Ali Abdaal
August 29, 2019
Getting Started with YouTube Using Just Your iPhone
TL;DR
You can start a YouTube channel using only your iPhone by adjusting video settings in Filmic Pro, adding a budget microphone, using natural lighting, and simple framing techniques—no expensive camera gear required.
Key Takeaways
- 1Use Filmic Pro instead of the default iPhone camera app to manually control frame rate (25 fps), resolution (4K), bitrate, white balance, and shutter speed (1/50) for cinematic quality
- 2Audio quality is as important as video quality; a budget Rode Videomicro microphone (~$40) connected via a Lightning adapter provides significant improvement over iPhone's built-in mic
- 3Natural window lighting is effective and free; you don't need expensive lighting rigs to produce quality content when getting started
- 4Mirror your iPhone screen to a laptop using QuickTime Player to frame shots properly without expensive external monitors
- 5Use affordable tripod mounts and phone holders (~$10-50) to stabilize your iPhone and mount external microphones for vlogging or stationary content
- 6Optional external lenses (wide-angle, macro, telephoto) can expand creative options, but are not necessary for beginners
- 7The biggest barrier to starting YouTube is fear and mindset, not equipment—all modern smartphones are capable of filming high-quality video
Notable Quotes
“you don't need to wait for you know a fancy camera or save up for this that and the other all you need is your iPhone or you know Android phone if you're one of those heathens”
— Host
“audio is even more important than video quality because people will sit through a low quality video if the audio is good but if you have the best quality video in the world but your audio is crap then no one's gonna want to watch your video”
— Host
“a distressing amount of them have said stuff like oh I'd love to start a YouTube channel but I I don't have the money for a camera even though they've got like the latest iPhone”
— Host
“it's never an excuse that oh I can't afford camera gear as an excuse as to why you're not starting a YouTube channel it's just like an internal battle of oh okay I need to get over the fear of looking foolish”
— Host
Chapters
1. Introduction & Overview
Host explains that you don't need expensive camera equipment to start a YouTube channel; the entire video is shot on an iPhone 10s Max, and he'll cover five key areas for quality content creation.
2. Video Quality with Filmic Pro
The default iPhone camera app produces inferior results. Filmic Pro allows manual control of frame rate (set to 25 fps for cinematic look), 4K resolution, high bitrate, white balance, and shutter speed (1/50 second per the 180-degree rule) to achieve professional-looking motion blur.
3. Audio Quality & Microphones
Audio is arguably more important than video quality. While the iPhone's built-in microphone is adequate for beginners, a Rode Videomicro (~$40) connected via a Lightning-to-headphone adapter provides noticeably better sound quality without breaking the budget.
4. Lighting Setup
Natural window lighting is highly effective and costs nothing. While professional lighting rigs exist, positioning yourself near a window provides excellent results for beginners; ISO adjustments in Filmic Pro can fine-tune exposure if needed.
5. Framing & Monitoring
Mirror your iPhone screen to a laptop using QuickTime Player to monitor framing without an external monitor. Use affordable phone tripod mounts (~$10) to stabilize the device and attach microphones via cold shoe mounts.
6. External Lenses & Optional Gear
Wide-angle, macro, telephoto, and anamorphic lenses can be attached to iPhones for different creative looks. A wide-angle lens allows closer positioning to the camera, improving audio capture while maintaining broader framing.
7. Building Your Setup Over Time
Start with just your iPhone and gradually invest in upgrades: first a microphone, then a tripod, then lighting if desired, and eventually a dedicated camera. Equipment limitations should not prevent you from starting.
8. Mindset & Overcoming Barriers
Many aspiring creators delay starting due to lack of expensive gear despite owning capable smartphones. The real barriers are internal—overcoming fear of looking foolish and fear of public speaking—not financial.
Key People & Entities
- Peter MacKinnon
- Filmmaker referenced for behind-the-scenes videos showing professional video production setups
- Rode
- Microphone manufacturer; products mentioned include the Rode NTG4 external recorder mic, Rode Videomicro, and Rode VideoMic Pro
- Filmic Pro
- Third-party camera app for iPhone that provides manual control over video settings like frame rate, bitrate, white balance, and shutter speed
- SandMaxx
- Manufacturer of external lenses for smartphones, including wide-angle, macro, telephoto, and anamorphic lenses
Glossary
- Frame rate
- The number of individual frames (images) captured per second in video; measured in fps. 25 fps gives a cinematic look; 30 fps looks smoother and more like typical smartphone video.
- Bitrate
- The amount of data encoded per second in video; higher bitrate means more information is captured, resulting in better quality but larger file sizes.
- Shutter speed
- The length of time the camera sensor is exposed to light; expressed as a fraction of a second (e.g., 1/50). Affects motion blur and is typically set to double the frame rate (180-degree rule).
- White balance
- Camera adjustment that ensures colors appear natural under different lighting conditions by calibrating the camera's color temperature.
- 180-degree rule
- A filmmaking principle where shutter speed should be double the frame rate; for 25 fps video, use 1/50 shutter speed to achieve natural-looking motion blur.
- Cold shoe mount
- A standardized mounting bracket on tripods and camera rigs (originally for mounting external flashes) that allows attachment of microphones, lights, and other accessories.
- Anamorphic lens
- A specialty lens that captures a wider aspect ratio, often used for a distinctive cinematic look with stretched or compressed image qualities.