This presentation offers five tips on shooting video news with your smartphone. It also describes appropriate gear and five ways to do mobile newsgathering differently. University of Mississippi Associate Professor Debora Wenger delivered this presentation at the Monroe, La., NewsTrain on Oct. 16, 2015. NewsTrain is the training initiative of Associated Press Media Editors.

1. Mobile Newsgathering: Maximize Your
Smartphone

2. What do you think?

3. What do you think?
 Was the story well shot and
edited?
Mobile journalist Philip Bromwell,
RTE, Ireland
Shot on an iPhone5S
FiLMiC Pro app
iRig (external mic)
Tripod

4. The value-added approach

5. What can smartphones do?
Go where big cams can’t
Add another angle
Speed up the process

6. Top 5 Tips

7. #1 Hold it steady
 Avoid “shaky cam”
Tripod preferred!
Steady the camera against a wall or
another solid object
Hold the camera in both hands;
elbows in close to your side
Lock your focus/exposure if
using built-in camera app

8. #2 No digital zoom
 Zoom with your feet
 Shoot in sequences:
Series of shots that get an object or
person from Point A to Point B
Commonality of time, location,
elements
 No pans or tilts
If motivated – go slow!

9. #3 Know your mic
 Locate mic on phone
 Close all apps/get in
airplane mode
 Manage the sound
environment
 Wear earbuds/double
check
 Get close!

10. Sounds good!

11. #4 Look for the light
 Be sure the brightest
light source is in
front of your subject
 If the light is behind
the subject, you get
a silhouette
 Consistent lighting
key

12. #5 Hold it horizontal
 We live in a 16:9
world now
 Every video you
just watched was
shot with the
camera held
horizontally

13. Get the Gear
Unigrip Pro FiLMiC Pro iRig Pre

14. Doing Mobile Differently?
 “We’re doing
mobile journalism
wrong.”
-Judd Slivka,
Mizzou
 Mobile is:
 Force multiplier
 Single production
platform
 Direct to social
 Novel content apps

15. 5 Ways To Do Mobile
Differently

16. See What You Can Do
 Pair up to go live via Periscope!
 Shoot :30 live stream (or a stand-up)
 Topic A: Mobile-phone study
 Topic B: Hotel market
 One person controls the camera
 One person delivers the content
 Email to:
debora.wenger@gmail.com

17. 5 Ways To Do Mobile
Differently

18. 5 Ways To Do Mobile
Differently

19. 5 Ways To Do Mobile
Differently

20. 5 Ways To Do Mobile
Differently

21. Mobile First
 Mobile newsgathering means
many things:
Direct to social
Ready and available tool
Replacement for broadcast
gear
 YOUR approach is right!