Cell phones ... the new cigarette?
 

Ok, since when did cell phones become the new cigarette? I noticed a lot of entries using cell phones as a way to give actors something to do while they were "acting". They even became part of the action.

You used them well, but just I was just tickled by how prevalent cell phones were in the shorts.

Michael:

I'm not sure if you noticed the cellphone in Gardens of Tomorrow but it played a very minor role. Even though it is visible in the final cut, I basically did not utilize it for what I had originally intended.

We used a tire pressure gauge as a high-tech nano probe injector, a small, glass picture frame as a futuristic communication device, an old cordless phone as a medical device, a $9 folding table as a lab table, and some glass vases as scientific instruments.

I like using everyday objects as unusual props. It's fun utilizing these objects in a way that makes people believe they are unique devices even though they can clearly recognize what they really are. After all, it's all about setting the mood so that your viewers can suspend their disbelief.

I think I might be guilty of overusing cellphones... after all we use them a lot in society today :) But the real reason was that I couldn't get enough actors in such short time so I took the easy way out and used them to make the audience aware of what's going on. So... it was a "dirty" way to deliver my message... *feeling guilty*

I figure that without the cellphones I would have to take pictures of the murder, a car chase around town, probably some shoot outs... actually things that would be quite fun to do... but they would of course need more time and I was already late on schedule.

Fredrik-Larsson had both ;), (cigarettes and cell phones), he should go to cliche prison (just joking bud, i loved your video, i had a similar concept in the begining so probebly better for the bost of us i decided to go an alternative route)

I used one in "Secrets" and there's one in the first shot of the new one too. Used like a regular phone these days. Could almost substite this "film device" for the old VO over a shot of someone reading or writing a letter from WWII and further back films. It's a quick way to introduce a character or idea that would otherwise remain hidden from the viewer I suppose.

Sean

LOL, wait for day 5!

Jeff, dude you're freakin' awesome! I love the creativity.
-Jon

Jon:

Thanks! I'm afraid half of it was creativity and the other half was desperation.

Of course, after I was done editing, I realized that I truly did like the weird juxtaposition of obvious objects used in unexpected ways. I intend to continue doing that in the future!

I know I'm one of Dylan's guilty day 5'rs. Anyone else want to fess up ahead of time?

Nick? But did you use a camera that's talking on a cell phone?

What I should've done was use the cell phone camera, so stupid...

I know... I hear this godly voice in my ears... (the camera god)

Voice: Fredrik, what were you thinking?
Fredrik: uuhh..
Voice: You weren't thinking, were you?
Fredrik (blushing): eehh.. no? (giving puppy look)
Voice: What are you going to do about it?
Fredrik: a new movie?
Voice: And?
Fredrik: Without cellphones and cigarettes??! (happy)
Voice: Good!

So, yeah... I think that next one MIGHT be without cellphones and cigarettes. Secretly thinking: I can use a landline phone and cigars... he he :)

Why not just go for broke and write in two walkie talkies and a pinch of 'chaw'.

or maybe even two cups and a string along with a corn cob pipe.
(mmmmmppphhhhhh..

...what?

..mmmmppphhhhh...!

...what??

...[pulls face out of cup and shouts across the street] I SAID PULL THE STRING TIGHTER, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING YOU'RE SAYING!!!

-Jon

Jon, great ideas! :)

And btw, if I could vote in USA you would have my vote. You seem like an "honest" candiate. :-D

Thanks...that is one of the things I hope to change when I'm King'a'here. I want to open up elections to anyone anywhere who live in a region that in some way might end up being effected by US policy - which at least under current administration seems to be anyone anywhere. Thanks for the vote of confidence...I'm slowly moving towards my hundred million votes..(real slowly)
-Jon

Yes, cellphones are the new cigarettes. Having entered a few short film contests as well as spent a couple of years running local film group screenings where I had to look at a several hundred of short films a year, patterns do emerge :)

(1) Guns (instant drama) - in this years 48 Hour in Greensboro, 2/3 of the films used guns.
(2) Blood (more is better)
(3) Cellphones (too bad they don't usually emit smoke)
(4) People waking up with an alarm clock at the beginning of a film
(5) Brushing teeth, looking in mirror
(6) Movies where all the cast is 20 years old but setting is government, corporate etc.

Maybe the next DV Challenge we should have everybody include the elements above "Cliche Horror! - You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll die!"

I'm day 5 and guilty, but the celphone use IS in character.

Why heck. I think I'll ad a few more cell phones and EVERYONE will smoke in my next short. So there.

Actually, that may be a bad idea after all. Come to think of it, if we eliminate all the usual stuff from the list above, like looking in the mirror, etc. I don't have anything to work with.

Ah well. Maybe my next goal will be to include all those elements in one scene. A guys got to have a goal.

Sean

The more cliches the better, that's what I always say. Remains true whether we're talkin' movies or posts :-)

Wow I think my film used all of those cliche's maybe I cna just clean it up and enter it again for the october contest.

Don't sweat - we all often use cliches because they are needed in our stories. I used looking in the mirror in my 48 Hour Film because I need the character to be imagining things and the mirror worked for it. Fortunately, my character was not brushing her teeth though :)

I think some of these things are inevitable, depending on what sort of movies you want to make.
It could be done I'm sure, but it would be hard to make a modern day action movie, or a WWII movie without having some guns, for instance.
Furthermore, I'm going to go outside right now to talk on my cellphone and smoke a cigarette- these are things people do, lots and lots of people. You might just as well say that it is a cliche to drive a car and/or wear clothes.

I think there is more to it than that.. [FILM PROFESSOR RANT ON]

First, "action movies" are only one of many genres possible and there is more possibilities for stories that don't involve guns that ones that do. Second, plenty of people in WWII never saw or touched a gun in person - they have stories as well.

Last, people do lots of things everyday that you don't see in movies in the frequency you see in real life (e.g. eating a meal or wiping their butts) and despite the fact that the way we do those things reveal much more about us that talking on a cell phone or smoking a cigarette. But it's not the fact that we eat it's how we eat that is interesting. Personally, there is much more creative potential to be mined in eating, sex, personal hygiene etc. than cellphones.

Kubrick, one of my faves, frequently featured characters eating in specific situations that showed us a lot about the character. That's how you transcend cliche.

[FILM PROFESSOR RANT OFF]

You said it there. It's just a matter of getting ideas to show your message. On budget you go with the cheapest.. :)

And actually... you are now rising the bar for DVC4... I know I will think a step longer to find alternative ways to deliver my message.

Thinking is always cheap :) Too bad Hollywood does not have less money and more time to think...

Of course, cell phones could be used creatively as well. I'm still hoping someone has come up with a cool idea with the cameras on cell phones for DVC3...

Well, I don't disagree with any of that, actually. It's just that, personally, I'm not interested in making movies of that sort. I'm not hell bent on including guns, cigarettes or cellphones either, though.

Just so people don't take this post too seriously. Feel free to use cliches in your shorts. A tired old cliche that tells your story, will raise your vote.

In this challenge, there were several tired and old cliches, that were well used and did raise my vote ...

I said Day 5, but was off by a few films. The one to which I refered earlier is Sean Buck's "Snap" up today.