ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXShooting a short on a smartphone at night
8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight
Hi All
I have an idea for a short film and i'm thinking of shooting on a smart phone (iPhone 6 or 7). As the story takes place at night i know that this isn't the most ideal format to use, but i feel the aesthetics that will be potentially achieved with suit the subject matter.
I was wondering if any one had any success shooting on a smartphone at night and what they used or knew of any short films that had been shot using smartphones?
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8 years, 4 months ago - Mark Wiggins
A friend of mine just DP'ed a short with an iphone. She used a small (small one designed specifically for iphones) and a Moondog Labs anamorphic adapter. She said it went well. Don't know if she shot anything at night though.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight
cheers i'll check it out.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Low light conditions aren't where smartphone cameras shine, but they're amazing when you consider sensor size. You will find some phones better than others - give the LG flagships a try if you can (G4, G5, G6) as they have some remarkable optics and processing considering. Even a little extra light will go a long way for these devices.
What to expect? I'd imagine scenes will seem darker than they do to the eye (our eyes and brain are hugely tolerant), and in the low light you're at risk of a lot of banding on gradients as the algorithms (discrete cosine transform maps in particular) will be optimised for bright daytime.
The only way to be sure is to test. Go out in the dark with a friend and as many different phones as you can borrow, and shoot some appropriate action. Not stills, but video - movent may cause the image to collapse. Maybe 20 seconds of each. Match the lighting roughly, too. You may find that cameras that cope OK for stills do terribly for video, or vice versa. Only a few camera tests will tell you for sure. Get all the clips labeled up and into your editing software and you'll have enough information to make a decision ;-)
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight
thats sound advise. i shall have a chat with friends and family and see what smartphones their rocking.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - ANDY LEWIS
Shooting at night? Use lights!
I recommend a B&Q builders battery light. £60. Lasts forever. Bit blue colour temperature, but it's night, you need it to be blue. The unit is green great for green screen sets or hiding on the lawn.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - ANDY LEWIS SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - Cristina Isoli
Hi David,
I suggest you to have a look at this guy (EXIV), he has a YouTube channel only about photography and filming with smartphones, you might find useful tips about the best phones or about the right app to use.
https://www.youtube.com/user/exivtv
Good luck, it will be a fun experience! I, myself, have shot most of my project with a smartphone.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - Cristina Isoli SHOW
8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight
i'll check it out. thank you.
Response from 8 years, 4 months ago - David Knight SHOW