#mobilemoviemakingtips

Tip #297: Sum it up! Dale Carnegie (remember him?) had a simple three-beat formula for giving an effective speech: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.” The example here demonstrates that the method also works for Near the end of “Shoot”—a one-minute drama/public service announcement—the Iranian director Sanaz Ghotb (@tattoo_mark_art) uses text-on-screen summary as the third beat. The verbal image makes a powerful climax. Ghotb’s women’s empowerment short is the current Mobile Movie of the Week. You can see it at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile) #mobilemoviemakingtips #mobilemovieoftheweek #womensempowerment #storystructure #shotoniPhone #textonscreen #harassment https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcCWe4BEwI/?igshid=1c0qhr7xvc0is

Tip #296: Explain the theme. A movie’s theme is the big idea you want viewers to go away with. Even if your movie’s theme is perfectly clear, sometimes there’s value in stating it explicitly. This is what filmmakers Diego Escobar and Natalia Varela did in their prizewinning pandemic drama “Ghosts.” The subtitle seen here translates the Spanish narration. You can see this remarkable film—shot on an iPhone using @FilmicApps—at MobileMovieMaking, where it’s the current Mobile Movie of the Week. #mobilemoviemakingtips #shotoniPhone #composition #COVID-19 #theme #cinematography https://www.instagram.com/p/CJRV7Yyh1No/?igshid=14gb9rj4eg4or

Tip #295: Find a “two shot” within a crowd. Capturing two subjects within a single frame is a filmmaking staple. That’s because it takes two to tango, race, chase, fight, collaborate, and engage in many other dramatic activities. But what if you’re filming a scene with more than two people? No problem as we see in the two frames from “The Wall.” To get the two shot Iranian filmmaker Farideh Nader simply came in close to the action. A one-minute film about women’s empowerment, “The Wall” earned Nader the Director’s Prize at this year’s @MobileFilmFest. Her short is the current Mobile Movie of the Week. You can see it at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile). #mobilemoviemakingtips #smartphonefilmmaking #women’sempowerment #volleyball #mobilemovie #two-shot https://www.instagram.com/p/CI4NjgkBfj0/?igshid=1h3ylhcf0rmjj

Necessity-driven Creativity “OREB” is one of the most inventive short movies made during—and about—the pandemic. The members of the four-person production team—led by Sigfrido Giammona—were in separate locations. This meant, among other things, that actor @IgorPetrotto had to serve as the director of photography, setting up each shot and then—in isolation—performing the action. The result is not only beautiful but also instructive. While a big crew has obvious advantages, minimalist filmmaking can produce memorable movies. The eight-minute film was shot using a Huawei P20 Pro and @filmicapps.. You can see it at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile) where it’s showcased as the Mobile Movie of the Week. You’ll also find a behind-the-scenes interview with the director. #mobilemoviemakingtips #framing #framewithinaframe #cinematography #Rome #filmlocations #COVID-19 #mini-doc https://www.instagram.com/p/CIEp2HTBFin/?igshid=zg1y2v9v0s83

Tip #292: Frame a location within an onscreen frame. The subject of a frame-within-a-frame shot is usually a person—for example, someone framed in a mirror or doorway. But as we see in this shot from “OREB,” it’s possible to use the technique to put attention on a place. Think of all those movies in which the Eiffel Tower is filmed through a window. “OREB”—directed by Sigfrido Giammona— is a wonderfully originally mini-doc that focuses on Rome during the pandemic. The eight-minute film was shot using a Huawei P20 Pro and @filmicapps. You can see “OREB”—and read an interview with the director—at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile). #mobilemoviemakingtips #framing #framewithinaframe #cinematography #Rome #filmlocations #COVID-19 #mini-doc https://www.instagram.com/p/CIB9P0qBlTk/?igshid=6ns9mvauvm2w

Tip #291: Move around to exploit available light. If you’re shooting your subject only with the lights in the location, it’s still possible to achieve a cinematic look. Experiment by moving the camera to various vantage points. The “discovered” rim-lighting effect shown in this frame is from “10 Tips for Shooting Live Events,” a tutorial by Anthony Q. Artis (youtu.be/N12_DYz704I) #mobilemoviemakingtips #filmlighting #rimlighting #cinematography #availablelighting https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-rfKshh9O/?igshid=1uzec4mkjp2lj

Tip #289: Scout locations 24/7. Big-budget films often feature fabulous locations that are created from scratch, for example, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mt. Rushmore. But dazzling locations are possible even if you’re making movies on shoestring budgets. The secret is to keep your eyes open for interesting places wherever you go. The eye-catching barrier location shown here is from “Whistleblower,” a spellbinding short horror picture directed by @RobLeach77. “Whistleblower “is the current Mobile Movie of the Week. You can see it at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile). #MobileMovieMakingtips #shotoniPhone #horrorshort #locationscouting https://www.instagram.com/p/CHljkMLBErj/?igshid=msdgxzbt48hv

Tip #287: Look for Horror in the Great Outdoors “The Shining,” “Carrie,” “Get Out” and many other memorable horror pictures are set mainly or entirely indoors. But our current Mobile Movie of the Week—"Whistleblower”—reminds us that there’s horrific possibilities outside. We could say more, but that would spoil the fun. You can see “Whistleblower”—which was directed by @RobLeach77) at MobileMovieMaking (link in profile) #mobilemoviemakingtips #shotoniPhone #horrrorshort https://www.instagram.com/p/CHYr0KJh_bv/?igshid=n2oat41319sk