How to Film Great Interviews Using Just Your Smartphone

Xavier
Jan 24
2 min read

You don’t need a fancy camera to film great interviews. If you’ve got a smartphone, a mic, and a light, you’ve got what you need. We teach this in our short filming and editing social media content creation course we run across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, and it’s the part people are most surprised by: how good their videos can look and sound with such a simple setup.

Here’s how to do it right.

1. Use Cinematic Mode (or Portrait Video)

Most modern iPhones and Androids have a portrait-style video mode that adds a beautiful background blur. This draws attention to the speaker and instantly makes the footage look more professional.

No DSLR required.

Short content creation video course in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne — Use 'Cinematic Mode' for the blurred background

2. Add a Wireless Mic, Always!

Good sound is non-negotiable.

Your built-in phone mic will pick up echo, traffic, and general noise. A simple wireless mic like the DJI Mic ($74) will make your interviews clear, crisp, and easy to listen to — which means people will actually stay and watch.

3. Light the Face, Not the Background

Lighting doesn’t have to be complicated. A small LED light, like these Wireless LEDs ($200) placed just off-camera will soften shadows and brighten the face. If you’re near a window, use that natural light and just fill in with your LED.

Don’t light the room — light the person.

4. Frame for Connection

Use your phone’s rear camera for the best quality, and film in horizontal (landscape) if it’s for your website or LinkedIn.

Place the person slightly off-centre (rule of thirds), with some space above the head, not too much!

Eye line should be just above centre, not looking up at the camera, not looking down. Natural eye-level.

5. Keep It Real

Don’t script it!

Ask genuine questions. Keep it conversational. People open up more when they’re not trying to recite answers.

In our social media content creation course in Sydney, we teach interview techniques that make people feel relaxed and natural, because that’s what gets the best content.

Want Hands-On Help?

We run in-person videography training in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne for filming and editing, tailored to your team. We’ll come to your workplace, teach you how to film interviews using your phone, and show you how to edit them into short, powerful videos that actually connect with your audience.