How do I film myself dancing on a phone?
Prop the phone upright at about chest height, two to three metres away, with the whole of you in frame and a little floor under your feet, facing a window or a lamp rather than standing in front of one. Use the front camera if you need to check the framing while you dance and the rear camera when you want the better picture; set do-not-disturb, and record short takes.
Position
Vertical for phone-first dances, horizontal for anything you will watch on a bigger screen. Lean the phone against a wall, a stack of books or a tripod, at roughly chest height so the lens is level and your legs are not foreshortened. Step back until your feet are in shot with room to spare — you will travel more than you think.
Light
Face the light. A window behind the phone, or a lamp beside it, lights you evenly; a window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Even light matters more than bright light: a recording where your limbs are visible is one you can learn from.
Settings
Sixty frames per second if the phone offers it, so fast moves are not a smear. Full HD is plenty. Turn on do-not-disturb; a call in the middle of a take ends the take.
Front or rear camera
The front camera lets you see the frame while you dance and is fine for practice. The rear camera is sharper and does not mirror the picture; use it when the recording is the point, and check your framing with a test take first.
Step by step
- Prop the phone. Chest height, level, two to three metres back.
- Check the frame. Whole body, floor under the feet, room to travel.
- Face the light. Window or lamp behind the phone, not behind you.
- Set the phone. Sixty frames per second if available; do-not-disturb on.
- Record short takes. One phrase per take. You will watch them more if they are short.