Resources · 8 min read

How to film a DJ set with a phone and one more camera

A practical plan for a two-camera DJ set shoot: where to put each camera, which settings to lock, how to keep audio and sync easy, and what to avoid.

You do not need four cameras to make a good DJ set video. Two cameras placed well and recorded carefully give you a real multicam edit, with the ability to cut between a wide and a close angle at the drop. This guide covers a two-camera shoot where one camera is a phone, and the other is anything better: a mirrorless camera, a second phone, an action camera.

If you want to scale up later, our guide on filming a DJ set with four cameras builds on the same ideas.

Roles for the two cameras

Give each camera one job.

• Camera A, the main angle. A steady, wider shot that shows the DJ and some of the room. This is your safe angle, the one you can always cut back to.
• Camera B, the close angle. A tighter shot of the DJ's face and hands, or of the crowd reacting.

A phone is often best for the close angle, because it is small and can sit near the booth. The better camera, with the better lens and sensor, usually works best as the main angle, since the wide shot needs the most quality in low light.

Placement

For Camera A, find a spot with a clear view of the DJ that is not blocked by people dancing. A raised position, such as a small stage edge, a stand or a spot against a wall, keeps heads out of the frame. Put it slightly off to one side rather than straight on, because a small angle looks more natural and shows depth.

For Camera B, ask the DJ or the venue where you can stand or mount the phone. Never touch the DJ's equipment and keep cables and tripods away from walkways. A clamp or a mini tripod helps. Think about what the close angle should show: the face at the drop, and the hands in the build.

Lock your settings

Phones and cameras like to adjust things automatically, and in a club that causes problems.

• Frame rate: use the same frame rate on both cameras, such as 25 or 30 frames per second, and do not change it mid-shoot.
• Exposure: lock exposure on the DJ if your device allows it. Auto exposure hunts every time the lights flash.
• White balance: lock it. Auto white balance drifts with colored lights and makes the cameras impossible to match.
• Focus: lock focus on the DJ, or use a method that does not hunt in low light.
• Resolution: record at the highest resolution your storage and battery can manage. More pixels give you room to reframe to vertical later.
• Stabilization: use a tripod or a clamp if you can. Handheld footage on a crowded floor shakes.

Test these settings before doors open, when the room is lit with similar stage lights.

Audio and sync

Both cameras should record audio, even if you plan to use another source. The audio from each camera is how software lines the clips up later. If you can get a recording from the mixer, even better, and our guide on audio for DJ set videos explains how to blend it. Our guide on syncing cameras covers how audio sync works and what to do when a camera has no usable sound.

Start both cameras before the set begins and let them run. Starting mid-song makes syncing harder, and a missed drop cannot be recovered. A clap in front of both cameras at the start gives you a manual backup.

Power and storage

Nothing is worse than a phone that dies halfway through the best hour. Bring a power bank and a cable, start with a full battery, and free up storage before you go. A one-hour 4K recording can take a large amount of space, so check how much your device will use. Turn off notifications and calls, and use airplane mode if you can, so a message does not interrupt the recording.

Some devices split long recordings into several files. That is fine, but note the order and keep the pieces together.

During the set

• Check the framing once at the start, then leave the cameras alone. Moving them breaks continuity.
• If you are operating one camera by hand, move slowly and deliberately. Quick pans are hard to cut with.
• Do not film only the DJ. A few seconds of crowd reaction are what make the drop feel big.
• If possible, note the time of big moments, so you can find them quickly later.

After the shoot

Copy everything to a drive the same night, one folder per camera, and keep the originals until the edit is done. Make a second copy if the footage matters. Then follow the workflow in our guide on editing a multicam DJ set. A two-camera set can be synced and cut on the bars quickly, and Setclipper handles sync, drop finding and bar cuts, then exports your cuts to Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve if you want to finish there. Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve are trademarks of their owners. Setclipper is not affiliated with them.

Common mistakes

• Different frame rates on the two cameras.
• Auto white balance on both, so the colors never match.
• A phone placed too far away to show the DJ's face.
• Recording vertical on one camera and horizontal on the other without planning for it.
• Forgetting to start both cameras before the set.
• A full storage warning in the middle of the night.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use two phones? Yes. Use the same settings on both and place them at different distances, so you get a wide and a close angle.

Should I shoot vertical or horizontal? Horizontal gives you a classic edit and can be reframed to vertical. A vertical-only shoot is simpler for social posts but limits a horizontal edit.

Do I need a gimbal? No. A tripod or a clamp is enough for a fixed shot. A gimbal helps if you want moving shots, but it takes practice.

What if the phone's microphone distorts? Move the phone away from the speaker or use a recording from the board. Distorted audio cannot be fixed afterwards.

Next step

Before your next shoot, test both cameras in the lighting you expect, lock the settings, and record a minute of music so you can check that the audio and the sync work.