Quick Tip 04 – Practical iPhone Filmmaking Tips

If you’ve ever fallen into the cinematic reels algorithm on Instagram, you’ve definitely noticed those dreamy, soft, filmic shots popping up everywhere. Are they all shooting on vintage film cameras? Absolutely not. Most of the time, creators are just using modern editing apps with filters and effects to fake that look (myself included haha).

But here’s the fun part, you don’t even need an app or expensive filters to get that vibe. Got an old pair of stockings lying around? Perfect. Cut out a small piece and stretch it over your lens. The more you stretch, the more subtle the effect becomes. Play around with different types too; thick, thin, colored, each gives a unique result. The possibilities are endless.

If the effect feels too strong, you can also cut a small hole in the center of the stocking (see the image below). That way your subject stays sharp while the edges keep that soft, dreamy glow.

There are plenty of ways to create a dreamy glow in-camera without touching the edit, and one of my go-tos in the past was greasing up the lens.

Yep, you read that right. A tiny smear of Vaseline, Labello, or any similar grease on your lens can completely transform your image. Just be careful, the effect can get very intense! What I love about this technique compared to the stocking hack is the creative freedom it gives you. Apply the grease in different ways, circular, directional, or even just on the edges, and you’ll get drastically different results.

Personally, I like keeping it subtle with a very thin circular layer.

This might sound obvious, but if you’re not going for a glow or halation effect… clean your camera lens!

You’d be surprised how many people shoot with fingerprints or smudges on their lens and then wonder why their footage looks blurry or low-quality. Nine times out of ten, it’s not the camera, it’s the dirty glass. Especially true for smartphone filmmakers!

Don’t be that person. A quick lens check should be second nature every time you start filming, whether it’s on your phone or any other camera.

If you mostly shoot with manual exposure settings I highly recommend using an ND filter when shooting in broad daylight. Yes I know it’s not something you have lying around but if you are serious about smartphone filmmaking, it is definitely worth investing in one!

If you are interested in an in-depth exposure breakdown for iPhone filmmaking check out this post!

I currently use the one from Polar Pro (not sponsored). There are many other great brands tho!

If you’re planning to edit your videos later, I recommend slightly overexposing your footage. In my experience, this gives better results than exposing it “correctly” or leaning toward underexposure. That little extra light gives you more flexibility and dynamic range when grading.

Looking for the perfect music or premium sound effects for your project?

Check out Musicbed! I get everything I need from them, so if you want to try it out yourself, you can sign up for the free 14-day trial below!

I’ve even got a playlist if you want to check out the music I use for my edits!

Thanks so much for being here, I genuinely appreciate every single reader.
If you ever have questions or ideas for future issues, feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram!

Until next time,

Stefan

Minimal tools. Maximum creativity.

This post contains affiliate links, using them supports this newsletter at no extra cost to you. Win–win. 🫶🏼