What is mobile media?

Utilizing Smart Phones & accessories to help your business grow!

I went to art school to get my degree in Film. I remember when I got my hands on a JVC camcorder and how excited I was buying my DV tapes and start shooting. This was in 2008 by the way. Then came the reality, having to convert tapes to digital BUT you had to find the console that worked. It was like going to a laundromat trying to find the dryers that actually dried, after wasting at least $3 dollars worth of quarters.

Welcome to the Digital Age

Finally, we got the news we were getting NEW Sony EX series cameras with digital SxS cards. Transferring footage was so fast! You didn't have to wait for the constant errors of capturing from tapes. You just had to remember to label and file your footage on the server and have copies on your hard drive. It was so easy! But with a new camera and equipment, you had a new work flow and things to remember like, not forgetting your SxS cards for a shoot.

I was with a group of students and one of our teachers set up a shoot with his son's high school. This particular teacher was a jerk and it turned out his son was a chip of the old block too. We had just collected our gear from the equipment room and headed across town about 45 minutes away to do interviews. We had just got there, looking for a place to set up when we found out our camera cards were missing. As we were deciding on what to do, one of the students called another and asked to bring the cards to us, but it was during rush hour and we had kids waiting. I had to ask the teenagers if any could stay later than usual and everyone was cool with it. A little while later, after we had set up the area we were going to shoot it. I mentioned about not telling the teacher but that's when the teacher's mini me said he called his dad and told him what was happening. I asked, "oh, did he call you?" and mini me said, "no, I just wanted to tell him." Needless to say, yes, we did get in trouble. Yes, we got the footage and barely passed the assignment. No, we NEVER forgot SxS cards again.

From 640 x 480 to 4k

There was a big desire was to be able to shoot on a RED camera because it was shooting in 4K. I know that sounds HILARIOUS NOW, but then that was the only way to shoot in 4k. You had to buy or somehow get your hands on an expensive camera AND be able to hold the footage on a drive that was big enough. Shooting in 16:9 ratio than 4:3 and in 1080 and not 640 was good enough...we wanted more!

Cut to 13 years later, the year is 2015 and Apple iPhone 6 is able to shoot 4k footage on your smart phone. Um What?

This was a huge game changer BUT you HAVE to know how to utilize it. I remember one of my teachers would say "You can have all the best equipment in the world but unless you tell a good story, it won't matter." Not just good advice, great advice.

People assume you can not get quality video or interviews for that matter on an iPhone however with new innovations this is possible.

DSLR: CANON VS NIKON

Before the quality of present day iPhones, we also would use DSLR cameras. I preferred Canon, I know...I'm one of those. Mostly because my mom worked as a newspaper editor and we had a lot of canon lenses that I could use for shoots. Using lenses is a great way for both technical and artistic options. Being able to rack focus and then having depth of field helps the viewer navigate the visual story. I appreciate, now, the time it takes to get a shot ready but back in the day, not so much.

With some DSLRs, you had a way to attach a microphone which essential for making a decent video but when buying a DSLR, you had to make sure there was an audio plugin.

Without good audio, you have a literally have a talking head. I remember watching a lot Youtube videos and it would annoy me to no end to hear the echo of a large room or the 2nd blank audio channel that wasn't deleted in editing and all you hear is the sound of static. Even worst was the one headphone picking up the audio.

NOTE: PLEASE for the love of all that is holy, get a decent mic when speaking on camera. I've stopped watching videos with bad audio. Also check your levels! If none of this is making sense there are plenty of tutorials on audio. Do the homework!

Now with the DSLR, is great piece of equipment to have and many people use them for vlogging and taking traditional photos. However, it is a big square object to carry around. You also need to make sure it never gets wet, have a good camera bag including protecting your lenses you bring. Then include extra cards, a tripod, and this is the bare minimum. It's a lot to haul around and to keep track off. Me? I prefer ease and accessibility.

Accessories are magic!

Just like with fashion, accessories are the best! It makes an outfit go from basic to stylish. I worked as a Visual Stylist and merchandiser. This is the same with the accessories made for smart phones! You can literally buy anything to add to up your production value. There are made very portable and light accessories to use with, in this specific case, an iPhone.

NOTE: All these products are not Ads, just items I've used and like.

Lights - I have a Lume Cube light. It's the size of a ring box. I also have a selfie light but the Lume cube is smaller and indestructible, plus water proof. It comes with diffusers and USB-c charger. This little light packs a punch plus it's small and portable. If you don't quite have the budget for this kind of light. We also have the sun and it's free. https://lumecube.com/

Next on my list is this microphone, the PoP voice Professional Lavalier Lapel Microphone Omnidirectional Condenser Mic for Phone. I bought this off of Amazon and used it multiple times. Its a basic lav and I do try to be extra careful with it, mostly because it was less than $20 bucks. I find with inexpensive equipment you do need to handle it better to get your money's worth. I did need to use my iPhone adapter but it still was worth it.

www.amazon.com

I found these little treasures from one of my favorite Youtuber's, iJustine.

The first is the Small Rig (Left) - it fits your iPhone, (right now I have the 12 Pro) and able to attach your added accessories. It also fits on top of a tripod and right now I have this little guy, the Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod (right). Like Donny and Marie, P.B. & J, chips and salsa...they just work together...

The Small Rig also works with traditional tripods too.

The only thing that I do not have but plan on getting are Moment lenses.

These lenses attach to your iPhone in order to get some of the same qualities are traditional lenses for cameras. I'm sure there are more smart phone lenses out there but Moment seems to be the lenses of choice. They also have the phone case that they attach too.

Check out there website which has so many more options than just lenses.

https://www.shopmoment.com/

I was gifted this DJI OM4 and finally after a few months, unboxed it. I'm excited to try out once I get out of the house but in the mean time, chasing my pets around the apartment is pretty much what I've been using it for at the moment.

It really stabilizes the hand held shot while also being able to control things like ISO, Shutter speed and white balancing plus so much more.

Last on my list, is the coveted DRONE! At my last job I was taught the basics on drone flying and filming. To further my knowledge, I had also purchased classed from Drone Academy to help with more technical information such as flight maps and maneuvering.

Personal Note: I'd like to thank the hunters who ruined it for the rest of us because they used drones to find animals. Not very good hunters if you ask me. Now, national parks are ALL "no fly drones zones." How did I learn this? From my flight app.

Moving on...

Drones offer another level of production value. The ultimate wide and/or establishing shot just brings whatever you are filming "new heights", pun intended. Learning how to get a smooth shot has been a challenge. I manage to get exactly what I want by trying to hold the turn or pan long enough to be able to cut away when I make a mistake.

I do need to practice more but it's another option when you don't have a crew or a jib or both. "Practice makes permanent." My orchestra teacher said this all the time. The more you practice the more permanent it becomes, so hopefully you are doing it the correct way.

now Let's put social media and mobile media together!

However you feel about social media, it all has to do with how much you know about it. Especially when it comes to your business. "With great power comes great responsibility."

That's how I view social media. For business, it's a tool to further your access to solving someone's problem. Understanding that it's a better customer service than thinking it's just a place that your 21 year old sister posts details about her dinner or Uncle Bob reposting misinformation and/or bad memes, knowing the difference will go a long ways for your business.

And not get overwhelmed with social media because it can happen, think about mastering a social media platform. Honestly, I'd start with Instagram. It's visual, you can edit videos, (to an extent) with their app and user friendly. Take photos and/or offer text graphics to get your message out there.

Right now, Instagram is competing with Tiktok with videos or "Reels". You can add text and music, some of the most basic needs in creating a video for free.

Using videos to give your clients or potential customers an idea of what your company is about, what kind of products you have and how you can use them. The other part of that is the length of your video. The shorter and too the point of your video the better. You have 9 seconds to convince people to watch the rest of it.

Mobile media puts your business image directly into your hands. Showing your "Behind the Scenes" photos and videos, having people engage with your content and providing a new form of customer service FOR FREE. You can buy ads via Facebook and/or Instagram but I would first utilize the free options and learn how to use the analytics provided.

The last piece of this puzzle is authenticity. While hiring a film production team would be best for commercials or your business website. Social media is a great way to show you and your business how relatable and original you are. For instance, introducing your team or a new campaign leading up to a new product, it's the easiest way to connect to your audience and gain new clients.

The only way to solve a problem is to show how you can...

Whatever your business is offering is a solution to someone else's problem. Even if that problem is they don't have enough beaded skull earrings or reading a new vampire book but you have the solution. Maybe you're a small electronics store and you use social media to show simple hack and tips. Recently I saw an Instagram video of how to get a stripped screw out of the wall, now I'm following this profile because we've all at some point need to do some sort of maintenance.

Creating videos on a small and personal scale is not as hard as one thinks.

To recap, just remember this 5 things:

1. This may be a "duh" suggestion but have a smart phone to record decent video.

2. To level up your production value, investing in quality smart phone accessories. If you had to choose one thing, choose audio.

3. Utilize one social media platform, it's free and great way to engage with your clients and potential clients. Once you feel you've mastered it, then move to another.

4. Be authentic. While you can stage certain things like how to change a tire. Showing how and why you are passionate about helping others will shine through more.

5. Last there are a plethora of tutorials, trends and challenges out there to help with gaining followers on social media. Followers who may turn into clients.