To shoot 360 video, place the camera at a sensible height, keep the stitch lines away from faces, record at the highest resolution your camera offers, and export in the format the platform accepts. Plan your shots around the fact that the viewer can look anywhere.
Plan for a Full Sphere
There is no behind the camera, so crew, lights and tripods will appear unless you hide them. Treat the camera as the viewer’s head.
- Place the camera at about eye height, or lower for a more dramatic look.
- Keep people and important objects at a moderate distance, as things very close to the lenses stitch poorly.
- Use a thin monopod or tripod, which software can hide at the bottom of the frame.
- Give the viewer a reason to look around, such as action on more than one side.
Camera Settings to Try
- Choose the highest resolution available, since a 360 frame is spread across the entire sphere and each viewer sees only a portion.
- Pick a frame rate of 30 for general use, or 60 for smoother motion if your camera supports it.
- Use auto exposure for mixed light, or lock it for scenes with steady light. Bright windows and dark rooms in the same sphere are hard to expose.
- Set white balance manually if the camera allows, so both lenses match.
- Use a stabilization mode if offered, which helps with handheld or moving shots.
Handle Stitching and Sound
Most 360 cameras stitch the two lenses automatically in a phone app or desktop program. Seams show up where the images meet, so keep faces and straight lines away from them. If the camera has directional audio options, test them, and place clip-on microphones for speech. Wind noise ruins 360 audio quickly, so use a wind cover outdoors.
Edit and Export
Many editors support equirectangular 360 footage directly. You can trim clips, add titles, and reframe the footage into a flat video.
| Output | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Full 360 video | YouTube and platforms with 360 viewers | Needs correct metadata |
| Reframed flat video | Social feeds | You choose the view |
For full 360 uploads, platforms need metadata marking the file as spherical. Many camera apps and editors add it on export. For feeds that do not support 360, reframe to a standard ratio such as vertical or square.
FAQ
Why does my footage look soft?
The resolution is spread across the whole sphere, so a viewer sees less detail than in a flat video. Shoot at maximum quality and keep lenses clean.
How do I hide the tripod?
Use a thin pole and let the editing software remove it, or place a logo over the bottom.
The Short Version
Treat the camera as the viewer, keep subjects away from seams, shoot at top quality and watch for wind noise. Upload full 360 files with correct metadata, or reframe to flat video for feeds.
