Mobile Masterpieces
Filed under: entertainment, gadgets and gizmos, lifestyle
Movie Extra Tropfest is the largest short film festival in the world and Australia’s most prestigious short film festival.
Recognising the change in technologies and the opportunities this presents to filmmakers, Telstra has partnered with Tropfest to launch an exciting new mobile-film category – Telstra Mobile Masterpieces.
Joel Sabadin from Preston, Melbourne is one of three finalists…
Joel Sabadin
When I was told I was a finalist in the Telstra Mobile Masterpieces category at this year’s Movie Extra Tropfest, I literally couldn’t stop smiling. Simply being acknowledged in the shortlist was a shock and then to be named a finalist was like a dream come true.
Titled Frequency, I filmed my entry entirely on a Samsung Omnia mobile phone, which has a high-res five megapixel camera.
Exploring feelings of loneliness and connection in a big city, the story is told without dialogue. Following the protagonist through Melbourne’s city streets as he struggles to keep up with the speed of those around him, I tried to capture his isolation, along with his longing to find another with whom he can share his day. Increasingly disheartened, we join in his journey to find another who travels through life at the same pace.
Personally, I love the slightly reduced sharpness and detail you get from using the video camera on a mobile phone – it actually reminds me of really old home movies. The portability and being able to shoot at a moments notice is also fantastic and I actually select my phone based on its camera specifications.
However, that’s not to say I didn’t encounter any challenges! One of the issues with shooting on a mobile phone was that people didn’t realise we were shooting a film. People would stop and look at the actors strangely wondering what was going on, probably thinking I was just taking a photo of a street performance. This did ruin a shot or two but we managed to get them moving on again quickly.
So, if you’re interested in making your own mobile movies, some simple tips to follow include:
- Mobile cameras don’t like bright lights, such as direct sunlight. Shooting on an overcast day actually helped me a lot. I was worried that the sun would be too bright and flare out footage so I made sure, through timing, that none of my shots would be looking at the sun or bright lights.
- If panning or doing a roving / moving shot, be sure to do it slowly and smoothly. Mobile phone cameras can distort footage greatly when the panning or moving of the shot is to fast. Doing test shots during the concept stage enabled me to know for sure that the shots I had planned would work. I can’t explain enough how important it was to do test shots. I did have to leave out some ideas that just weren’t technologically possible on a mobile.
- Make sure you turn off the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and switch the phone to “Airplane mode” before you start shooting. This will greatly increase the length of the battery life during shooting.
- Get creative. Not just with the filming but with the equipment as well. For example, I constructed a holder for my phone which mounted onto my video camera’s tripod and helped me get some nice, steady shots.
Further Reading
Win a Tropfest Experience:
The winner of the Telstra Mobile Masterpieces category will be announced this Sunday 21 February. Hosted at Sydney’s Domain in the Royal Botanic Gardens, there will also be live satellite links to outdoor locations in Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Surfer’s Paradise.
We’re offering one lucky person the chance to win a double pass to enjoy a very special Tropfest experience. Featuring some of the best seats in the house, you’ll also enjoy complementary refreshments throughout the evening and enjoy the entire Tropfest launch. And once the judging’s over, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the Telstra Mobile Masterpieces winner and find out what inspired their film and why they’re so excited to have taken out the Tropfest Mobile Masterpieces crown.
For your chance to win, tell us in a comment on this post in 25 words or less what question you would ask the Tropfest Mobile Masterpieces winner and why. The full terms and conditions are here – make sure you enter in a hurry ’cause we will announce the winner this Friday.
Tropfest Experience:
When: Sunday 21 February from 5.30pm
Where: The Domain – Mrs Macquarie’s Road, Sydney.
Please note the prize is a Sydney-based experience. Any necessary transport or other expenses are the responsibility of the winner.
That is awesome Joel – can’t wait to see your short film, be really interested to see how it looks as a student in the industry myself =)
Gotta admit it looks kind odd with the cam-phone taped onto a tripod – good luck matey!
Do you see the ‘mobile film’ format as a challenge to your creativity – or a positive influence to your creative expression?
Did you find it easier or harder to shoot a film on a mobile phone as opposed to a regular video camera?
As I am a fellow budding film maker, as well as a passionate technologist in the mobile / digital ad industry the opportunity to delve into the mind of the telstra mobile masterpeice winner – I would even like the opportunity to interview them – of course on a mobile device. I unearth their reasonings for deciding on using such a fresh new and exciting medium, the pains and the pleasures and what they plan to create for their next creative projects. Id like to undertsand, capture and broadcast their pure creative talent and the unique tools they use.
Id like to undertsand, capture and broadcast their pure creative talent and the unique tools they use.
Unearth their reasonings for deciding on using such a fresh new and exciting medium, the pains and the pleasures.
Does creativity influence technology or does technology inspire creativity? If so what’s the connection between the two?
as technology advances, previous limitations / constraints are becoming possible
You’re right, Mick – with HD, 12mp camera phones already in the pipeline and app stores making more complex video tools, I see the line between traditional and mobile film making blurring rapidly. The challenge may now come down to storage and optics quality – but whether that’s a limitation or a ‘feature’ of the tool is in the eye of the beholder…
Howdy All!!
You can see the film here: http://joelsabadin.com/