ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXIPhone filmmaking (be honest)
3 weeks, 2 days ago - Danny Parker
Hey everyone. I’m Danny, finished film school mid-COVID and honestly… haven’t got a clue how to get work. I've been trying with runner jobs, most of my showreel content is god-awful to me now - so I’m thinking I’ll just try making my own stuff on /LITERALLY/ zero budget. My dads got an iPhone 15 Pro, so that’s what I’m thinking I'm gonna shoot on.
Bit worried people will think it’s not “real” filmmaking, but can’t afford anything else right now. Anyone got tips for apps, settings, cheap little bits of kit that actually make a difference? Blackmagic camera app worth it? Cheap lights, lenses, tripods, anything at all?
Just wanna get some stuff on my reel without completely embarrassing myself. Any advice would be amazing.
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3 weeks, 2 days ago - Andy Hudson
Hey Danny,
Brutal honesty time – it really depends what you actually want to end up doing. If you’re aiming for the camera department, shooting on an iPhone won’t show off much of the craft (no pulling focus, built-in stabilisation, all that). But if it’s directing you’re chasing – go for it. For editing, maybe a bit less exciting (grading iPhone footage can be pretty flat), but still 100% worth doing. Big respect for just deciding to make something – that’s always the best way through.
Finishing film school can feel like a slog – they never really prepare you for the “how to actually get work” part, which is a shame. On runners: useful if you can get in with smaller indie companies and actually build relationships, less so with the big sets where you’ll probably never be seen again. Might be worth thinking about where you really want to land – what department’s calling you?
And if directing is the aim, experience all over the place helps. Most people are endlessly juggling funding apps anyway, so finding some folks to bounce off – maybe AD’ing for shooters here – could be a game-changer.
Stick with it – and don’t lose hope.
3 weeks ago - Edward Learman
You can find quite cheap equipment on ebay. I bought a cheap H1 microphone recorder after I realised sound was pretty crucial. I shot my of my documentary on android and iphones but edited it using Clipchamp and broken dell laptop since I was completely broke.
The quality of the doc isn't great but for a zero budget I think it turned out pretty well. I'm currently a semi-finalist for a festival in Berlin after getting rejected from every other UK festival.
You can watch it in the youtube link if you're interested. https://youtu.be/oJG3Qa2NrJ4?si=OMOf_PhpSmDwPPOT
3 weeks ago - Solomon Watkins
I made this music video using an iPhone 13 pro max. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OelF7If2Zao&list=RDOelF7If2Zao&start_radio=1&ab_channel=SofiaGillaniSofiaGillani. Threw in some stock footage. I think music videos are a great start because you can show off creative ability over technical assets