With smartphones, we don’t need bricks in camera bags, but professionals ensure quality B2B video

Remember, you are not a teenage TikTokker

When I moved from print journalism to current affairs broadcasting, I found the filming process intimidating, cumbersome and baffling.

Producers had to carry tripods and camera bags, I was warned. (It took me weeks to learn that the impossibly heavy camera bag was because of the rookie-initiation brick added.) We lugged lights, filters and gels to conflict zones and thought we were a “small but effective” crew with three or four people: a camera operator, sound operator, producer, and sometimes a presenter. Back at the national broadcaster, we would transcribe and log hours and hours of footage before writing tight scripts. Linear editing didn’t allow for changes, and you had to know your story when you walked into the edit suite.

Now, one person can do it all on one phone. Traditional camera crews have become expensive, unwieldy and, in many situations, obtrusive. Their skills and knowledge, honed in the field, are being replaced by ever-smaller technology.

There is no doubt that video produced on smart phones is broadcast-worthy – traditional print companies train their journalists to produce high-quality video and in many cases news broadcasters rely on one-person crews who research, film, conduct interviews, do pieces to camera and edit their own packages. (No more bricks in camera bags, I suppose!)

Full-length films have been shot on an iPhone and the device is increasingly popular for filming music videos and even commercials. Smartphones have boosted the content creator economy and democratised the media.

It stands to reason, then, that slick business-to-business videos have for a while not been the exclusive domain of expensive, high-end studios either.

And in a game changer in the post-Covid boom of conferences and events, Apple recorded presenters, locations and drone footage for a keynote event video – the M3 chip series for its Macs – with an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

BUT.

This doesn’t mean businesses can depend on shaky, amateurish footage with bad sound quality or merely task a marketing intern to put together a video using online templates.

Smartphones have many advantages over DSLR cameras: they are portable, low-key, affordable, durable, versatile, small and easy to use. However, as is illustrated by the Apple event phoned on the iPhone, the camera is but a small part of the process. An army of highly professionals planned the minutest detail and used high-end, pricy rigs like camera cranes, drones, gimbals and dollys. External mics recorded audio and they used professional lighting and modifiers.

While businesses clearly don’t need drones or cranes for videos, there are non-negotiables for professional, watchable content.

·      Use a decent tripod to avoid shaky footage. You are not a teenage TikTokker.

·      High-quality external microphones are essential. Smartphone audio will never be good enough (at least not on any of the phones on the market). Audio is the most important element of good video content, especially for getting your B2B message across.

·      Portable lights make your video look professional and more visually appealing. They determine the mood and feel of the video and, obviously, light any interviewees. (You do not want your MD obscured by shadows or sitting in an unflattering glare.)

·      Good editing is crucial. Quick, jumpy cuts are jarring and seldom work in B2B. (Again, you are not a teenage TikTokker.) Excellent post-production and tight content editing will hold the viewer’s attention.Nobody watches rambling, boring content.

The “small” crew of my early years in television has become a luxury, if not nearly obsolete. But the skills and knowledge of the camera and sound operators and video editors are not a nice-to-have; they are crucial.

Embrace the technological advances and ease of smartphones, but never compromise on the quality professionals bring.