Mobile Video Course

Lesson 1 • Essential Mobile Gear Overview

Surveys stabilizers, microphones, lenses, and power accessories. Helps students prioritize gear investments based on their specific content goals.

Lesson 2 • Understanding Your Smartphone Camera

Covers sensor size, lens types, and hardware limitations unique to mobile devices. Connects hardware knowledge to informed shooting decisions.

Lesson 3 • Core Video Terminology

Introduces resolution, frame rate, bit rate, and codec concepts. Provides the vocabulary needed to configure camera settings in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Planning a Mobile Video Project

Introduces pre-production thinking: concept, shot list, and logistics. Establishes planning habits that reduce on-set problems throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture

Explains the exposure triangle as it applies to mobile video. Students practice balancing all three variables to achieve correct exposure.

Lesson 2 • Auto vs. Manual Exposure Modes

Compares automatic and manual exposure modes and their trade-offs. Motivates the shift to manual control for professional-quality results.

Lesson 3 • Using Third-Party Camera Apps

Introduces professional camera apps that unlock manual controls unavailable in native apps. Students configure a preferred app for consistent use.

Lesson 4 • White Balance and Color Temperature

Teaches manual white balance selection and Kelvin values for accurate color. Connects proper white balance to reduced color correction work in post.

Lesson 1 • Working with Natural Light

Teaches how to read, position, and modify available daylight for video. Students learn to schedule shoots and use reflectors to control natural light.

Lesson 2 • Lighting for Interviews and Talking Heads

Applies lighting principles to the most common mobile video format: on-camera interviews. Students practice flattering, professional setups for single subjects.

Lesson 3 • Lighting in Challenging Environments

Addresses mixed lighting, low-light interiors, and outdoor midday conditions. Students develop problem-solving strategies for uncontrolled shooting environments.

Lesson 4 • Artificial Lighting Essentials

Covers LED panels, ring lights, and portable battery lights for mobile shoots. Students build a basic three-point lighting setup with affordable gear.

Lesson 1 • Recording Audio in Difficult Conditions

Addresses wind, echo, crowd noise, and HVAC interference in real locations. Students apply practical mitigation techniques before and during recording.

Lesson 2 • Microphone Types and Selection

Compares shotgun, lavalier, and stereo microphones for mobile use. Students match microphone type to shooting scenario and budget.

Lesson 3 • Microphone Placement and Technique

Teaches optimal placement distances, angles, and mounting methods for each mic type. Directly reduces noise and handling artifacts in recorded audio.

Lesson 4 • Why Audio Quality Matters

Establishes audio as the most critical factor in perceived video quality. Motivates investment in audio skills by analyzing common failure examples.

Lesson 1 • Creative Camera Angles and Perspectives

Explores high angle, low angle, Dutch tilt, and overhead perspectives. Students use angle choices to reinforce mood and narrative meaning.

Lesson 2 • Handheld Shooting Techniques

Teaches body mechanics and grip techniques for stable handheld footage. Students reduce unwanted shake while preserving natural, dynamic movement.

Lesson 3 • Shot Types and Their Purpose

Defines wide, medium, close-up, and insert shots and their narrative functions. Students build a vocabulary for planning and communicating shot choices.

Lesson 4 • Gimbal Operation and Movement

Covers gimbal balancing, modes, and programmed movements for cinematic results. Students execute pan, tilt, orbit, and reveal moves with precision.

Lesson 1 • Continuity and the 180-Degree Rule

Explains screen direction, the axis of action, and continuity errors. Students apply the 180-degree rule to maintain spatial coherence across cuts.

Lesson 2 • Coverage and the Shot List

Teaches systematic coverage: master shots, cutaways, and reaction shots. Students execute a shot list efficiently without missing critical story moments.

Lesson 3 • Directing On-Camera Subjects

Covers coaching non-actors, interview subjects, and presenters for natural performance. Students apply verbal and physical direction techniques to improve on-screen delivery.

Lesson 4 • Shooting Documentary-Style Content

Adapts shooting strategies for unscripted, observational, and run-and-gun scenarios. Students capture authentic moments while maintaining technical quality.

Lesson 1 • Exporting for Different Platforms

Covers resolution, codec, and compression settings for major distribution platforms. Students export correctly sized and formatted files for each target channel.

Lesson 2 • Organizing and Importing Footage

Establishes file management, folder structures, and import workflows for mobile editors. Prevents lost footage and wasted time throughout the editing process.

Lesson 3 • Titles, Graphics, and Text

Teaches adding lower thirds, title cards, and animated text overlays. Students create professional on-screen graphics that match their brand or project style.

Lesson 4 • Editing App Setup and Interface

Orients students to professional mobile editing app layouts and key tools. Builds interface fluency so students focus on creative decisions, not navigation.

Lesson 1 • Grading Log and Flat Footage

Covers the workflow for grading log-encoded footage captured in flat picture profiles. Students transform low-contrast log clips into vibrant, graded images.

Lesson 2 • Music, Sound Effects, and Final Mix

Covers music selection, sound effect layering, and final mix levels for delivery. Students produce a balanced mix that meets loudness standards for major platforms.

Lesson 3 • Creative Color Grading

Introduces LUTs, color wheels, and HSL controls for stylistic grading. Students develop a consistent visual look that reinforces the video's tone and brand.

Lesson 4 • Color Correction Fundamentals

Teaches exposure correction, white balance adjustment, and contrast balancing in post. Students fix technical color problems before applying any creative grade.