With iPhone technology growing increasingly sophisticated, people are becoming more and more capable of shooting videos on their own. The ease of being able to pull a phone out of your pocket and press record is certainly an attractive proposition. For those seeking to create their own video productions, this may work. Although the features of the new iPhone 13 Pro are extensive, there are still benefits of using a professional video production team. Let’s look at what both options have to offer and when you may want to go solo vs. hiring a professional team.
iPhone 13 Pro or Professional Video Production?
At the end of the day, an iPhone alone can’t fully compete with professional videographers and film production crews. Even if certain aspects of the technology are somewhat comparable, there’s no substitute for the eye and training of a seasoned videographer or cinematographer and the expertise of a professional video production company, like Tailor Made Media. However, that said, there may be certain conditions that call for shooting videos on an iPhone 13 Pro. Below, we outline several considerations to take into account before selecting the optimal video camera. We’ll also review pros and cons of the new iPhone.
Video Production Considerations
There are many aspects to a video production that should be considered before selecting the proper equipment. That includes choosing the appropriate camera. Before you reach into your pocket for that iPhone 13 Pro to make your next video production, consider the following:
Type of Video
What type of video do you want to make? A corporate video? A social media post? A brand video? Your answer should inform whether you shoot it on your own i-Phone or hire a video production team. Depending on what type of video you are trying to shoot, an iPhone may be a great option.
Frequent and short social media posts lend themselves to shooting quickly. This usually means not concerning oneself as much with production quality. An i-Phone is great for shooting videos like this. You’ll still want to light the scene and make sure you’re capturing sound well. Apple iPhones do offer various editing options on the phone itself. You can also opt to import the footage into a desktop editing program.
Generally, the larger the scale of the project, the more wise it is to have more specialists in place. If you’re looking to shoot a corporate video, a professional video production team will always be the best choice. Production crews include trained professionals who each specify in different aspects of the project. These elements include directing, cinematography, storyboarding, coloring, or editing.
Shooting a video on your own gives you full creative control, but it also means having to be an expert in multiple areas. With a professional video production team, you won’t have to worry about wearing all of these hats. Each person does their job and does it well (at least they should!).
Effects
Even though you can achieve a high-quality image on your iPhone 13 Pro, you will still need to perform post-production work, including editing and effects. If you are unfamiliar with all of the tools at your disposal, you’ll have to spend time learning. Tapping a professional crew to do this for you will likely end up saving you time in the long run.
Editing
If you’re just looking to post a video to social media that requires minimal editing, an iPhone may be a good choice. The speed at which you can set up, shoot, edit, and upload lends itself to posting regular content at a steady clip. Ideally, you want to have both quantity and quality, but not everyone has the budget for a professional video production team on every video, especially if you’re posting videos often. I doubt those who have become TikTok famous have hired professional teams for all of their posts. However, many probably do spend a decent amount of time writing scripts, adding text, and editing for the allotted time-frame.
Shooting Videos in a Professional Studio
A video production company can also provide a professional studio setting for shooting videos. A studio is beneficial in a number of ways. First, it’s a controlled environment with little distractions. There is also less extraneous noise to contend with. At Tailor Made Media’s new studio, we have all of our equipment stored and ready to use, including a lightning rig on the ceiling and professional sound-recording. It would be hard to achieve a similar quality in your bedroom.
Shooting Videos On Location
An iPhone could be beneficial for on-location shooting because you’ll have less equipment to transport and set up. Depending on the location, carrying an iPhone would sure be easier than lugging several large bags of gear. On the flip-side, those several bags of gear could prove extra useful in an environment where you may need reflectors for light, extension cords, a green-screen, or other equipment for the shoot.
Combine iPhone Video and Professional Video Production
You may want to consider a combination of the two; you could hire a video production team for a larger scale project, then supplement this video with smaller videos that you produce on an iPhone for the purpose of social media engagement. It’s important to remember that if you do hire a professional video production company for a large project, it will be possible to break it down into smaller segments that can achieve this goal. At Tailor Made Media, we always want our clients to get the most mileage out of their footage.
An iPhone Can Save Cost
Aside from the iPhone and a few accessories, a primary benefit of shooting videos on your own is keeping cost down. Going at it alone as the sole videographer, director, writer, editor, etc. will save you having to pay professionals. The downside of this is that if you lack experience in any of the aforementioned areas, it will likely show in the finished product. Although you will have full creative control over every aspect of the production, you may have certain blindspots that will need time to improve. A professional and experienced team will elevate the final product to heights you can’t currently imagine.
A Film Crew Can Save Time
One of the biggest benefits of choosing a professional video production team for your project versus going solo is that it can save you time. This is especially true for a larger-scale project like a corporate video series. If you are the only person working on the project, you will only be able to do one thing at a time. When shooting, this means you will be the one setting up the lights, sound, and camera at different times, whereas multiple crew members can do all of these things at once. Editing is also a step in the process that takes time. Hiring a seasoned editor will save time and prevent having to go back to fix amateur mistakes. Experienced editors already know what works and can achieve a high-quality cut in a timely manner.
Pros and Cons of the iPhone 13 Pro
Pros
To the untrained eye, the iPhone 13 Pro captures high quality images that are often difficult to distinguish from a professional camera.
The iPhone 13 Pro has a bigger sensor and three lenses, which allows for a shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field allows for objects in the foreground to be in focus, while the background is blurry. This is a hallmark characteristic of a professional camera and the iPhone 13 Pro performs well with this feature.
The stabilization feature on the iPhone 13 Pro makes it easy to move the camera without much shakiness. When shooting with a professional camera, you would use a gimbal for this stabilization effect. The iPhone comes very close to a gimbal’s level of video stabilization.
The iPhone 13 Pro has improved its ability to shoot in low-light. Often, shooting in a darkened scene can cause a lack of focus and detail. For the most part, the new iPhone achieves high-quality images even in low light conditions.
Cons
The shutter speed of the iPhone 13 Pro is fixed. This means it doesn’t adjust as well to motion, particularly if the shot is combined with lighting differences. You can adjust the shutter speed on a professional camera to remedy this issue.
Yes, we want a sharp image. But the iPhone tends to over-sharpen the image to an extent that hinders a naturalistic look. It is a subtle difference, but a side-by-side comparison to a professional camera illustrates this minor flaw.
The iPhone does not provide as many lens options as a professional camera. It offers three: A 77mm 6-element f/2.8 telephoto lens, a 26mm 7-element f/1.5 Wide lens, and a 13mm 6-element f/1.8 Ultra Wide lens. These lenses provide a few options. But a professional camera allows for even more choices (50mm Prime, 100mm Macro, etc.). This is useful depending on what you’re shooting.
The iPhone 13 Pro can produce a flare effect on the image that looks mechanical. On the contrary, a professional camera’s flare looks more like a natural fraction of light.
Conclusion
If you were to use a video production company, they might have a Canon C300 Mark III camera to create your corporate video. But sometimes, whatever you have in your pocket, like an iPhone 13 Pro, is exactly what you need for a short brand video or social media post. It all may depend on the scope of the project, what type of video it is, and your intent. If you’re making a short video for social media that involves minimal effects and edits, then an iPhone might be the best choice.
However, if you’re trying to produce a larger-scale video of the highest quality, there is no substitute for a professional video production team. Although you might be able to control every production aspect as a lone videographer, a production team allows each specialist to do their job. Video production companies, like Tailor Made Media, are experienced and great at what they do. They can save you time and ensure that your project is produced at the highest quality possible, making it stand out from the ever growing world of video marketing. Your dream project deserves nothing less.
