Best Tips To Record Outstanding Velfie Videos? [Video Selfies]

Want to learn how to take good selfie videos?

After all, if you are posting on social media or YouTube, a little tweak in the video quality will help you reach more users.

You might notice that I have used the world Velfie instead of Selfie and if you are new to the term Velfie, this is what it is. Velfie = Video+Selfie.

The selfie took the world by storm and was introduced to the dictionary in the year 2014. Having said that, most young people have taken to the craze of properties like Dubsmash and Velfie.

Selfie videos have gained in popularity because of their abilities to make the user look good and share it with their friends. People are appreciated for the quality of their Dubsmash and Selfie videos.

Also see: How To Shoot Outstanding Videos Using an iPhone [Must Know]

A lot of users take special effort in making the Selfie look good. Although the camera quality has considerably Improved and made the life of video creators much easy, there are some tips not known to the general people and we thought we will list those tips down for the other users as well.

The main factors of a Video are the Sound and Visual. So here are some tips that help you take better Velfie Videos. For today’s Selfie video tips, we take a look at some of the best in the business in Velfie’s and they are the YouTube stars.

Practical tips for Video bloggers to record good selfie videos

Background.

A lot has been said about the Background of videos and some say blogs suggest having a plain background, although that is good advice, it does sometimes give a boring look to your video.

We take a look at Youtube superstar Casey Neistat’s video and see that his background is cluttered with a lot of things, but it’s blurred! This gives it a not so boring background but also focuses on Casey.

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The next case in point is of Superwoman’s Lily Singh. She also has a cluttered background and it isn’t blurred, but the lighting in her videos are pointed at her and throw no light in the background which makes her stand out and make her glow!

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So there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to the background as long as you can make it work.

Though. to save yourself from confusion, here is the simple role:

Record video selfies with a plain background or anything that doesn’t distract the audience from the main object of the video, that is you!

Where to look when recording video

The key to making an outstanding video is to look directly at the camera on your phone or DSLR and not the screen. A lot of users like to see themselves on the screen and it’s not a good practice. When you look directly into the camera, the viewers who would watch your video will feel you talking directly to them.

Light

One of the first phrases in the Bible is ‘Let there be light’.

This cannot be truer for a Velfie as light plays a major role in having good production value.

What kind of light do you need?

Again, a lot of blogs just suggest a lot of light, but that isn’t true in a lot of cases.

What if you had to take a Velfie on your camping trip in the night?

There cannot be any other light in that case. So for morning shoots, it’s best to have natural light as it’s just the perfect amount of light for the camera which adjusts it’s aperture according to the light that is sent in.

Take a look at Lily Singh’s video with over 10 million views that uses the Natural Light.

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In the dark, when using artificial light, a light with a yellow tinge really gives a look.

White unnatural light looks a bit fake compared to that of a yellow.

Take this example of yellow light used in a Dubsmash video.

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Light on the subject is also a super key.

When you are taking a video make sure light falls on you that will help with you being the focus on not everything else around you.

A sharp light that is focused on your face will enhance your features on the camera and make you look sharper and people will be able to see your features better.

If you have a low light issue or need proper lighting for your videos, here are a few recommended lighting equipment For YouTube videos:

Ring lights:

This is the preferred choice among fashion and beauty bloggers and YouTubers.

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This is portable and works best in the majority of the scenarios. Even if you are traveling to a conference or an event, you can carry this ring light along with you. Here are options which are available on Amazon:

1. Neewer Ring Light Kit:18″/48cm Outer 55W 5500K Dimmable LED Ring Light (Buy on Amazon)
2. Diva ring light 18″ Dimmable ($249)

Movement and Steadiness

Most of the time while taking videos, a movement is involved. But cameras need to adjust to those movements and many a time they do not succeed in this endeavor.

Take an example of panning.

A lot of people pan while taking videos to show their viewers the entire scene. This is a small movement for us, but a giant movement for the camera which has to adjust to the rapid changing scene in seconds.

Use Equipment.

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Equipment are dime a dozen do these to give extra support to our camera work.

Steady cam equipment like the one helps you give better grip by holding the larger handle and letting you take control of your phone. You can, of course, buy high-end gadgets to ensure your videos look steady but to start with even a decent smartphone tripod is enough.

However, if your shooting requires a lot of movement (Like walking on the street and recording yourself), then a handheld Gimbel is an investment worth making.

Osmo 2 by DJI is currently the best and cheap Gimbel available in the market.

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You can order it from Amazon.

Check out DJI Osmo 2 on Amazon

In coming days I will share some of the best equipment you can buy for video blogging.

1. Shooting Without equipment.

If you need to pan and take a steady shot. Make sure you hold the phone with both hands close to your body and keep your arms steady. Also, your knees should not be locked and you should swivel with your hips.

Here is a good example of that technique. Start at 3:43 for the technique

A lot of movement related techniques come through practice and it can be learned.

Avoid the Portrait Mode & use Landscape mode.

This is a rookie mistake when taking Velfies. Although taking a video selfie in portrait mode is far easier. It is important to use the landscape mode because of the depth and reach and also watching videos on the phone are best through the landscape mode.

Look at the two examples below.

The first screen grab only takes the middle portion of the screen but the second one is distributed and gives a broader visual which is a better experience.

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Audio quality: Without good audio your video sucks!

The sound is a major component in a Video selfie. You can have a great video, but if the quality of the sound is bad, your video’s experience is lost. Imagine watching a Star Wars movie without any sound.

The best tip for having good audio is, avoid any sort of distracting noise. The biggest culprit is the fan. The fan pushes win towards the phone and muffles your voice while talking. The best is to put the fan off.

Most of us live in cities, so it’s difficult to avoid vehicle noises, and the sounds of other humans speaking and interacting. The best is to plan the timing of your video where the least noise is expected. Taking the video is a closed room is also a solution but make sure it does not echo.

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Another strategy for trying to cut as much as possible video is to try to cover the audio hole with your hand and cup it towards your audio source.  I use Rode smartlav+ Mic for Smartphone (iPhone + Android) & it makes the sound pretty crisp.

If you need a detailed review of this gadget, let me know & I would show you the difference of audio quality with & without Rode Smartlav+ Mic.

For now, you should watch this video for 20 seconds, starting from 51 seconds to see the difference yourself:

Which are the best phone for selfie videos:

Your Smartphone plays a critical role in the quality of your selfie videos. Here are some of the best front-facing video camera smartphone that you could consider buying in 2019:

1. Huawei P20 Pro (24MP )
2. Apple iPhone XS / XS Max
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 9
4. Honor 10
5. Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL

Bonus tips to improve the selfie videos:

Blur because of the screen guard

This is a problem that I’ve encountered personally. My Phone’s Android phone’s screen guard happened to cover the front camera, which blurred the Image and made it hazy. When you put on a screen guard, make sure there is an opening for the front camera.

This was a bad experience because I had to remove my old screen guard.

Do not zoom in

Zooming in is one of the fastest ways to reduce the production quality of your videos.

Zooming technology pixelates your video considerably and makes it grainy. If videos are pixelated at this day and age, then nobody will see your content. With 1080p being the standard, avoid pixelating your video with the zoom.

Be generous with your expressions – Use that Face

One thing I’ve noticed with the camera is, it does not capture all the subtle expressions that you can notice in real life. This is true because our eyes have zooming in capabilities and nuances that cannot be got in a camera in the present day.

So when you are taking a selfie video, make sure your expressions are exaggerated slightly, otherwise, it comes out looking expressionless. When you smile, smile generously.

Remember, ‘Smile when you are on camera’

Here is a video tip from our in-house expert on how to make a video of yourself when you are of your own:

I’m still experimenting & learning to take good videos with Smartphone & DSLR. In the coming days, I will keep sharing my learning & experiences to help you improve your videos too. Do make your first video selfie & share the link with us in the comment section below.

Hope these tips have been useful to you to take video selfies as much as we’ve had fun making this article.

For now, if you want to share a tip or two, do let us know in the comment section below.

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