10 Tips on How to Shoot Testimonies on Smartphones

Testimony, Testimonial, Byte, Sound Byte, Sound Bite, Interview, Question Answer shoot are different names as we call them is an important type of corporate video that is often used by organizations where the speaker or the video spokesperson testifies the subject on which speaks. It is an important tool to prove that the speaker vouches or endorses the subject.

In a corporate scenario, testimony shoot is common and executives and senior management keep doing them all the time for the press, media, PR, or to address the employees and other stakeholders. To keep up the brand image, often professional video agencies are hired, with expensive professional cameras, lighting, and audio setup. Sometimes even multiple angles are shot along with hiring a makeup artist. Very often we also use a teleprompter, that assists the speaker speak flawlessly without forgetting any point.

However, there are scenarios, when hiring a professional video agency is not possible. For instance, during these COVID times or when the speaker is in a remote location with no access to a pro team. Fortunately, there are ways in which we can get decent results from your existing smartphone camera. While the professional camera is the best, the make-shift smartphone camera can be quite useful. The results are often not bad so long as they are shot with some directives in mind.

Select a Silent Location for the Shoot

A testimony is all about sound. You need a reasonably silent location such as a conference room, meeting room,  because you may not have a wireless mic. However, if you don't find a silent location and the visibility of the mic is not important, you may use a Bluetooth headset mic. If you have wired earphones with a built-in mic, you may use that provided the wire is long enough to go from near your mouth into the mic port of the smartphone. You don't have to plug the earphones into your ears. Just tuck the earphones inside your collar so that the microphone is close to your mouth. However you have to hide all those wires coming from your body into the phone. That could get messy. 


Use a Bluetooth Headset if possible to avoid external noise, as you will stand far from the smartphone

If you find a silent room, ensure that it does not echo. If you are not using a built-in mic of the smartphone, ensure that you speak louder than the ambient room sound. Don't speak from further than 4 feet from the smartphone. Switch off fans, air conditioners and close all doors and windows for extra silence. Request people around to maintain silence for some time. People do cooperate in such times.


Meeting rooms are the best silent rooms

Keep the Phone Horizontal - Shoot Landscape

This is very important! Keep the smartphone horizontal (landscape) and NOT vertical (portrait). That's the way professionals use it in films. If you shoot vertical or portrait the editing production house will have a tough time fitting the content in a horizontal production flow and the quality may be ruined.    


Shoot Landscape, Not Portrait.

Make a Photogenic Frame

Frame the picture such that the talent is fully visible above the belt. Don't chop off the head! Keep some headroom above. Try to keep the subject in the center of the frame.  Use simple backgrounds. You may use standees, branding at a distance behind the talent. NO direct light should fall on the camera to avoid glares.  Shoot no more than 3 to 4 feet from the talent, since the smartphone microphone should pick up voice signal loud enough. Request everybody around to be silent.  At the same time ensure that the framing is proper as discussed before.

Practice Makes Perfect

Rehearse a few shots till the videographer and the talent become thorough.

Speak Naturally

The talent should not look into a book or paper to read. Rehearse small sentences Frame them in the mind and then speak. Ask the videographer to start recording, frame the sentence in mind, and then speak. The delay is OK. Dont try to fake accents or a style. Be yourself. That works the best.

Speak or Read

If taking cues from a sheet of paper, don’t speak while looking into the paper. While speaking, look only into the camera. Turn your head towards the paper only before and  after the speaking. Not even for a while during speaking. The camera sees everything; Even a cock-eyed look into the paper is visible.

Save the Best Quality

Always save the videos in the best (superfine) quality.

Selfie Mode

If recording all by yourself you may use the above principles for a selfie video. You may need to rest the mobile against some books etc.