Vlog 101: The Best Phone Apps for Shooting and Editing Video

Smartphones get better at shooting video every year. Here are a few apps that will turn yours into a powerful filmmaking tool.

Cover image via Thosapon.s.

Everyone’s got a smartphone in their pocket now, and these phones perform just as well as computers in speed tests, storage, and power. One thing that most people don’t realize is that they can turn their phone into a fully functioning cinema camera that can rival some DSLRs — then edit footage from the camera directly on the phone. In this guide, we’ll show you some of the best video shooting and editing apps currently on the market.

Camera Apps

Filmic Pro

With an arsenal of powerful features, Filmic Pro is a camera app that lets you completely control the quality of your shots. You can adjust your frame rate, ISO, and even shutter speed. One neat component of Filmic Pro is the rack focus feature, which allows you to program a timed rack focus that’s sure to give you a cinematic look in your shot. Filmic Pro also is one of the only cinema camera apps that shoots in true LOG, providing you with an amazing canvas for color correction and grading in post.

VHS Camcorder

Looking for a radical ’90s VHS look in your footage, but don’t want do any post work? Then check out VHS Camcorder, a camera app that turns your smartphone footage into that grainy camcorder profile of the past. Even though this is a very niche camera app, it’s sure to provide you with stylistic footage for any retro video (or found footage) needs.

MAVIS Pro Camera

The MAVIS Pro Camera has one of the most user-friendly interfaces on the market. As you can see in the video above, MAVIS can adjust your exposure, focus, and audio right in the main interface. One of its most powerful features is its color correction abilities. You can white-balance with a single click, or even use a color wheel to create stylistic footage right in the camera. You can also use an external mic with this app, which is a huge plus.

Editing Apps

iMovie

I know what you’re thinking. iMovie does not typically rank among the best editing programs, but this app is actually pretty impressive. You can select parts of clips right from your camera roll and assemble them in a timeline — then even add transitions between them. One of its more impressive features is the ability to record voiceovers directly on the app. This app is perfect for mac users, since you can transfer your project file directly to your mac’s iMovie app from your iPhone and continue editing from there.

LumaFX

LumaFX is your go-to app for color correction directly on your phone. Even though it doesn’t have a timeline for editing multiple clips, this app is rich with color grading options and sliders to tone your footage. Next time you want to post a video to your social channels, give it a run through LumaFX and notice the amazing difference the app’s adjustments will make.

Adobe Premiere Clip

Are you strictly loyal to the Adobe Creative Cloud? Well you’re in luck because the Premiere Clip app is a great tool for editing on the go. You can arrange clips, add color filters, and adjust speed and audio in one simple swipe. This app is fantastic for cutting something together in record time, but if you want to work on the video for more detail later, you can export the .XML file directly to your Adobe Cloud server and continue editing it from your desktop version of Premiere Pro.