It's not the equipment, it's the VISION
 

Steve Maller turned me on to these links on YouTube. A music video shot with a Nokia N93 cameraphone.

Watch the music video,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsxCPMpRRK8

THen watch the 'making of'

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5HrJeDno98Y


It's a really nice piece of work. It helps to remember, as so many get caught up in buying 'bigger, better, faster' equipment... the storytelling lies in the ability and creativity behind your vision.

My favorite part is the enginuity in this. The underwater shot done with a $10 plastic box. The helium balloons for the "aerial" shot. Really strong stuff.

And I'm certain Nokia will take notice. That part would make its own backstory.

Steve,

I once worked on a shoot that took place in a swimming pool. Shooting with an Atton Super 16 camera... and we put it in an AQUARIUM! I was freaked the whole time, but the DP was cool. He had done this before. It looked great. And the aquarium was borrowed from somebody.

dogma 95
 

I saw a bunch of short films shot on camera phones projected in a theatre. One of the filmmakers commented that she worked with very closeup shots because the pixelization of the image made wide shots difficult to read. Canadian filmmaker/actor Don McKellar had some beautiful shorts ("Phone Call from Imaginary Girlfriends: Ankara" and "Phone Call from Imaginary Girlfriends: Istanbul". Travel and dislocation.

I love many of the Danish DOGMA 95 films. Thomas Vinterberg's "The Celebration" was shot with (consumer?) miniDV camaras. It had such fantastic actors and a very dark script. I read that the original set of Danish DOGMA films were much more successful than the second wave of international films largely because the Danish filmmakers were seasoned professionals. Many of the international filmmakers were working on their first feature and saw DOGMA as a way to produce a no-budget film. The author of the essay points out that skill and vision are still necessary.

That's absolutely great!
 

I don't think that I'd be that inventive of my own accord, but the more I read (especially on this boad) and the more I see what other people are doing, the more I come to realize that it is the vision and not the equipment (but I do so love my toys :D).

My only question is does anyone know if there is a way to see the video where it is not compressed for web broadcast? Just to see what that camera phone is capable of...

Kevin