Ok, Smartypants, Let's Make a Movie!
If you’re as old as I am, you’ll remember the advent of the digital democratisation of filmmaking. That was when, up to that point, only the Gods on Mount Olympus could possibly make films as they were the only ones with access to the filmmaking equipment required to do so. Now, we have all been bestowed the power of the Gods…
Written & Interviewed by Mark Brennan
…Well, at least those with a decent enough smartphone.
To paraphrase Oprah Winfrey, ‘Now you get to make a film, and you get to make a film, and you get to make a film’. We all get to make a film should we really want to - but is it as simple and straight-forward as some enthusiastic people would have us believe? Of course not.
Filmmaking is nothing but challenges and problem-solving. If it was easy, everyone would do it, and smartphone filmmaking is no different. The primary challenge in smartphone filmmaking is the limitations of the equipment.
Equipment quibbles
Unlike professional cameras, smartphones come with fixed lenses, smaller sensors, and limited manual control over settings. These constraints can hinder the quality of the footage, especially in challenging shooting conditions.
Proper lighting is essential in filmmaking, and smartphones can be particularly sensitive to varying light conditions. Poor lighting can lead to grainy, underexposed, or overexposed footage, undermining the visual appeal of the film. Learning to work with available light is crucial.
Smartphone filmmaking might sound good, until it doesn’t. Built-in microphones are often not capable of capturing clear and crisp sound, while background noise can severely affect the viewing experience.
Of course, there is ample additional equipment available that can be bought and added to your smartphone to help in all these areas, but that just goes to show that to make a good quality film this way, it’s not as simple as picking up your phone. Having said that, and not wanting to sound like a complete negative nancy, there are also advantages too.
It’s cost-effective and accessible. Virtually everyone has a smartphone, so aspiring filmmakers no longer need expensive camera equipment to start their creative journey. They are incredibly portable and can be used to capture scenes in any location.
This flexibility enables filmmakers to experiment with different settings and styles, which might be challenging with traditional filmmaking equipment, encouraging filmmakers to think outside the box and be more innovative in their storytelling. However, it’s not just aspiring directors who have turned to this technology.
Photo by Swansway Motor Group on Unsplash
Steven Soderbergh’s psychological thriller “Unsane” was shot in two weeks on an iPhone 7 Plus…
…while his follow up “High Flying Bird” was shot entirely on an iPhone 8. Speaking to a Slamdance audience on making “High Flying Bird” in 2019 he said:
“I wish the technology we used to make this movie was around when I was 15. Back then you saved up some money, rented some equipment, got some film, shot the film. It took a couple of weeks to get back. Some of it looked OK, and some of it didn't. I prefer going home at night with the day's footage and seeing if it worked. If it didn't, I call my producers and say, 'OK, I need this person and this person on set tomorrow so I can re-do it.' It's a luxury to be able to take a camera and velcro it to a wall. If you want the lens on the wall, you don't have to cut a hole in the wall and put the camera behind it. It's a great tool."
Matthew Butler-Hart of Fizz & Ginger Films has co-written and directed two feature films shot using an iPhone.
“Our first iPhone shot feature film, “Infinitum: Subject Unknown,” was shot on a phone out of necessity because it was during the first lockdown. But what I quickly realised is that with such a tiny camera comes a much smaller crew (in the case of “Infinitum”, just me!) and other equipment, which means that you can move through your setups much faster.
And with that speed comes more time with the actors, which is what I really love about shooting on an iPhone. I can deal with some bad tech details (light blown out, something is out of focus for a moment), in a film if the acting is good, and you get that by having time to really work with the actors.
On the note of lighting, try and get small, hideable lights, meaning you have a pretty much 360 degree set to quickly move from one shot to another. Just gives you much more freedom when you're playing on set and we did play a lot more on Dagr (our second iPhone feature film), and it gave us a huge amount of stuff to play with in the edit.
I love that having these great cameras in our pocket is going to help people without the access to huge funds keep making films - and more importantly almost, keep learning. We only learn when we do, and if you're waiting for a million pounds to make your film, you're going to waste a lot of valuable learning time.”
There’s no doubt that smartphone camera technology leaps forward year on year, with the iPhone 7 and 8 now sounding almost retro, meaning films shot on phones will become largely indecipherable from those shot on cameras. That means, as democratised as filmmaking has arguably become, it’s now those filmmakers with a voice, a style, or a message that will stand out from the crowd.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Any advice from Matthew on how to shoot on an iPhone?
“Even though it's a phone and I'm saying you should play and be free, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't treat the rest of the production as anything but a conventional film.
As in, make sure you have good sound, good lighting, and spend time on testing out what the phone can/can’t do. We haven't filmed with the new 15 pro max yet but on our older phones we had to have ND filters for anything outside so that we could control light, etc.
Newer iPhones have introduced LOG settings, which is a gamechanger, but we haven't played with them yet! On “Dagr” we used CinemaP3 as a third party app, which was nice and easy to use - the developer even amended things on the app that we had asked for, which was amazing - and it gave us the control we needed to turn a good camera into a great one.
On “Infinitum” we used FilmicPro, which was very easy to use and again meant that even someone like me with limited tech knowledge could control that aspect of the camera! Both great apps. Use the free week of each app to see what suits your project most. One might work better than the other for specific films.
Also, think about storage and transferring footage whilst on set - it'll take time so factor that into your schedule. The phones have such amazing stabilisation these days, you can use a fairly basic gimble and get amazing shots easily, so spend your money on decent mics etc. Bad sound will kill a good film.”
So, take it from Matthew as someone who knows; yes, it’s possible for anyone to pick up an iPhone and start shooting a film, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Having said, the tools are there, and I’m rooting for anyone who chooses to use them.
From Kenyan drama to Thai horror - how far has smartphone filmmaking come in amplifying marginalised voices?
Oh no, no money? Mobile filmmaking.
Smartphones in documentary filmmaking.
Interview with Elke Sasse