
[close]

Thanks. The gimbal you shared is what I was looking for. Can I ask why you do not use yours much?

Also, a different question for everybody, when filming with a phone should I be adjusting the phone video settings manually or just leave it set to auto? Is there a thread about settings? I couldn't find one.

been too busy with life to play with it much, plus I'm still filming with my main setup. I also wanted to use with a Moment lens and some ND filters, which sadly is too much weight for this gimbal. However, it does work well, and I plan to use it more when I can.

As far as adjusting phone camera settings manually, depends on what you're going for. The auto settings are usually pretty good, but if you're interested in shooting a specific frame rate or shutter speed, then you can use an app for that. DJI has an app that works with their gimbal and includes manual settings, but there are plenty others out there. If you're using iPhone, from what I understand the aperture is locked and there is no way to adjust that manually, so you're limited to shutter speed, ISO, and frame rate manual controls. Not sure with Android phones.

Here's one of the only clips I've shot with the gimbal so far, just testing it out. The motion is real smooth, and it has a "sport mode" that causes it to react quicker to movement than the standard mode. This one has the Moment lens attached, so it's 2.40:1 aspect ratio, exported out at 24p. If you are planning on using a gimbal and doing lots of panning and zooming, it'll take some getting used to as it's pretty much designed to eliminate the quick movements you might want to make while shooting skateboarding. I'm sure you could make it work though, phones are so light that it's hard to keep stable on their own. You could also try weighing it down with some type of rig that isn't a gimbal, that would help too.

https://youtu.be/5djBDeulyms

Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: InquisitiveGentleman on February 09, 2021, 10:01:28 PM
That clip was very smooth. Thanks for the info.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Billy Bitchcakes on March 10, 2021, 12:52:54 PM
Yo how the fuck do you edit 4k iphone footage? Filmed something in 4k yesterday and Premiere isn't having it, it just won't play in the timeline. I don't want to downscale it first as I need to zoom in on the footage before exporting.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Chatbot on March 10, 2021, 02:13:05 PM
Yo how the fuck do you edit 4k iphone footage? Filmed something in 4k yesterday and Premiere isn't having it, it just won't play in the timeline. I don't want to downscale it first as I need to zoom in on the footage before exporting.

You could create proxies which will play the footage at lesser quality on the timeline without lags and hangups but will export at full resolution. There's a bunch of tutorials on YouTube to help set it up.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Murge on June 29, 2021, 07:14:12 AM
Is there a way to make a clip look less
Pixelated and blurry when zooming in on it to edit?

I tried to self film a clip and to get both tricks I had to have my phone pretty far away. Then in an app called clips I edited and zoomed in to Pan from one truck to the other but it’s super blurry when zoomed in. Is this something that can be fixed in the future or is this just how it goes?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Billy Bitchcakes on June 29, 2021, 08:41:34 AM
that's just how it goes. When you zoom in to already recorded footage then you're just scaling up the pixels and lowering the quality
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Madam, I'm Adam on January 01, 2022, 05:53:40 PM
Bump, was gonna start a new topic but glad this one exists.

Basically, I'm going to take filming more seriously this year, and wanted to ask what lens and iphone holder/gimbal you guys would recommend using.

The gimbal mentioned earlier seems to work well based on the footage I saw, but would appreciate any other ideas.

I'm not really going for a VX1000 look and I think the Death Lens might give off that look? Overall, is a Moment or Death Lens fisheye better?

Maybe it's also worth noting that I dislike how some current footage looks too "real" and clear if you know what I'm talking about.

I've got an iPhone 12 mini; should I upgrade to a 13? Or possibly 13 pro max?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: WayneKerr on January 01, 2022, 06:13:57 PM
if you’re filming with an iPhone. its not serious
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Madam, I'm Adam on January 01, 2022, 07:29:01 PM
As seriously as I can I guess. It’s like @HyenaChaser said, nothing I do deserves more than an iPhone camera.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: suckmadeck on January 02, 2022, 10:30:25 AM
Been trying out mcpro24fps. £15.99 (or free if you side install it via Aptoide), much more control and much more stable than filmicpro. Also adds the ability to turn out ois on Android!!!! Major if you're an S10 user like myself.

https://www.mcpro24fps.com/ (https://www.mcpro24fps.com/)
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: jakeumms on January 20, 2022, 07:48:59 PM
Anyone use the actual Death Lens app? I bought it a few years back and used it just fine. I just got a Pro lens but the app is now showing a black screen with the controls overlaid. It worked on my old SE but I can't remember if I ever used it on my SE 2. The two most recent reviews (from late 2020) both were having trouble with the app. One said they were also getting a black screen and the other said the app was not working. Have they stopped updating?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Burton Ernie on January 20, 2022, 09:24:06 PM
Anyone use the actual Death Lens app? I bought it a few years back and used it just fine. I just got a Pro lens but the app is now showing a black screen with the controls overlaid. It worked on my old SE but I can't remember if I ever used it on my SE 2. The two most recent reviews (from late 2020) both were having trouble with the app. One said they were also getting a black screen and the other said the app was not working. Have they stopped updating?

I use it occasionally on a current model phone with the latest iOS, no issues. Checked it again just now and it opens and seems to run normally.

The only reason I use it is for the 4:3 option, but wish it was higher res. Anybody know of any other apps that can do 4:3?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: jakeumms on January 20, 2022, 09:27:42 PM
Expand Quote
Anyone use the actual Death Lens app? I bought it a few years back and used it just fine. I just got a Pro lens but the app is now showing a black screen with the controls overlaid. It worked on my old SE but I can't remember if I ever used it on my SE 2. The two most recent reviews (from late 2020) both were having trouble with the app. One said they were also getting a black screen and the other said the app was not working. Have they stopped updating?
[close]

I use it occasionally on a current model phone with the latest iOS, no issues. Checked it again just now and it opens and seems to run normally.

The only reason I use it is for the 4:3 option, but wish it was higher res. Anybody know of any other apps that can do 4:3?
Thanks for the feedback. I took it to insta LAM so if they get back to me, I'll update the thread.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: clintendo on February 12, 2022, 01:42:10 AM
The iPhone clips I filmed were using the death lens app in HD, I work in telecommunications so I often upgrade devices regularly as I burn through them with the network testing and well general “she’ll be right” mentality when placing my phones on stuff…

As I said before, it’s a cool concept, the hardest part I found with filming iPhone fisheye is being able to film with something so light without shaking or moving it too quickly. Get you some weight if possible
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: jakeumms on February 12, 2022, 12:57:30 PM
The iPhone clips I filmed were using the death lens app in HD, I work in telecommunications so I often upgrade devices regularly as I burn through them with the network testing and well general “she’ll be right” mentality when placing my phones on stuff…

As I said before, it’s a cool concept, the hardest part I found with filming iPhone fisheye is being able to film with something so light without shaking or moving it too quickly. Get you some weight if possible
That's interesting to hear that the app has been working for you. Never heard back when I asked on Insta. Maybe they just didn't make a version that runs on the SE g2? Or ported the 8 version without testing it?
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: clintendo on February 13, 2022, 02:51:05 AM
Should of also mentioned I filmed them a couple of years back now and stopped using that setup after upgrading to dedicated cameras again, so maybe it’s not a thing any more?

I know a couple of people who use apps like MAVIS and MoviePro to help get the best out of their footage on iPhone. MoviePro apparently has a good zoom toggle for long lense but personally haven’t tested it. Adjustable mic settings writhing third party apps is a godsend unless you’re running an external mic to get rid of the tinny sounds iPhone microphones are prone for.

Moment seem to be heavily invested in the phone game so it’s probably worth chatting with some of their team to see what could work too.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Burton Ernie on June 21, 2022, 06:56:46 AM
I use a Moment Anamorphic lens on an iPhone in addition to my standard camera setup, I like using it a lot.

Here's a vid of last year's Go Skateboarding Day in OKC. iPhone 11 Pro, Moment Anamorphic Gold Flare, and DJI Oslo Mobile 3 Gimbal

https://youtu.be/ReKCNh1GqrQ
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: jakeumms on August 04, 2022, 07:36:16 PM
Expand Quote
The iPhone clips I filmed were using the death lens app in HD, I work in telecommunications so I often upgrade devices regularly as I burn through them with the network testing and well general “she’ll be right” mentality when placing my phones on stuff…

As I said before, it’s a cool concept, the hardest part I found with filming iPhone fisheye is being able to film with something so light without shaking or moving it too quickly. Get you some weight if possible
[close]
That's interesting to hear that the app has been working for you. Never heard back when I asked on Insta. Maybe they just didn't make a version that runs on the SE g2? Or ported the 8 version without testing it?
Got a response to my DM last week suggesting I try to redownload the app. I reinstalled and now it’s working again. I did notice I had to real allow some iOS permissions when I launched it the first time. If you were also getting a black screen through the app, give it another try because they may have updated the version you use too.
Title: Re: Smartphone Filming
Post by: Lessfillingtastegreat on October 16, 2022, 02:03:24 PM
I use a Moment Anamorphic lens on an iPhone in addition to my standard camera setup, I like using it a lot.

Here's a vid of last year's Go Skateboarding Day in OKC. iPhone 11 Pro, Moment Anamorphic Gold Flare, and DJI Oslo Mobile 3 Gimbal

https://youtu.be/ReKCNh1GqrQ

Dude was this all iPhone minus the DJI? Either way this was way rad.  Do you export  / LumaFusion? Love seeing what people can do with these phones.  I always do little edits and stuff but rad to see you guys taking it more serious.  Got me stoked.