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Or don't. This is common advice layman / cloud level famous director advice that is in practice utterly misplaced. There are tonnes of fun little phone film fes

by dbspin 4y ago

Or don't. This is common advice layman / cloud level famous director advice that is in practice utterly misplaced. There are tonnes of fun little phone film festivals. No influential independent film festivals accept phone films. There are 2 - 3 films shot on phones that have ever been give a major (independent) release / distribution. Only one of those was not from an established director, Sean Baker's 'Tangerine'. They used dozens of phones, a full crew and specialised lenses custom made for the production. Shooting narrative with a phone is a gimmick - with very few and specific hidden camera doc exceptions. Phones don't teach you anything about the mechanics of camera work or post, from how different lenses change the feeling of a shot to pulling focus ISO, t-stop, color spaces, data rangling etc. They teach bad habits like relying on autofocus and IBIS. They may be the best camera that isn't a camera, but in terms of starting as a beginner filmmaker - you'd be much better off learning with even very outdated DSLR.

skinnymuch 4y ago
I was going to say Tangerine! I was excited to know such a random factoid. I didn’t realize it’s the only film from non-famous directors, writers, and actors.
krisoft 4y ago
Film festivals? I think you and I have very different ideas what a "beginner film maker" means. If you have never told a story using the medium of moving pictures you should not worry about film festivals, or ISO, or t-stop, or colour spaces, or major releases / distribution, or anything like that. Go grab the stuff you already have. Try to tell a story with that gear. Show it to your friends. Did they like it? Awesome, keep at it. Did they not like it? Get better friends, or tell better stories. Improve your art and craft as you progress one step at a time. People who worry about film festivals, but haven't ever put two frames after each other are delusional. There is a tendency in a lot of people to think that they should not try to do things until they are somehow anointed by someone or something. They think they could make a film, only if they would have a professional camera. Or they think they could do it only if they get into a school where they become something they are not yet. This advice is for those people. Instead of waiting around to do something some day they should start now and start getting better with what they have today.

by dbspin 4y ago

skinnymuch 4y ago

I was going to say Tangerine! I was excited to know such a random factoid. I didn’t realize it’s the only film from non-famous directors, writers, and actors.

krisoft 4y ago

Film festivals? I think you and I have very different ideas what a "beginner film maker" means. If you have never told a story using the medium of moving pictures you should not worry about film festivals, or ISO, or t-stop, or colour spaces, or major releases / distribution, or anything like that. Go grab the stuff you already have. Try to tell a story with that gear. Show it to your friends. Did they like it? Awesome, keep at it. Did they not like it? Get better friends, or tell better stories. Improve your art and craft as you progress one step at a time. People who worry about film festivals, but haven't ever put two frames after each other are delusional. There is a tendency in a lot of people to think that they should not try to do things until they are somehow anointed by someone or something. They think they could make a film, only if they would have a professional camera. Or they think they could do it only if they get into a school where they become something they are not yet. This advice is for those people. Instead of waiting around to do something some day they should start now and start getting better with what they have today.