Iphone Filmmaking, Equipment Notes

I know that it has been a while since the last post. I have been busy with my new ebook. You will find a link to it at the end of this post.

Today I would live to show you two iphone shorts and a great tutorial on some equipment you may want to add to your iphone film makers kit.

First up is a new iphone 4s short I would like to show to you guys. I understand that it is the film makers first attempt at an iphone film and it is very well do.


    



  Next up is a short thriller shot on the iphone 4s. Sometimes the best think about film making is just going out and shooting some footage. There is nothing new where the plot of this film is concerned, but it looked like it was fun to shoot and the iphone can give you that kind of freedom. You know to go out and shoot a short slasher film.

    

 Next up are two tutorials from Aron J. Anderson. A film maker I interviewed recently. He has done a great short film titled Clandestine. I can not show it here, because it was not done with the iphone, but here is a link to the interview which features the film click here.     .

First up is a tutorial on DIY iphone lenses.




DIY iPhone Lenses TFX tv # 1 from Aron J Anderson on Vimeo.

 This is part two of the tutorial.
   
iPhone Lens Mount Tutorial TFX tv # 2 from Aron J Anderson on Vimeo.


 Again thank you for visiting my site. Please take a moment to share this post or even Pin it. All social media is good media. Now the last note for today is about my new ebook. It is a book of interviews that I have done during the last year. I have learned as much about film making from conducting interviews with this film makers as I did no a set. The interviews not only function as Q&A sessions, but mini tutorials on a number of subjects from dealing with cast and crew, to writing, to raising money for your film. I put together the book that I wanted to find ten years ago when I was starting out. If your next question is about a book on iphone film making, then the answer is that it is coming soon. Understand that many of the lessons found in this book can be applied to iphone film making.

Buy at Amazon

Good luck with your projects and have a nice day.

Iphone filmmaking, Rode Gear

Iphone filmmaking, Rode Gear

When film makers hear the name Rode they think microphones and the gear that is used to support them. This company is one of the best friends of indie filmmakers everywhere. Now it seems that they have turned their eyes toward the iphone and the gear they have come up with is impressive. The video tutorial you will be viewing is a basic overview of what they have developed for the iphone film maker.  
Introducing the RØDEGrip and RØDEGrip+ from RØDE Microphones on Vimeo.
One of the best uses for this device is to use your iphone in support of a Dslr as a recording device. Most of us know that the one great weakness of using a dslr camera to shoot a film is that they record terrible sound. You have to use a secondary piece of equipment to record sound and the Iphone can be used in this regard.

 
   

      

   
     

   Thank you for visiting my blog. Take a moment to share this post with a friend and to bookmark this blog. Good luck with your film making and have a great day.

   

Iphone 5 Shorts and Comments

Iphone 5 Shorts and Comments

I am sorry that it has been a few weeks since the last iphone post. I have been busy at work at other blogs, but I am back and would like to show you guys some great new iPhone 5 short films. The first film was shot entirely using the iphone 5 and the music is ringtones from the  phone.

   
Matt Morris - iPhone 5s adventure from Dave Altizer on Vimeo.

The next film is a combination of iphone 5 footage and the black Magic camera. This goes to show that the iphone can be used to support other film making equipment. Sometimes an expensive camera cannot be used in ever single situation. Sometimes a device like the iphone is the perfect film making tool. Think about this when you are planning your film shoot.
    

 The last film I want to look at today was shot using an iPhone 4s. Keep in mind that just because the iphone 5 exist this does not mean the 4s is still not a great film making tool. I love the phone and with the next version of the iPhone due out soon the price point of the 4s continues to drop. A lower price makes it even a better film making option. Also, most of the film making tools out there for smart phones were designed for the 4s.
   

 Okay that will be it for today. If you like this post you could take a moment to share it to your facebook or pinterest or on twitter. Sharing is everything to a blog. A blog only grows because readers are willing to share. This week I am asking you to share this blog with anyone who has an iphone. Thank you for visiting and if you have an iphone project that you wished to be spotlighted let me know by leaving a comment.  

The iPhone 5 Experimental Short

The iPhone 5 Experimental Short

There is going out and just shooting some footage with your iphone and then there is deciding to go out an do something ground breaking. So far the production of the iPhone short film The Other Side looks to be ground breaking.
    

 What Conrad Mess is attempting to do is change the conversation that we are having about this device when used as a film making tool. Looking at the early footage from the project makes me wonder why someone has not attempted this sooner. The iphone has come a long way during the last eighteen months as being considered one of the devices that we can shoot a movie with. Being a digital film maker is about taking risk and experimenting. If you can not take risk with your smartphone, then when can you take risk.

 If you want to be a film maker you need to shoot as much footage as possible and you need to post it and get feedback. Do not be afraid to be criticized. You will learn from it. Okay I have a few iPhone films I would like you to look at today.

First up are 2 shorts shoot with the iPhone 4s.

   
Pure Light [iPhone Short Film] from Ben-Christopher David on Vimeo.
Next up is a little behind the scenes of a iphone film shoot.
Making of Apple short film . Behind the scene . VFX Breakdown from D21pictures on Vimeo.


 Okay that is it. Please take a moment to share this post and look into posting your work online. Between Vimeo and Youtube you can not go wrong. I would post at both sites. The video quality seems to be slightly better though at Vimeo. Check it out and tell me what do you think.

You can visit the crowd funding campaign of The Other side by clicking here.

David Lynch And iPhone Film Making

  Today I am please to offer a guest post by iPhone Film maker    SSBelafonte.  If you like this post take a moment and visit him on facebook at www.facebook.com/ssbelafonte

                                David Lynch And iPhone Film Making

It can be argued that creative innovation is born of limitation. David Lynch is, arguably, one of the most innovative filmmakers to have emerged during the twentieth century. As an iPhone filmmaker, I am, inescapably, influenced by the dark genius of David Lynch. Lynch has made some dichomotic statements regarding the use of digital advancements as they apply to filmmaking. Would David Lynch support or decry the burgeoning iPhone filmmaking movement?



(David Lynch's Rubber Duck) Belafonte Neo-Noir Digital Surreal Short Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing from SSBELAFONTE on Vimeo.



As a filmmaker, I utilize the digital video camera of the iPhone 5 to achieve my creative vision because I enjoy the challenge of creating within the imposed boundaries of rigid limitations. Additionally, it’s an astonishingly high quality camera (8-megapixel, HD 1080p at up to 30 frames per second) that is built into a portable device that I always have with me. Perhaps, the most attractive aspect: it didn’t cost thousands upon thousands of dollars.



It has been almost 36 years since the release of Lynch’s first, feature-length film Eraserhead. Lynch made Eraserhead as a student at AFI with a prohibitively small budget. As a result of the financial limitations Lynch, being an Eagle Scout, employed inexpensive materials and methods to create an innovative masterwork. From the use of black & white film to, quite literally, building his own sets, and creating his own soundscapes, Lynch’s innovations were a means of circumventing limitations.



While promoting his latest feature-length film, Inland Empire (filmed with DV), in 2008 Lynch expressed his distain for the iPhone as component of cinema:



Now if you’re playing the movie on a telephone

you will never, in a trillion years experience the film.

You’ll think you’ll have experienced it, but you’ll be cheating.

It’s a, such a sadness that you think you’ve

seen a film on your fucking telephone. Get real.


David Lynch on digital video versus film at AFI in 2010:



And we did tests, um, ah, to bump up to high-def from

the low quality DV that I was shooting. And then tests from

high-def to film. And I loved the quality, and I think what

I loved about it was it’s not film. And you know,

the advances in film, everything is very very crisp.

I mean you can make it soft if you want but its, its got

a – film is so beautiful. But it used to be, in the 30’s less quality.

And this new, this DV that I was shooting reminded me of that.

So it’s just, some information is lost and it made me

feel like there was more room to dream, and I liked that aspect.



  (David Lynch’s Louboutins) was inspired by the print ads that Lynch created for Christian Louboutin; filmed exclusively with the iPhone 5 camera, in the vain of David Lynch, and edited in iMovie. It is intended as a contemplation of the deeper story line of the femme-fatales within the ads. When filming with the iPhone 5 camera lighting is the most important variable. Beautiful cinematography can be created, even in low light conditions, if the shot is properly lit. To achieve the cinematography you see I worked backwards in terms of lighting, filming at night in complete darkness, incrementally adding low-light sources (simple flashlights): simple innovation from limitation.

  Lynch has made it inescapably clear that he doesn’t want us watching films on the iPhone. I am, largely, in support of this conclusion. However, if you’re going to watch Lost Highway on your iPhone or not watch it at all, the world becomes a better place if you have see it. However, as a means of capturing images Lynch has expressed support for DV, and specifically low-fi DV. The iPhone filmmaker utilizes their iPhone, creatively, out of limitation. On can argue that innovation has thus occurred allowing the iPhone filmmaker more room to dream. If David Lynch has taught us anything, it’s that: anything is possible In Dreams.

(David Lynch's Louboutins) Belafonte Neo-Noir Digital Surreal Short Move Along from SSBELAFONTE on Vimeo.




Thank you for visiting. Please take a moment to share this post with a friend and to visit my guess blogger at
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iPhone 5, The Other Side - An iPhone 5 short

I would like to introduce you guys to the most ambitious iPhone project that I have heard about. At the moment this project is at the beginning of it’s crowdfunding campaign, you can visit the page by clicking here .

          

Conrad Mess is perhaps the most innovated voice in the world of iPhone film making. With his new project he is attempting to shoot entirely in chroma with an iPhone5, victorian aesthetics and 3D backgrounds in a horror comic style. The first look at what he is attempting look amazing. I strongly suggest that you check out the project and the film maker behind it.
    

 Conrad Mess is an award winning film maker who may turn out to be the most important visionary in the world of iPhone film making. I look forward to interviewing him about this project and ones to come. Right now I have to find a way to over come our language barrier. Thank you for visiting my blog. Please take a moment to share this post and to like us on stumbleupon.

   

The iPhone 5 Feature, The Affair

I recently received news of a crowdfunding campaign for an iPhone 5 feature film being shot. There are more than just this one being attempted, but so far they have not reach the stage where the film makers believe that they need to do crowdfunding or to release footage.

The digital feature film world is going to go through many changes over the next year or so as more and more hand held devices are used to shoot films.

Those of you already shooting and editing your work using the iPhone may be ahead of the game. There will be many more iphone film makers. The movie that we are going to look at is being shot by a Hollywood power couple. Craig Ross Jr. and his wife Caryn Ward Ross. The movie is titled The Affair.

   
   

  

 You can visit their crowdfunding campaign at this link, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/633012328/the-affair-the-movie?ref=category

That will be it for today. I would like to suggest sharing your footage and short films on Vimeo. I love youtube, but the video quality is slightly better on Vimeo and there are less restrictions on content at Vimeo.

If you have a kickstarter or indiegogo campaign and would like to share it, just leave me a comment about it or contact me through Google plus and I will check it out.


     

A Look At iPhone 5 Short Films

A Look At iPhone 5 Films

I have been busy working on finishing up an eBook so I have not posted as often as I would have liked to. Today we are going to look at some shorts that have been shoot using the iPhone 5.

So far the iPhone 5 looks like a great addition to the digital film makers tool kit. I still like the iPhone 4s as a film making tool because at the moment there are so many addons and accessories that are available to use with the 4s that have to be redo to fit the iPhone 5 due to the different dimensions.

I would again like to remind you all that it still comes down to basic film making technique.

If you want to make a quality film, then you should start with a quality script. A good script for a short film and a great one for a movie. If you wish to learn the basics of writing a good screenplay then (shameless plug alert) check out a copy of my screenwriting good by clicking the banner on the right side of this post.

Next you will need to learn about basic lighting.

Here is a quick video on the subject. Not how to light, but what kind of lights that you should look into.
    

 Next is a video on better lighting.
    

 Now we will look at a few iphone 5 short films.
   
(David Lynch's Louboutins) Belafonte Neo-Noir Digital Surreal Short Move Along from SSBELAFONTE on Vimeo.

Crevice, 틈 from dong-hyuck kim on Vimeo.

Goodbye from Keaton Tucker on Vimeo.

I would like to thank Vimeo for today's short films. I have to say that the video quality is slightly better than at youtube. If you are just a film maker I would strongly suggest trying them out to display your videos. You can use both youtube and vimeo if you wish, but watching movies of vimeo I sometimes get that Imax theater feeling.

Okay that will be it for today. Please take a moment to share this post with a friend and add us to your  google plus.

   

iPhone Shorts

  iPhone Shorts

Every few weeks I like to show you guys some of the newer iPhone short films being made. We will still focus mostly on the iphone 4s as a digital film making tool, but we will when they present themselves look at iphone 5 short films as well.  
Never Trust a Gypsy from kelly fancher on Vimeo.
The following footage is from an award winning film maker. He has not only shot a great iphone short film, but has also shot a behind the scenes video. It is not in English, but many of the world’s best digital film makers are from other countries. This is where I should include films shot with the iphone 5, but there is not a great deal of footage out there yet. It is a great device, but with the exception of the apps that are available for film makers we are still catching up in the other areas. The needed attachments are just hitting the market. With the design of the iphone 5 being different from the iphone 4s it has meant that most of the lenses and supports used by film makers do not translate to the iPhone 5. There is also the fact that the iphone 4s is a great little device and why put it away as a film making tool unless you have to. I am going to do a post of nothing, but iPhone 5 short films. If you have one that you believe should be included, drop me a message by leaving a comment here or you could add me to your google plus and send me a message that way. Thank you for visiting. Please take a moment to share this post and to stumble it on stumbleupon.

The Newest iPhone Filmmaing App

               The Newest Iphone Filmmaking App

Neal Edelstein, the producer of the films Mulholland Drive and the Ring has advanced the iPhone film making world by introducing a new IOS App. With this App a film is delivered in chunks. The first movie that he has made available through this App is his own production, Haunting Melissa. A straight horror film that would probably do well on any platform, but will help to advance the use of this game changing app.   Haunting Melissa does not have an exact length. I understand that they shot thousands of hours of video. This video is offered in chapters on a timeline that can be tweaked on the back end. This means that the content constantly changes. Like different options on a video game. You could go back to a previously viewed chapter and find that it has changed slightly. The possibilities are awesome and for the creator the profits could be as well. Each chapter will be offered at .99 cents in the iTunes store, but you could buy a season pass for as low as 6.99. I believe that the first chapter is free to view. This could advance the world of iphone film making by providing another attractive platform for the iphone film maker to market his or her material. If you want to be a film maker all you have to do is go out and shoot something everyday. You learn by doing the day to day work. Shooting your films, editing your short films. Posting them online and sharing them with friends. Thank you for visiting. Please take a moment to share this post with a friend.

Iphone Filmmaking Tips.

Iphone Filmmaking Tips

The iPhone has become one of the tools used by indie flimmakers to get the job of filming done. It has become a part of the possible tools used by film makers because of its availability. Many of you have one and for the first time are considering using it to shoot a short film or perhaps even a feature. The question is can this little device get the job done?

The answer is yes. Hundreds of short films have been shot using the iphone 4s and the iphone 5. The quality of the video that these smartphone can capture is equal to some of the Dslr camera that are very popular with indie film makers. This site began as a place where films made with these cameras would be shown and tips would be offered on how to make your own iphone film. I believe this is going to be the year that we re-focus on the basics of iphone film making. I will offer more tips and more short films than in the past.
First up is a tutorial on how to shoot using a iphone.


Next we will look at two short films shot using the iphone 4s and the iphone 5.


iPhone 5 Film from Josiah Media on Vimeo.

As you can see the quality of these short films can stand up to that shot with video camcorders and Dslr cameras. It will only be a matter of getting use to using these smartphone with standard film making techniques that films equal in quality to those using standard cameras will be produced.
One more thing before we call it a post. If you have not checked out Vimeo then I suggest that you do. The video quality there is amazing. I love youtube, but Vimeo is pretty impressive.


Good luck with your iPhone films. Please take a moment to share this post with a friend and to stumble us on stumbleupon.

 

About Recording Basic Sound

About Recording Sound

Once you really get around to making your iphone films the thing that will bother you the most is sound. The device can record impressive video, but recording sound at a professional level on its own is a bit beyond it.
If you are making a short film to show to family and friends the iphone’s mic will get the job done, but if you want to make a film that will be shown to strangers and entered into contest then you are going to need to record better audio.

Since I am a low budget filmmaker, I thought that I would offer you some low budget solutions today.
There are two micro budget filmmaking solutions that I would like to talk about today.
The first one is the Zoom h1. There are many recorders in the Zoom family. The h2 and the h4 are popular as well, but cost a bit more. The goal of this post is really finding quality sound for less than a hundred dollars.

 You are going to look at recording Audio separately and then mixing it after you shoot. You are going to do this because you get better sound quality this way. You are going to do this because it is what the professionals do.  Okay here is a quick look at the Zoom h1 and a second video on a shock mount for it. The shock mount is for a dslr, but you can get a simple pole and attach it.

 Now let’s look at the Tascam im2 mic. This will allow you to record sound directly to the phone. It is very easy to set up and use. Just download the app and go. Here is a short video on how it works.


There are dozens of options where it comes to recording quality audio for your iphone film. Ths has been two. If they work for you great. If not you are free to do the research and to go out and find the option that works best for you. Iphone filmmaking is not always easy, but if it is something that you love you should have fun at it.

Okay that is it for today. If you liked this post could you take a moment to share it with a friend.

Iphone Filmmaking Back to Basics

                Iphone Filmmaking, Back To Basics


    For those of you who are new to the blog or those who would like a refresher course this post is for you. The basics of what make a quality video involve more that just pointing your device and capturing video.
    You will need to learn the basics of iphone film making.

    Let’s start off with a quick little video tutorial on how to shoot good iphone video.


    Next we need to talk about basic film making techniques. These techniques are the same whether you are making an iphone movie or a digital feature film. These are the basic things that we must do to get that film look.

First thing you want to do is to shoot your film at 24 frames per second or simply 24p. This is the industry standard and it is why films look different from broadcast tv and or video. The best way to do this with your iphone is to add an app. The app that was designed to give you that film look is one named Filmic pro. You can download this from the app store. Here is a short video concerning the app, there is also an app called almost dslr.


    Next thing we need to concern ourselves with is basic lighting. The kind of lighting we use is called 3 point lighting. The basic set up that is used in all films. You need to understand key light, fill light and back light.



    Okay now if you got that we need to look at basic sound recording. You can use your iphone to record the sound and if you are making the film for a few friends or just yourself then the mic on the phone will do fine. However if you are making a film to be seen by others. To be broadcasted or even sold, then you are gonna need to use an external recording device. The best low budget answer to this is to get a zoom h1 audio recorder. They cost around a hundred dollars and record great sound.

    You will want to edit your iphone film. There is an app that will make it easy for you to do this on your phone or you could download the footage to your computer and use professional editing software to edit it into a film.

This post has been for the beginner. If you wish to learn more about digital filmmaking please click here  to visit my website.

    Thank you for visiting my blog. If you like this post I would suggest that you take a moment to share it with a friend.

Iphone Shorts and Notes

            Iphone Shorts and Notes


    It is the year 2013 and before it is over it may be looked upon as the year of the smart phone film. The only thing that is keeping this technology from being recognized as an important part of the digital film making revolution is the fact that there has not been a successful feature film shot with this technology. I am confident that this will change this year.

    One of you reading this is going to make the first major smart phone motion picture if it has not been done already.

    Today I would like to post a few iPhone films that I have been made aware of and by doing so I would like to thank the film makers who have produced these films. Great work guys.


    Okay let’s talk about goals for the upcoming year. The goal of each and every one of you who make these films should be to get better and better at it. Study the craft of film making. Learn as much as you can about screen writing. Keep in mind that you can not make a great low budget film without a great script. Most of the famous indie film makers you have heard about are writer directors. From Kevin Smith to Quintin Tarantino to guys who moved on to major feature film making like Christopher Nolan and Peter Jackson. If you need advice on how to become a better screenwriter you can click here to visit a great blog on how to write a low budget screenplay.

    There is a growing audience for these types of films as the devices to make them and distribute them become more and more popular. Identify your audience and network with them as much as possible. This is the audience that will allow you guys to earn a living from making these types of films. Network with other film makers. I know that most of us are mavericks, but we do need to share information as much as possible. By the time that Hollywood takes notice of this growing film industry it will be old and dusty. It is up to each and every one of you.

    Okay that is it for today. Try to visit our advertisers, even by checking them out for a few moments it helps to pay the bills for this site.  Add us to your google plus and stumble us on stumbleupon. Thank you for visiting and keep making movies.