Your phone is enough. Use the rear camera at 4K and 30fps, put it on a tripod at eye level, stand so a window lights you from about 45 degrees, clip on a cheap lav mic, and film four to eight videos in one sitting. Then shoot three times more b-roll than you think you need.
If you already film on your phone and the results look flat, upgrade in this order: the mic, then the light, then the background. A new phone comes last, if at all.
What kit do I need?
What makes a Reel look cheap is rarely the camera. It is muddy sound, a dark face, a shaky frame and a background that could be anywhere.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Your phone, rear camera | The better of its two cameras |
| A tripod that reaches eye level | Steady frame, flattering angle |
| A cheap clip-on lav mic | Audio matters more than picture |
People will watch a soft image. They scroll past a voice buried under the espresso machine.
What settings should I use?
Set this once and leave it.
- Video at 4K, 30fps. On iPhone: Settings, Camera, Record Video. On Android, look in the camera app's video resolution setting.
- Do Not Disturb on, so a call does not end the take.
- Clear storage before you start. 4K files are big.
How do I set up the space?
- Light: face a window, then turn about 45 degrees so the light falls across your face from one side. If the overhead lights turn your skin green or orange next to the daylight, switch them off.
- Height: lens at eye level. A phone looking up from the counter flatters nobody.
- Background: your real space, the shelves, the treatment room, the front desk. Your shop in the frame tells a neighbor where you are.
- Sound: mic on your shirt a hand's width below your chin. Fans and music off. Record a short test and listen back on headphones.
How do I film a week of Reels in one go?
Batch it. Danny's method is four to eight videos per sitting, because setting up every day costs more time than it saves. Before the day, write the scripts (about an hour for the batch) and book your quietest hour: before opening, after close, or the dead hour after lunch. For each opening line, use the guide to writing Reel hooks.
On the day, in this order:
- Run your sound and picture test and watch it back.
- Film every talking piece first, while your energy is up.
- Film each hook three ways (different words, delivery or opening action) and pick the best in the edit.
- Pause for a beat before you speak and after you finish, so the cuts are clean.
- Change one thing between videos (shirt, spot or angle) so the week does not look like one long take.
- Film b-roll last, and lots of it.
What b-roll should a local business film?
B-roll is the footage that plays over your voice. The edit needs a new shot every 2 to 4 seconds, which is why you need about three times more than you expect. Hold the phone still for each clip.
- Shop or bakery: unlocking the door, hands stocking a shelf, bagging an order, the street outside.
- Clinic: the room being set up, equipment being prepared, the sign by the entrance.
- Title or mortgage office: keys and a folder sliding across the desk, a stamp coming down.
Ask before you film customers or patients, every time. A clinic should get written consent.
How do I edit it?
Give each video 15 to 30 minutes, and see how often to post on Instagram for how many you need a week. Cut the slow parts, open on the first word, put the written hook on screen for the first three seconds, proofread the captions, add a new shot every 2 to 4 seconds, keep music at 10 to 15 percent, and end hard. Export at 1080x1920. Pull stills while you edit, because one shoot gives you Reels, carousels and photo posts.
One batch day like this is very doable. Holding one every month while the shop needs you is where most owners slip. Those filming days, 2 or 4 a month, are the part Launch Social books around your week, and you keep working while the crew films.
Questions people ask
Do I need a real camera to film business Reels?
No. A phone's rear camera is enough for Instagram. Muddy sound, a dark face and a shaky frame make a Reel look cheap far more often than the camera does.
How many Reels should I film in one session?
Four to eight. For most small businesses that is one to two weeks of posts from a single setup.
What if I do not want to talk on camera?
Film your hands, your product, your team and your space, then add a voiceover or on-screen text. Instagram content without being on camera covers each option.
Related
- social media management in San Diego
- How to write Reel hooks
- How often to post on Instagram
- Instagram content without being on camera
- Video content creation in San Diego
- Instagram marketing for retail shops
- Social media for chiropractors
- Social media for home service companies
Want this done for you? Book a free 15-minute call with Danny. We look at your account and the businesses you compete with, and you leave with a written plan for your next 90 days, whether you hire us or not.