Smartphone movies are no longer new. There is no doubt that today's smartphones can shoot stunning pictures, so that some big-name directors and pioneers are already creating movies with their smartphones.
For example, film director Steven Soderburgh has always used iPhone and FiLMiC Pro to shoot feature films. The most famous work of is "High Flying Bird" (produced by Netflix) .
Reports of domestic big-name directors using iPhone to make movies have long been common. But in most cases, there are still many gimmicks. For professional crews, whether using mobile phones or cameras, the other auxiliary equipment consumed behind them are expensive . So, to some extent, this is contrary to the low-cost creations that mobile phone shooting targets.
So, what is the correct posture for low-cost mobile phone movies? On the foreign forum RED SHARK, this article by Simon Wyndham provides us with some ideas worth learning from. What are the advantages of
mobile phone movie shooting?
mobile shooting not only saves budget, but also brings some considerable benefits. First of all, mobile phones are the most convenient movable cameras to use outdoors besides sports cameras.
This flexibility means that you can do more in on composition . Even on a tripod, moving your phone from one place to another is effortless. This is particularly useful when you first start learning shooting skills such as composition and mirroring.
is precisely because of its portable and compactness that it makes it more playable than the large movie camera with various accessories.
For example, can you stick a RED MONSTRO to the ceiling with tape to get a complete overhead shot? Maybe it can be done with very strong tape, but will you risk trying it out! But if it's a mobile phone, it's very easy. For high-quality projects of
, no matter which camera is used for shooting, the final shooting time will basically not change. I also hold the same view, after all, the camera is just a small gear in the "big machine" of the movie.
But think about it carefully, Steven Soderbergh cut out the first version of "High Flying Bird" just three hours after the filming of the main scene. Can the same be done if you are using a full-size ARRI ALEXA file?
If you have just entered the industry, it is very likely that the subjects you encounter will not have much experience. At this time, using to shoot with mobile phones can reduce the psychological pressure of the subject , because we are always dealing with mobile phones, just like taking photos with friends and recording life, most people will not mind its existence.
Those who are trembling all over when facing large-scale photography opportunities will be much easier when facing mobile phones. A good example is Victoria Mapplebeck's work won the British Academy of Film and Television Art Award "Missed Call" (2018) . Mapplebeck did not try to cover it up being taken with a mobile phone, but simply regarded it as a tool to get the desired picture.
The rapid development of mobile phone software and hardware
1. Lens
Now many mobile phones have two or more cameras, you can use them to shoot telephoto lenses, or shoot ultra-wide-angle images on some models of mobile phones. Additional lenses like Sandmarc are even more capable of converting twice the telephoto lens into 4 times the telephoto lens.
2.ND filter
One of the drawbacks of mobile phone shooting is that it is not easy to control the light ratio, especially in some more professional projects, when you need to lock the shutter speed, it becomes necessary to use the ND filter group. The existing mobile phone filter sets have been well done, such as ND filter sets such as Polar Pro Iris Mobile Set, and allows you to get multiple exposure adjustments.
3.Stable device
Handheld stabilizer devices, in fact, domestic manufacturers are doing great things.Especially the mobile phone stabilizer represented by DJI Osmo Mobile 2 has been quite mature in terms of stability effects and other functions. With a price of less than 1,000 yuan, you can get a stable effect of over ten hours of battery life.
4. Microphone
Another flaw in mobile shooting is the recording problem. has a built-in microphone, which may be suitable for calls and occasional voice reminders, but it cannot meet professional needs.
This RØDE microphone is designed for Apple phones. has a dedicated directional heart-shaped microphone, and even has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the back to monitor live sounds.
If you have higher requirements for sound, there are even XLR expansion devices on the market that are suitable for mobile phones, allowing you to use XLR's external microphone.
5.Lighting
Thanks to the rapid development of LED film and television lamps in recent years, more and more professional LED lighting equipment has become popular in terms of prices.
Now, it only costs two or three hundred yuan to buy a pocket light with USB power supply, color rendering index excellent, and color temperature change.
6. Mobile Appp
Of course, the most important thing that cannot be ignored is the mobile App application. The FiLMiC Pro that has been popular in the past two years has become very mature, and can set various professional parameters.
You can change the file bit rate in , record higher quality files than the built-in default program, and set records different aspect ratios, high frame rate slow motion, apply logarithmic curve, adjust white balance , manual focus, lock shutter speed, etc. (Ps: This software needs to be purchased, the official version price is 98 yuan)
The overall trend is undoubtedly like this now. Every year, the materials taken by these mobile phone devices have become more and more high-quality, and have gradually gotten rid of the "mobile phone picture feeling" and have more comprehensive functions and aesthetic progress.
mobile phone restrictions
Of course, mobile phones will definitely have some restrictions on their own. But what is interesting is that the trouble caused by shooting with on mobile phones is more or less trouble caused by shooting with SLR or microsingle on ?
Personally, I think it's less. I totally agree with the problem that many people say is that the phone cannot get enough shallow depth of field. I also admit that unless mobile phone system manufacturers like Apple allow application developers to turn off edge digital enhancement, the images captured by the phone will always have a slight "digital feeling".
But when you think about these issues from a longer perspective, it will seem trivial. Neill Barham, CEO of FiLMiC, compared the rise of mobile phone cinematography technology with the rise of 16mm film photography in the French New Wave movement in the 1960s. He keenly summarized this point. Like the situation back then, these emerging filmmakers pursued many excellent qualities brought by smartphones like 16mm film.
So, many times, you don't need RED, and you don't need Blackmagic. If you have any phone with that performs better than iPhone 6S, then you have the ability to record high-quality 4K material . It's all good, enough for you to complete a large portion of the film.
So, the question is by no means whether a smartphone can be a serious video or movie creation tool, but—9102, why don’t you admit the huge potential it brings?
I wonder what you think about filming on your mobile phone?
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