So I'm starting my first feature, adapted from my screenplay but it's a low budget film. I don't have a huge professional camera, so I've been considering using my iPhone 5 to shoot the entire film. What are your opinions on this? Is a smart phone a wise choice to shoot a film? And if so, are there any tips on cinematography I can get from you fine folks? Thank you.
Filming a Feature Film With an iPhone
- Thread starter joshuathefilmnerd
- Start date
Personally I don't like the iphone because you only have a choice of one lens, and the lens that comes with those phones are way too wide, especially for close up shots. They cause barrel distortion, in which in my opinion, looks like it's been obviously shot with an iphone, and is distracting.
The iphones are also limited to what you can do with picture styles. For example, most filmmakers agree that there shouldn't be sharpness added in the video, because the movie can look too sharp. But with the iphone, I don't think there is anyway to take down the sharpness is there? The picture style is already decided for you.
I don't know if you can manually select your ISO or shutter speed on the iphone either. If it's on auto the whole time, this can be a problem.
The iphones are also limited to what you can do with picture styles. For example, most filmmakers agree that there shouldn't be sharpness added in the video, because the movie can look too sharp. But with the iphone, I don't think there is anyway to take down the sharpness is there? The picture style is already decided for you.
I don't know if you can manually select your ISO or shutter speed on the iphone either. If it's on auto the whole time, this can be a problem.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm actually using FilmicPro on the iPhone to film.
Oh okay, I looked filmic pro up and you have a lot more manual controls with that. However, I cannot find if it controls the amount of sharpness or not. Also, even with filmic pro, you are still stuck with the iphone lens though, and will have barrel distortion.
Here's a good article on the movie Tangerine - a feature that premiered at Sundance that was shot on an iPhone S. Note though that they had a steadicam rig & lenses as well as the Filmic Pro ap - and a lot of filmmaking experience throughout their crew.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7925023/sundance-film-festival-2015-tangerine-iphone-5s
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7925023/sundance-film-festival-2015-tangerine-iphone-5s
If that's the camera you have, go for it. The experience you'll have shooting your first feature will be invaluable in the future. My first two features were shot on a Canon ZR800. I learned the basics of long form filmmaking (schedule, food, budget, keeping people motivated) and then moved to nicer cameras with my third.
If you have no budget, keeping everyone motivated for the feature can be a challenge, depending on your shooting schedule.
If you shoot 2 weeks in a row, people need to take 2 weeks of.
If you shoot every weekend for 2 months in a row it asks uite some commitment as well.
The writing is just a challenge YOU need to overcome.
The shooting is a challenge you AND your team need to take all the way through the end.
what are you using for audio recording? It think this is awesome. go for it lmao it would be funny if you had all this expensive audio gear and then just filming with an iphone.
But anyways your DOF may not be the greatest but the picture will look good and you can do some crazy things with iphone camera. slow motion and such. just back up your files as soon as you get home. you wouldn't want to drop it and break it when it has all your footage on it. OUch.
But anyways your DOF may not be the greatest but the picture will look good and you can do some crazy things with iphone camera. slow motion and such. just back up your files as soon as you get home. you wouldn't want to drop it and break it when it has all your footage on it. OUch.
Just my opinion and take on this~
I think as a viewer, consumer, and producer of content... no circumstance will make me want to see a feature shot on an iPhone, Andriod, or Windows Phone... Sorry, it's just how I see it.
Also I looked up this FilmicPro app, that's a bit much. 2k resolution? My ass. Beat the C300 and some expensive Sony? Highly unlikely. I don't care the situation, a film will look better with a video camera than with the iPhone.
It's the person behind the camera? Yea, TO AN EXTENT. The iPhone is NOT a camera.
Use the iPhone to make some shorts, don't try to approach a feature film with this and take it seriously. You are wasting your own and your crew's time.
Again, just my take on this topic.
I think as a viewer, consumer, and producer of content... no circumstance will make me want to see a feature shot on an iPhone, Andriod, or Windows Phone... Sorry, it's just how I see it.
Also I looked up this FilmicPro app, that's a bit much. 2k resolution? My ass. Beat the C300 and some expensive Sony? Highly unlikely. I don't care the situation, a film will look better with a video camera than with the iPhone.
It's the person behind the camera? Yea, TO AN EXTENT. The iPhone is NOT a camera.
Use the iPhone to make some shorts, don't try to approach a feature film with this and take it seriously. You are wasting your own and your crew's time.
Again, just my take on this topic.
Everything else being excellent, great story, interesting characters, good
actors, perfect audio, creative lighting and a great story I would watch
that movie. Even if shot on an iPhone.
I chose what movies I watched based on many criteria – what camera was
used has never (not even one time) been part of my decision. And the choice
of camera would not keep me from watching a movie that I found interesting.
Yes, I know. I mentioned story twice.
actors, perfect audio, creative lighting and a great story I would watch
that movie. Even if shot on an iPhone.
I chose what movies I watched based on many criteria – what camera was
used has never (not even one time) been part of my decision. And the choice
of camera would not keep me from watching a movie that I found interesting.
Yes, I know. I mentioned story twice.
Camera matters not. Writing is everything.
Hey, Sky! This may be of interest to you.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CentralFlorida*******work/
Hey, Sky! This may be of interest to you.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CentralFlorida*******work/
Hrm, well, the url should end in /CentralFlorida*******work/
Why is it censored?
Why is it censored?
Although off-topic. I do know about this group. It recently popped up in the Full Sail Film Network, you guys recently had a meeting at the Enzian, right? I'll show up eventually along with some of my classmates, but currently my class hours are a restraint.
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Hey guys, please read my opinion on this closely. I said I wouldn't watch a feature shot on an iPhone, that's at least like an hour and twenty minutes of trying to watch iPhone footage, that's incredibly jarring.
A short film? Yea do it. Make an amazing story as well, but if you're going to go forward with a feature film, put in the effort to do it justice and at LEAST rent a DSLR.
Your project will only look as good as it sounds, because
"Sound is half of the experience"
If your film looks terrible but has great sound, people might just think it's your aesthetic. If your film looks great and has bad sound, people will think you're an amateur. Sound is the first indicator to the industry that you know what you're doing.
No matter what else you do, GET THE SOUND RIGHT!!!
"Sound is half of the experience"
If your film looks terrible but has great sound, people might just think it's your aesthetic. If your film looks great and has bad sound, people will think you're an amateur. Sound is the first indicator to the industry that you know what you're doing.
No matter what else you do, GET THE SOUND RIGHT!!!
I get what you’re trying to say, but I don’t understand why? In fact, specifying a time limit for how much iPhone footage you’re willing to watch seem just bizarre to me. If someone came to you with a film, shot on iPhone, that ran to 79 minutes, you’d watch it, right? And what if Chris Nolan stated that he was working with Wally Pfister on his next film, and that they were shooting on iPhone, you’d refuse to watch? If a film looks good and sounds good, why do you care what it was shot on? It seems to me that the iPhone is capable of creating some pretty film-like images. It may be more hassle than it’s worth, but if somebody wants to shoot on iPhone and makes a good looking film, what’s the problem?
Okay. I read your opinion very closely.
Let's say you find a feature (88 minutes) – a friends recommendation,
browsing Netflix – that is something you like; story, theme, premise,
genre. It's exactly in your wheelhouse.
a) you find out it was shot on an iPhone before you watch it
b) you start watching and while it looks okay, it's clearly not shot with
a DSLR or above but everything else is excellent.
Do you not watch it?