When big names such as Steven Soderbergh choose to shoot feature films with a smartphone, you know the smartphone is not just a gadget. You need to call someone or use your apps. You can shoot a film with it too. Shooting a film with a smartphone does not have the stigma it once had.
Hotshot directors are going for it, and it has turned out to be one of the best tools for video making. If you use your smartphone to shoot films, you can use several accessories to take it up a notch. Here are a few accessories that can enhance your filmmaking to a great extent.
Lens Attachments
Although some phones have an extra camera or two pre-installed, you can never go wrong with a few extra lenses, as the extra lenses can add a whole lot of versatility. Add-on phone lenses also give you high-quality telephoto shots and enable shooting anamorphic video in some cases.
Try selecting a lens that can cater to many phones and has features like ultra-wide 2x telephoto and various other macro options. The 2x telephoto lens will give you a great 4x optical zoom when you club it with the second telephoto camera on a few devices.
ND filter Set
If you are using a professional filming app such as FiLMIC Pro, you may get to use the shutter speed for great effect. The Polar Pro Iris Mobile set is one such clip-on accessory that may allow you to select and change ND from various types of filters such as ND8, ND16, and ND32. It's also compatible with iPhones from version 6 onwards and is also compatible with Pixel 2/2XL devices.
Microphones
Sound is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking. The built-in microphone in your phone is okay mainly to take on calls and sometimes get the occasional voice memos, but it cannot come up with a dedicated system.
You can try the directional cardioid mic, which allows your phone to record much better quality audio than you would have otherwise. It can interface directly with the Lightning port on your iPhone. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the back so you can keep track of the sound. Apart from its usual features, it has a furry windshield, so the weather does not impact your sound.
XLR adaptor
While onboard sound recording is a great alternative, it may not give professional results. It would help if you got the mic right towards the action. The RØDE I-XLR Digital XLR Interface is one such example where you can include a tiny Lightning-compatible adaptor. Doing this will help you connect to any professional self-powered XLR microphones right to your mobile device. It also has a 3m shielded cable, 3.5mm jack for tracking the sound. It can give a +20dB level up to help you get the best out of your chosen mic.
Gimbal
To get the most cinematic-looking image or video, you may need smooth camera movement. With today's devices, you can avoid shaky videos. DJI's Osmo Mobile 2 is such a fantastic gimbal for making it one of the smoothest imagery possible with your smartphone. It will not pinch your pocket and has 15hrs of battery life. You can shoot to your heart's content without having to worry about the length.
Phone LED Panel
Photography is mostly about light, and it always works great when you work in dark environments, which will get better results. LED panels have become smaller and more affordable. The Newer LED Video Conference Light Kit is one such option that can give the lighting a boost. It features a 2,000 mAh rechargeable battery, a dimming mechanism, complete with a clip that is easily attachable to your phone.
When you're shooting on the go and you need some extra light to fill it in, the About SunwayFoto FL-96 is an option that you can try. It is a portable mini LED light that you can adjust for temperatures from 3000K up to 5500K. It can offer a CRI of Ra>=96 and can run continuously for 60 minutes, providing 100% output with a single charge.
The best part of these accessories is that they are affordable and make filmmaking smooth and easy! How many of these have you tried? Do let us know in the comments section.
