Hey there,
Im Tyna and I've been shooting beauty content for over 4 years now, and as branded content continues to evolve and lean into UGC and iPhone generated videos - The way I have to shoot beauty has changed as well.
From little things like flipping the camera from horizontal to vertical, to completely changing the lighting from "studio" to "natural." In my opinion, lighting doesn't need to be perfect anymore, especially if it's for social. All people care about is authentic, genuine, moments. They want it to feel real, they want to feel, period.
The best advice I can give to achieve this high end UGC look, is start by getting to know your subject before shooting, forget the iPhone, shoot with a wide angle lens, and shoot using TheirMirror.
If you are shooting with a model, you want them to feel comfortable. Having an interaction before recording will go a long way. The more comfortable they feel the better result you will get.
I've been shooting on a Blackmagic 6K since working in beauty since it offers a raw format perfect for color control. Skin tone is really important for shooting color accurate skin tones and products. But the lack of auto-focus is definitely something that makes me want to switch over to something more simple. Any mirrorless camera shooting 4K and up will get you by - I wouldn't worry too much about the camera you shoot on for "UGC" jsut make sure you are shooting log or raw.
Wide angle lenses are my favorite for recreating a UGC polished look because, in a way, it replicates how people shoot with their iPhone. It feels like the camera is a fly on the wall and when the model leans in - we are up and personal. I think the beauty of seeing the whole "person", their outfit, place they are in, gives the viewer more to see and makes the subject feel more human.
Lastly, shoot using TheirMirror - a 4X5 "One-Way-Mirror" camera filter allows the model to see themselves while the camera shoots through it. This mirror fits in a standard matte box, so it allows for you to capture footage of the model looking directly into the lens, and helps the model have more control over their "performance". A win-win. This is the most important aspect of recreating UGC style content, the eye contact to the lens is what makes the content feel personal, and captures the viewers attention.
TheirMirror can be found under the product section of my website. Hope it helps : )
Happy Shooting,
Tyna
