6 Cinematic content tricks...

Ever watch a video and think "they must have spent 1000s on equipment" only to find out they shot it on a phone?

There's this gap between creators who make phone footage look cinematic and those who make expensive camera footage look amateur.

And after years of creating content across every budget level imaginable, I've figured out exactly what makes that difference.

It's not about the gear.

It never was.

Let me break down what actually matters:

1/ Sound Design (Not Just Sound Quality)

What separates amateur content from professional is sound design.

Films don't just have dialogue.

They have layers of sound that create depth and emotion.

I tested this recently:

Shot the exact same scene twice.

Once with just clean audio, once with three layers:

• Primary audio (voice/main sound)

• Ambient background

• Emotional undertone (music that supports the feeling)

The triple-layer version felt exponentially more premium despite being shot on the exact same gear.

Now these layers shouldn't compete.

Each one should occupy its own frequency range.

That's why professionals EQ each track - so voices sit cleanly above music, which sits above ambient sounds.

Even with just your phone, you can create this depth by:

• Recording clean primary audio (get close to your source)

• Adding a music bed that sits in the mid-range frequencies

• Including subtle ambient sounds that create atmosphere

2/ Intentional Movement

The difference between amateur and professional movement is intention.

I see creators rushing to buy gimbals and stabilisers when they haven't mastered the basics of camera movement.

Equipment can't fix movement that lacks purpose.

Watch any premium content and you'll notice movement always serves the story. It's never random.

Instead of thinking about smooth vs. shaky, think about why you're moving the camera:

• Are you revealing something new?

• Following action that drives the story forward?

• Creating a feeling that supports your message?

Try this: instead of moving your camera, move yourself around your subject.

Walk around things rather than panning.

If you need to move up or down, physically change your position rather than tilting.

These simple changes make your footage feel directed rather than accidental.

3/ Colour Harmony

Colour is probably the most overlooked element of premium-looking content.

I'm not necessarily talking about colour grading here, I'm talking about what you capture in the first place.

Before you hit record, look at your scene as a whole.

What colours are competing for attention? Is there visual harmony or chaos?

You’ll often find removing elements that break your colour story will benefit your scene immensely.

Sometimes just moving one brightly coloured object out of frame can transform your entire shot.

Or changing your shirt to complement the background rather than fight with it.

Now don’t go and make everything monochrome (unless that’s your niche).

Just make deliberate choices about which colours appear together.

4/ Psychological Angles

Camera angles affect viewers on a psychological level, yet most creators choose angles randomly or based on convenience.

Each camera height creates a specific relationship between viewer and subject:

• Below eye level makes subjects feel authoritative or powerful

• Above eye level creates vulnerability or diminishes power

• Dead-on eye level creates intimacy and directness

The angle you choose should match what you're trying to communicate.

Authority requires a different angle than vulnerability.

5/ Lighting as Storytelling

Good lighting = understanding how light shapes emotion and directs attention.

The difference between amateur and professional lighting is contrast and direction.

Think about:

• Where is your main light coming from?

• Is there separation between your subject and background?

• Does the lighting match the emotional tone of your content?

Even with no equipment, you can create professional lighting by:

• Shooting near windows (but not in direct sunlight)

• Using walls to bounce light back onto shadowed areas

• Positioning subjects to create natural light/shadow separation

6/ Rhythmic Editing

Here's something that might surprise you: premium content often has simpler editing than amateur work.

Watch any high-end commercial.

The cuts follow a rhythm that matches the energy of the piece.

Fast and energetic when needed, slow and deliberate for impact.

The trick is pacing.

Knowing when to let moments breathe and when to drive energy forward.

Try watching your content without sound.

Does it have a visual rhythm that makes sense?

Or does it feel random and choppy?

What This Means For You

You don't need to master all of these at once.

Pick one element to focus on each week.

Maybe this week you nail your audio layers.

Next week, work on intentional movement.

My goal is to get you making more deliberate choices.

What aspect of production value do you struggle with most?

Hit reply and let me know - might have some specific tips to help.

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Catch you inside,

Jeremy

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