This is how we do remote shoots with multiple subjects in different locations
For Brow Talk, Schick Hydro Silk® wanted to connect Netflix star, Madison Bailey with body language expert, Blanca Cobb — so the could discuss and demo how how we need to use our brows better when we communicate, with all of us wearing face masks.
Our challenge: get an iPhone camera as close as possible to the webcam, for the perfect eyeline. The solution that often works best is very simple, a gaffers tape mount!
Gaff tape is a filmmaker's best friend. It tears like strong paper or cloth.
Try not to let the two sticky sides touch unintentionally or they may be become permanently stuck. (ruler is for reference only)
- Secure tape to the back of the iPhone, wrapped around the bottom edge.
While image quality is important for a professional shoot, people often ignore the need for high quality sound. If the sound is good, nobody really notices, but if it’s awful it stands out and can ruin the footage. We’ve experimented with various techniques on iPhone shoots, including using AirPods and plugging lav mics directly into the phone, but we’ve had the best results from recording sound separately. For this we use the affordable Tascam DR 10L.
We recently received this helpful tip to add powerful control to our remote iPhone workflow, giving the producer remote access to the camera features of the phone, a very desirable feature:
An article rounding up this blog and the different kinds of work we have been doing through the tough times of 2020 is on the No Film School site at this link. We have learned so much from NFS over the years so it is a real honor!