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gwelmarten

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 17, 2011
476
0
England!
Hi there,
I need to make a brief video of an app been used, showing the user's hand and the phone as they use the app. I tried filming today outside today (light cloud, with some sun) using another iPhone, but the recording iPhone kept adjusting exposure etc to make the recorded iPhone screen appear dark, and I had mild problems with glare on the screen. Can someone tell me the best way to do this? I was going to try this evening with the following:

- Do it at 4:15pm, minutes after the sun has set. By that time, there is still lots of daylight, but the contrast between the natural environment and the screen should be lower.
- Face at an angle of 90 degrees to the sun, so the camera is not pointing at it and there is no glare.

Can anyone else make a suggestion that might help me get good footage of the phone AND the surrounding environment please?

Thanks,

Sam
 

gwelmarten

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 17, 2011
476
0
England!
You need a real video camera for that. Plus a camera operator that knows how to shoot.

I'm not exactly inexperienced in this area, but we're just trying to make a quick demo video of medium-quality without investing 6 hours in filming it! I tend to use a Canon 600D with Magic Lantern, but in this case I found it just exacerbated the lighting problem compared to the iPhone.

Bearing in mind I am using the iPhone to record, do you have any suggestions re: situation, time and quick adjustments we can make to get this to work?
 

yjchua95

macrumors 604
Apr 23, 2011
6,725
233
GVA, KUL, MEL (current), ZQN
I'm not exactly inexperienced in this area, but we're just trying to make a quick demo video of medium-quality without investing 6 hours in filming it! I tend to use a Canon 600D with Magic Lantern, but in this case I found it just exacerbated the lighting problem compared to the iPhone.

Bearing in mind I am using the iPhone to record, do you have any suggestions re: situation, time and quick adjustments we can make to get this to work?

To remove glare, have you tried using a polarizer?

And also, have you tried engaging AE/AF lock before shooting the video? Engaging exposure and focus lock prior to shooting the video will ensure that the focus and exposure remain constant.

Side note: I'm a part time cinematographer, and the iPhone is capable of doing a lot of things. But shooting product demos, such as app usage, is still best left to a HDSLR or something like a EOS Cinema. It wouldn't need an Arri though :D

For your case, I'd suggest sticking back to your 600D, but use a circular polarizer to remove glare from the screen of the iPhone you're trying to shoot.
 

SeilerBird

macrumors 6502
Nov 12, 2014
257
70
Make the video indoors. You don't need external light to photograph a phone screen.
 

FieldingMellish

Suspended
Jun 20, 2010
2,440
3,108
To remove glare, have you tried using a polarizer?

And also, have you tried engaging AE/AF lock before shooting the video? Engaging exposure and focus lock prior to shooting the video will ensure that the focus and exposure remain constant.

Side note: I'm a part time cinematographer, and the iPhone is capable of doing a lot of things. But shooting product demos, such as app usage, is still best left to a HDSLR or something like a EOS Cinema. It wouldn't need an Arri though :D

For your case, I'd suggest sticking back to your 600D, but use a circular polarizer to remove glare from the screen of the iPhone you're trying to shoot.

Well said. A camera is needed that has controls that counteract the challenges inherent in the scene. And it's best handled by the experienced for quick and superior results.
 
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