Mobile+Video

A cell phone film is much easier to make than a traditional film. Cell phone cameras are smaller, lighter, cheaper, and require less set up and a smaller crew, making it the most easily accessible medium for shooting video. Filming with a mobile phone was fun and also practical. “You are able to go wherever you want within the school with the phone, and everything was on a smaller scale,”. You don’ t have to be a film student to enjoy this new medium, though. With a little bit of work, anyone can make a great cell phone video that follows the elements of traditional film making. Here’s how to do it. The most important part of any film is the story. “You can’t just take the cell phone and make a great video that somebody wants to watch if you don’ t pay attention to your storytelling,”. Figure out all of your elements—plot, scenes, characters, and write out a detailed script. You should pick a target length and genre—most cell phone videos are between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, and comedy videos seem to be the most popular. Cell phone films should be planned out with a storyboard in the same way as a traditional film. The storyboard should show each shot you plan to shoot to tell your story and if it’s done right, you shouldn’ t run into any problems while filming. The storyboard can be drown out from scratch on paper, or you could download and print a PDF of an already-made storyboard from a website. Apps like Storyboard Composer for the iPhone an also be downloaded to help with this stage. Open up the video recorder on your phone and take a few test shots. Once you’re set up, you’re ready to assemble your actors into their places and call out, “Action!” You’ll probably want to shoot a few takes of each shot so you have options to work with when editing later. Follow your storyboard closely so you get everything you need for your film, but don’ t hesitate to improvise as you go. There are a number of things you can do while shooting to make your cell phone video better. Trying to remain as steady as possible—“You’re not gonna get good footage if you’re waving your camera around,”. You could build a dolly to hold your phone steady, or you could use a small tripod. You can also improve the audio by adding an external microphone, or improve the shot by attaching an interchangeable lens that allows you to zoom. If your cell phone doesn’ t record for the full length of the shot you want to record, work with a partner—have her cell phone start filming as yours stops. Now that you have the shots you need, it’s time to start editing them together. You can download the footage to your computer using a cable, and then edit it on iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. For the more advanced cell phone cinematographer, professional editing software Final Cut Pro is great for working with cell phone videos. Some cell phone models even allow you to edit right on the phone. You can purchase the Final Cut Pro app for the iPhone and some new Nokia models, and if you’re looking to save some money, the Reel Director app for iPhone works similarly. If you need for a different type of clip to tie your shots together or to set a scene that maybe you were unable to film yourself, you might want to check out stockfootageforfree.com, where you can download video clips to add to and enhance your project—for free! Make your film as cohesive as possible, making sure that each shot flows seamlessly into the next, as savvy viewers will certainly pick up on mistakes made in the editing state. You now have a mostly-complete film, but there are some finishing touches you can add to your film to make it even better. You could put music in some scenes to establish a mood by simply adding it right from your computer or iTunes account, or you could add in the ending credits. Cell phones record video in all types of format—3GP, AVI, MOV—but you should probably convert your file to an MP4, a standard video file that ensures your film will display correctly on all mediums, whether on the cell phone or computer screen. If you put your finished file on a DVD, you can watch it right on the TV, and you can even project your film onto a bigger screen. Generally speaking, bigger screens lead to less quality, but high-quality cell phone video cameras can compensate for this. When you’ve reformatted your film, there are a number of ways to post it online. You can upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo from your computer, and you can also upload right from your phone with the push of a button—an advantage that no other filming medium has. Check out the Qik or Magnify Mobile apps for iPhone for another ways to get your movie up online. Now, you should try to get as many views to your video as you can, and you might want to post a link on your Facebook or Twitter. The key is generate some buzz for your video so that you get as many pageviews as possible. You might also want to do a quick Google search to see if there are any cell phone film festivals currently accepting submissions. Receiving critical acclaim from a film festival is a great way to earn recognition for your film, and some even offer cash prizes to winners. “The best advice for a young filmmaker is just do it,”. “Just get out there and do it.”
 * How to Make a Cell Phone Film in 5 Easy Steps**
 * Step 1: Plan**
 * Step 2: Shoot**
 * Step 3: Edit**
 * Step 4: Finish**
 * Step 5: Distribute**