Galaxy S20: 3 tips for shooting like a pro, from a pro
By: Sam EvansInsta:
@samevanslife
Hi everyone, I want to MASSIVELY thank everyone who watched my
Galaxy S20 Video
featured at Unpacked this year.As an Australian filmmaker, it was such an honor to be invited onto a global stage and share my work with such a diverse audience.I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate and the Samsung team really went out of their way to help me achieve my vision.
Galaxy S20 Ultra opening video/https://player.vimeo.com/video/393375829
Since Unpacked, many people have asked me how I got both the quality and types of shots displayed from a phone. They couldn't believe that a smartphone could produce such professional results. And to be honest, at first I too was skeptical, I didn't know if we would be able to get something quality from shooting a video. entirely on a phone. But I like a challenge and I took the plunge – and I'm so glad I did because the results have been phenomenal. That's why I'm writing to you today, to get the curtain and share my experiences to help you get the most out of your Galaxy S20.
Tip 1: Don't be afraid to use natural light
Studio and mobile camera lights are great tools for controlled environments, but in a pinch, the Galaxy S20 has plenty of features to make the most of natural light. We used it to our advantage during our helicopter flight, using the warm sunset glow effect to set the tone for the video. (Having a helicopter helped too 😉). We had three S20s in the helicopter and were able to experiment with how to film under different lighting. Two of us used handheld rigs and gimbal shooting so we could achieve those cinematic-quality transition shots, although the S20 Super Steady feature is amazing on its own. You really can shoot a full feature film with this setup.
Sunsets also provide long, natural shadows that can completely change the mood of your footage. And with the Galaxy S20's Bright Night mode, shooting can last longer in low light without losing any of the fine detail of your shots.
Tip 2: use the zoom to add perspective to your decor
Zooming in and out adds a more professional touch to your videos and helps set the context for storytelling. I was inspired by all the colorful doors and entrances in San Francisco and knew I needed an edit zoom in to add them to the video. The Galaxy S20 achieved these cool shots with its amazing zoom capabilities! For photos, you can get up to 100x zoom and videos up to 30x zoom depending on the resolution at which you are shooting with the S20 Ultra. Use zoom to guide your audience. For example, focus on a specific building or location in the city and zoom out to see the entire cityscape. will help put the subject of your video into the larger context of a scene and bring new meaning to a shot. Plus, the Galaxy S20 has preset zoom options so you can quickly get to the level ideal by pressing just on the screen.
Tip 3: time is your friend
Time-lapse shots are versatile and can achieve a number of different effects. They are perfect transitions to show the passage of time and they look just plain cool. For our video, we decided to try Time lapse Night mode and it worked like a charm. Like Bright Night, this option takes advantage of the Galaxy S20's huge camera sensors so the final footage is brighter and clearer than ever before. It was easily one of my favorite shots from the video. We were so amazed at all the different time lapse effects we were able to create with the S20 and spent a lot of time trying out different setups, light saturations and movements to provide a variety of effects - and I encourage you to do the same.
Now I have to admit, I couldn't have made this amazing video without the help of some of my close friends and photography experts. I want to thank the local San Francisco photography legend
Marc Donahue
, who helped me plan the 14 filming locations. I also leaned on my buddy
Matthew Vanderputte
, a Belgium-born, Sydney-based photographer known for his time-lapse skills, and the good folks at VerifiedWorks for shooting and post help. were worth it!
Galaxy S20 Ultra Sam Evans/https://player.vimeo.com/video/393376004
After this experience, I can say that I'm really excited to spend more time with the Galaxy S20 and see how I can incorporate it into my daily cinema. The fact that I can leave my heavy equipment at home and shoot a device that fits in my pocket is a game-changer. The S20 made that skeptic a believer – and the proof is in the pudding – or the pictures in this case.