By: Michael Kernan
(as published in TV Week/Advertising Week)
What will be the “I Love Lucy” of mobile? The answer remains to be seen. When TV was first invented, most television producers came from radio and did not know what to make of this new medium. So they put radio on TV, and it was less than impressive. Then “I Love Lucy” came along, and it showed what could be done with a filmed show that plays to television’s strengths.
The parallel can be drawn that the answer to mobile is to produce specifically for the medium. That said, here are a few tips for producing mobile video.
Produce specifically for the screen. First, consider the screen size of the device the person will be viewing. Most cell phone screens on the market are approximately 2 inches. However, as mobile video becomes more popular, handset makers are designing larger screens. For example, the Apple iPhone has a 31/2-inch screen.
One helpful pointer when shooting video for mobile devices is to use close-up shots. Wide shots lose focus, which makes it difficult for the viewer to see the characters.
Similarly, the fewer people in each shot the better. If a single character is in the shot, it is not necessary to frame the actor in the center. The character can be set to the side, using the rest of the shot to capture background or something else integral to the shot.
In choosing a background, use the simplest background that makes sense for the project. Overly complex backgrounds will not translate well to mobile and will detract from the focus.
Avoid TV techniques. Camera techniques used in television and film, such as tilting or zooming, do not cross over to mobile. The least amount of camera movement possible is best. The same is true for character movement. A lot of movement by a character is hard to watch on a mobile device.
Of course, camera movement should not be excluded entirely. But the camera should move much slower and allow the scene to remain on screen longer than in other mediums. Finally, fast cuts between scenes are difficult for the viewer to comprehend and should not be used.
However, not all television techniques are bad. Storyboarding should be used in planning the video, just as it is in film and television.
Lighting is extremely important. The best lighting to use is soft lighting. Lighting for mobile video is even more important than lighting for other media. Avoid any fluorescent lighting (unless specifically designed for filming) and dimly lit areas. One lighting technique that has been successful for mobile video is to have a sharp contrast between the background and the characters. This helps highlight the character without overloading the viewer and compromising the clarity of the video.
Avoid text. Text or subtitles most likely will distract the viewer. The small size of the screen makes it difficult for the viewer to pay attention to the text. It is better to use audio to get the message across.
Audio is integral to mobile video. Until handsets improve, speakers of mobile devices have a very limited capability. This is especially true when using frequencies on the lower end of the audio spectrum. Bass-heavy audio should not be used, as it will distort the mobile device’s speaker.
Many mobile video viewers wear headphones. Thus, audio should highlight the action taking place in the video. Any unnecessary sound effects or dialogue should be removed. Dialogue should be crisp and clean.
Think about where the video will be viewed. As the name “mobile video” implies, viewers will be watching the content in a vast array of situations. Thus, assume distractions. Plot lines or dialogue should not be so involved that if the viewer misses something, he is lost. This also should be considered when planning character development and in introducing new characters.
The most successful original-content mobile videos are those that present the characters and plot in a clear way to the viewer.
Be prepared for compression issues. Another pre-shooting issue to consider is that the content will eventually need to be compressed. Producers who have made content for the Internet are already familiar with content compression.
When it comes time to edit, getting rid of empty frames will help reduce the size of the file that must be compressed. The frames per second used in shooting the video should be lower than traditional television frame speed. However, the frame speed should not be reduced to the degree that the quality of the video is drastically reduced. Advances in the technology, such as Qualcomm’s MediaFlo, will eventually reduce compression concerns.
(With special thanks to Ryan Goodell.)