How to Film a Basketball Game With Your Phone
You don't need a camera crew. Your phone, a tripod, and a good spot on the sideline is enough.
What you need
- Your phone, fully charged
- A tripod that extends 4–6 feet high
- A phone mount for the tripod, if it doesn't come with one
Where to set up
Set up on the sideline, ideally near the top of the three-point line or close to half court. Raise the tripod to 4–6 feet so you're filming over the players, not into them.
Phone settings
- Turn your phone sideways. Always film in landscape.
- Record in 1080p. It looks great and saves a lot of storage. If you record in HighlightLab, it saves at 1080p max anyway.
- Stay at regular zoom (1x). Don't zoom out.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode so a call or notification doesn't interrupt the recording.
One basket or two?
Player or team: film one basket. Set up near the top of the three-point line on that end. HighlightLab tracks one basket per camera and works best at regular zoom.
Running a league: use two phones, one for each basket. The easiest setup is both tripods near half court, one facing each basket. Start both recordings at the same time.