How I Record, Edit, and Upload High Quality Videos Using Only My iPhone

Recently I have been getting lots of questions about how I record, edit, and upload high quality videos using only my iPhone. Maybe you always wanted to produce videos for your blog, YouTube channel, or Facebook page, but didn’t know where to start. Or maybe you thought the process was too time consuming or required lots of expensive equipment. If so, you may be pleasantly surprised just how easy it is to put together high quality videos using only an iPhone!

Here is an example of a recent video that was shot, edited, and uploaded to my YouTube channel using only my iPhone:


Below you will find some of my favorite recommended equipment, apps, and tips for making videos using the iPhone.

Equipment:

iPhone 5s — While it isn’t the newest iPhone model, the iPhone 5s can record HD video in 1080p.

SnapMount SM3 Tripod Mount for iPhone 5 and 5S — work beautifully and is super simple to use.

Vanguard Alta Pro 263AP Aluminum Tripod Kit — You may find it helpful to invest in a quality tripod with an extending arm for recording tutorials from overhead. This is the one I use and I absolutely love it. Very versatile. Bonus — use the tripod with other pricer (ie, DSLR) cameras too.

Apple Iphone 5 Earbuds (these are included with the iPhone 5s) — To reduce vibration, once your phone is mounted to the tripod, use the volume control on the ear buds to snap photos. Great for snapping still shots, and those still shot photos can be used in your videos.

Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone — For recording interviews, or when I am behind a craft table, I have used this microphone plugged into my phone with great results. The cable is 20 feet long!

Recording Video:

Set Up the Shot — Pay attention to your background to make sure it is clean and tidy. No one likes a messy and distracting background!

Lighting — A shady spot outdoors on a sunny day is fantastic for video. If recording outdoors is not an option, try recording near an indirectly sunny window.

A large piece of white foam board works nicely for an inexpensive reflector.

Sound — Recording outdoors with a lavalier microphone works great. For indoor shots, I prefer to do voiceovers made in iMovie after the video is recorded. Most tutorials I remove the sound from the clip in iMovie and add royalty free music instead.

Tip — Record voiceovers inside a walk-in closet for high quality sound. The clothes hanging inside the closet provide the perfect budget-friendly sound proof solution!

Video iPhone Apps:

iMovie for iPhone — Add title cards, transitions, voiceovers, music, still photos, and more with the iMovie for iPhone app. This app is simple to use and provides lots of powerful features! You can add filters to your footage and even adjust the video speed to speed it up or slow it down. HIGHLY recommend.

Stop Motion Studio Pro for iPhone — For those who like to experiment with stop motion animation, the Stop Motion app for iPhone is a great solution. My 10 year old made several stop motion videos using this app! You can add royalty free music and record voiceovers too. Also, this app can record HD video in 1080p.

Rotate and Flip — As far as I can tell, iMovie does not provide a way to rotate or flip footage. This handy app does exactly that, and maintains the 1080p quality. It is very easy to use!

YouTube App — Once my video is saved in iMovie, I’m ready to upload it to my YouTube channel. That is where the YouTube app for iPhone comes in handy. Choose the movie from your camera roll, select the quality, upload it to your channel, and enter the appropriate keywords, title, and description. Done!

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