Is this for you?
This workshop is for small business owners and marketers who are already shooting content on their phone, looking at the results, and feeling something is off. The light's not quite right. The audio's a bit boomy. The framing makes you feel slightly seasick. You've watched the YouTube tutorials, you've maybe even bought a clip-on mic or a small ring light, and you suspect there's a fundamental layer underneath the gear advice that nobody's properly teaching. There is, and that's what we cover.
Available in person at our four West of England venues, or as a live online workshop. Same content, same trainer, same small-group format.
What we'll cover
Ninety minutes on the fundamentals that the gear-obsessed YouTube tutorials skip, applied directly to the phone you already own:
- Why most small business video looks amateur, and the four small fixes that make 90% of the difference
- Light: the single biggest variable in whether a clip looks professional or doesn't, and how to read a room before you press record
- Sound: why the audio matters more than the video, and how to improve it dramatically without buying a microphone
- Framing and composition principles drawn from broadcast and editorial photography, applied to vertical phone video
- The most common phone-video mistakes (handheld shake, flat audio, mixed colour temperature, blown highlights) and how to spot them before you've shot a thing
- A simple checklist you can run through in 30 seconds before any business shoot, on any phone
What you'll walk away with
By the end of the 90 minutes, you'll have:
- A working understanding of the four or five things that genuinely matter when shooting on a phone
- A pre-shoot checklist you can run through in 30 seconds, written for your specific business
- A clear-eyed view of which kit is genuinely worth buying later (and which is marketing), so future spending is informed, not impulsive
- Course notes you'll actually refer back to
- A certificate of completion
About the trainer
Laurie Nicholls
Laurie works closely with brands and businesses to create video content. She has been working in broadcast documentaries for 15 years, she is a regular National Geographic camerawoman and has travelled the world working for some of the biggest brands on earth such as Disney and Warner Brothers. She is renowned for her visual flair and passion for storytelling, and that's what brings her to us at CoMagnify.
Video content is the most powerful tool we have in our marketing arsenal. Done well, it can revolutionise your digital reach and engagement. Narrative and storytelling are key to this and are universal across all video content creation. Laurie is the master of storytelling, and she's got some secrets she's ready to share with you.
This workshop is led by Laurie or Nick, depending on the date. You'll be told who's teaching when you book.
Where and when
In person
This workshop runs across our four West of England venues:
- Bristol — SpaceWorks, BS5
- Cheltenham — Ramada by Wyndham, GL51
- Swindon — Delta Hotels Swindon, SN3
- Thornbury — Thornbury Golf Centre, BS35
Pick a date and venue at booking. If you'd like to shoot during the session, bring your phone (charged). Otherwise just bring yourself.
Live online
Can't make it to a venue? Join us via Zoom. Same content, same trainer, capped at 10 places so the small-group format still works. Designed properly for online delivery, not a static webcam pointing at a flipchart.
Common questions
Do I need an iPhone specifically?
The workshop is taught on iPhone because that's the most common business phone, but the principles apply identically to Android. If you're on an Android device, everything we teach still works. Only the menu paths in the camera app differ slightly, and we'll point that out as we go.
What if I already use a proper camera?
Even better. The principles we teach are the same ones professional photographers and videographers learn early in their careers, just applied to a phone. If you're already shooting on a mirrorless or DSLR, you'll get the principles from a different angle, and the phone-specific shortcuts will be a bonus.
Will we shoot any actual content during the workshop?
For in-person attendees who bring their phone, yes. Short, practical exercises so the principles land properly. If you're attending via livestream or prefer to just listen and take notes, that works too.
Can I bring a colleague?
Each booking is for one place. If you'd like to bring a colleague, book a second place. It's a per-attendee cap on group size, not a per-business one.
What kit do I need to bring?
For in-person: just yourself and a notebook is plenty. If you'd like to shoot during the session, bring your phone (charged) too. For livestream: a working webcam and a quiet space, nothing else needed.
Will this be recorded?
No, and there's a deliberate reason. Digital marketing moves fast. Algorithm changes, platform updates and new tools appear weekly. A recording made six months ago is out of date by the time you watch it. Every CoMagnify workshop is current as of the day it runs, and we spend time covering not just what works now but what we expect to change in the coming weeks. You can't get that from a recording.
I'd prefer training tailored to my business specifically. Can you do that?
Yes, see our Bespoke Training page.
Cancellation policy
Plans change. We get it. Cancel up to 7 days before the workshop for a full refund. Within 7 days, we'll happily transfer your booking to a future date at no extra cost. Just email info@comagnify.com.
If we have to cancel a workshop ourselves (rare, but possible), we'll refund you in full and give you first option on the next available date.