>iPhones, iPads, accessories and apps for filmmaking If you can afford it, an electronic stabiliser will make a big difference. Learn to hold your phone steady (rest your upper arms against your body and try to be relaxed). Use a simple clamp like the Joby M-Pod, or a more solid one like the Shoulderpod. Shaky footage looks terrible, and phones are hard to hold steady in horizontal (‘landscape’) mode. Use an affordable lavalier microphone, or mount a wireless or directional mic on a phone case.If you have to record with the built-in mic, get in close.The easiest option is to create a film that doesn’t need live sound: add a voiceover when you edit, or create a digital story where you edit images to a pre-recorded soundtrack.There are three main options for better audio: forget live sound, get in close to make the most of the built-in mic, or use a separate microphone. The other big drawback with mobile devices is their tiny microphones. If you have to shoot in low light, you could put your phone in a case and mount a small light on it. Shoot away from the light, or use reflectors to reduce the contrast. So try to film where there’s plenty of light and where it’s not too contrasty. They aren’t good in low light, or with a lot of contrast.
If you have a Mac, it’s a no-brainer: the desktop version of iMovie is much more flexible than the iOS version. But computer editing apps can do much more than the mobile versions. Or you can shoot on iPhone and edit on iPad: that’s useful if you need to edit in the field. You can shoot and edit on your iPhone or iPad.
It’s tricky to manage a long, complex movie on a phone or tablet. But if you’re planning to shoot and edit on your phone, it’s best to keep the movie short and simple. You can shoot pretty much any kind of film with an iOS device.