Ask a GW Expert: How Do I Make Better Videos on my Phone

Check your composition. Be looking in the background for things that are unsightly or distracting. You don't want trees or other things coming out of people's heads. Make sure you're positioning your shot.

Good lighting is obviously very important. If you're outside, direct sunlight can be harsh and cause hot highlights. You never want shadows under people's eyes to make them look tired. I usually suggest bright shade to avoid making your subjects look overexposed. If you're indoors, have subjects face the window so natural light hits them.

To create a quick little story with your video, you could start with a wide shot to set the scene. Where are we? Then come in closer for a medium shot, say from the waist up, on someone who is performing some action, maybe baking an apple pie for the holiday meal. Get a wide shot of the whole kitchen, and then come in a little closer for a medium shot of the person working at the stove or counter, where we can see who the person is and what they're doing. And then you go in for a tight shot, showing their hands crimping the crust on the pie. You can think of telling a little story in stages. I make little videos when I just want to remember the moment. My phone is full of them. Other people might just want to share a moment on social media.

Cara Taylor filmed b-roll of GW students enjoying the cherry blossoms. (William Atkins/GW Today)

Horizontal orientation works better for me, but a lot of younger people hold their phones vertically. Vertical orientation is more informal and lends itself more toward social media, like TikTok or Reels, but I think a horizontal orientation makes for a more polished or journalistic result.

There's an app where you film a brief snippet over a period of time and then you can stack all those moments up. This can work well over the holidays, or it could even be a whole year. You end up with a look back on all the things you did that year in a little montage video.

Cara Taylor, M.A. '23,is a multimedia producer for the Office of Communications and Marketing. Got a question you'd like answered by a GW faculty expert? Email gwtodaygwu[dot] edu(gwtoday[at]gwu[dot]edu)with the subject line "Ask a GW Expert" to learn more about (almost) anything.