Actors with Smartphones, Make Movies with Anthony Bradford

The process of creating films and video programming is extensive and can be exhausting. But for Anthony Bradford, our guest on the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking Episode 97, it’s about how much it prolongs the production process. Mobile filmmaking shortens a lot of the production so Anthony can go from pre-production and planning, to post-production and distribution. 

Anthony Bradford is an actor and a producer who writes screenplays and has a lot of ideas for stories. During our podcast he shares how he organizes all his ideas so he can turn them into screenplays. He’s inspired by his story ideas. Some ideas come to him while he is driving, so he has to jot them down while stopped at a stop light. This type of dedication is probably one of the reasons he’s able to create some great stories into films. 

Our conversation highlights the process from his perspective, which can help our listeners organize their own ideas for their films. 

Anthony had to learn to edit his auditions “self-tapes” as an actor. He began with iMovie but has since learned the Adobe Premier editing program, and he uses other Adobe programs for sound as well. 

Anthony is driven by the concept of stories in films. He shares how important it is to focus on your story and then revolve your method of capturing your story around it. The method he uses includes good audio. During this episode, you’ll listen to Anthony share some of the creative ideas he’s used to overcome some of the quirks that come up while filming with a smartphone. After all, the camera is only one part of your smartphone and all that your smartphone does in the background.

He mentions the microphones he uses and his back up process for audio capturing.

Anthony works meticulously to ensure that even though he saves time in production using a smartphone camera, he does not cut the quality of the filming and post-production short. 

“Cleaning up with the audio—it can just feel like very monotonous but it’s super important, and I feel like it’s the longest part of the process.” Anthony Bradford

Anthony produces a web series, Love Millennial Style with his production company is called Priceless Productions.

His film, Raider of the Last TP is screening at the International Mobile Film Festival which will take place online this year due to the event restrictions still in place. He shot the short film with an iPhone 11. 

The film’s synopsis: A teacher moonlights as a basement storage unit raider in his spare time in search for a roll of toilet paper.

Of course, Anthony is also an actor. It’s impressive to see an actor who is not only directing and producing, but writing and editing his own projects. Anthony is routinely working as an actor, which is important for all actors. He shares how he’s working on his films, his web series and acting on television and films. It requires dedication and it’s commendable.

Like many who are making movies after 2015, Anthony was inspired by Sean Baker’s film, Tangerine. He watched the film and then found out, after watching it, that Sean Baker had shot it with the iPhone using FilmicPro and Moondog Labs anamorphic lens for iPhones. 

This episode of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is inspiring because Anthony Bradford indulged me with many details on the topic of filmmaking, mainly with smartphone cameras. It’s an entertaining conversation about making movies, acting, editing, directing and more. 

SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones. 

International Mobile Film Festival dates are Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2021. It’s our tenth anniversary edition.

You can go to MobileFilmStories.com to join the participating filmmakers from the festival  on The Quad. Connect with them, chat with them on the topic dedicated to the festival: https://mobilefilmstories.com/community/mfs-announcements/international-mobile-film-festival-2021/#post-223  

Connect with Anthony Bradford through the links below:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonybradford/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABradford10 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABradford10 

IMDb: http://www.imdb.me/anthonybradford    

Website: http://www.Anthony-bradford.com/  

Reel: https://vimeo.com/535947277    

Web Series on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovemillennialstyle/ 

Priceless Productions on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/v/pricelessproductions  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_priceless_productions/ 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/pricelessproductions   


Website: http://thepricelessproductions.com  

Our Links:  

Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking    

IMFF 2021 Tickets: We have worked very hard to create and design this event for you. In order to gain access to the information in the article in the link below, we are giving you the option to pay (support) anywhere between $5 to $25 for the tickets. Once you have unlocked the information you will not need to pay (support) again. Our current and new $5 minimum monthly subscribers on Patreon (link below) will also be provided access to the festival. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello/international-mobile-film-festival-tickets 

Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast    

SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio    

Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com    

International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com   

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast   

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast   

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/   

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665  

Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello   

SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell   

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sbp-podcast-mobile-filmmaking-928180    

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1   

© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Empower Your Song with Video with Amanda Smith and Colin Babcock

Falling through floors is probably not what you expect when you are on set filming. The old creepy house called out to Amanda Smith and Colin Babcock. 

Amanda brought Colin into the house and he found it creepy and dilapidated. Both nodded at the notion that the house could be the set for a film. They just needed to figure out what type of film they could make. But there was a little bit of a conundrum because Colin did not have his usual filmmaking equipment. 

Colin began to think he could use his iPhone camera, even though he had never done so, or needed to. But that was not the only challenge, as he and Amanda would soon come to find out. 

Amanda’s younger sister, Storm Smith is a talented and, in my opinion, extraordinary musician. When Amanda asked if she and Colin could use her song to make a video, she immediately gave them permission. And now, Amanda and Colin had a story. 

The words to the song are an expression that comes to real life in their music video titled after the song by Storm Smith, “Too Young.” 

Performed by Amanda, their video sends a powerful message of hope. It was, ironically enough, filmed during the pandemic and performed by Amanda on camera. There is a story about the message of the video and the song, which is heartfelt. We are delighted to share a bit of the song, with permission, in the intro to our conversation with our guests in this episode. 

Amanda and Colin spent a couple of days in pre-production working the schematics to shoot the video. Amanda’s father, Steve Smith, owned the house and gave his consent to film before it was renovated. Her mother, Terry Smith, helped with wardrobe and set design. Colin, prepped his iPhone XR to shoot and planned the shots, just as any cinematographer does. 

In the meantime, all sorts of things began to happen which made the challenge of filming with a smartphone the least of their concerns. Once the film was “in the can” Colin edited the video and color grade it using Premier Pro. There were challenges covering electrical outlets from the scenes. Overall, the video has cinematic aesthetic value and the music is professionally produced which also elevates the overall quality of the film.

In episode 96 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, you are going to listen to stories from both directors, Amanda and Colin. They share stories from their set experience and shooting with a smartphone. How some scenes were captured, including what to use when your protagonist is required to eat worms on camera, how to capture your actor in suspension without a green screen, and…the story about the stench in the house and what they found in the freezer. 

But that is not all. Listen to their inspiring stories in our podcast. This was their first podcast guest appearance and we are stoked about that too. 

You can also watch the video during the 10th anniversary edition of the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. The festival is online this year, due to the pandemic restrictions, April 23-25. 

Follow Colin Babcock:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinbabcock/ 

Colin Babcock on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/colinbabcock 

Colin on The Quad: https://mobilefilmstories.com/community/profile/colinbabcock/ 

Follow Amanda Smith:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandafallonsmith/ 

Website: https://www.amandafallonsmith.com 

Our Links:  

Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking   

Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast  

SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio   

Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com   

International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com  

IMFF Topic on The Quad: https://mobilefilmstories.com/community/mfs-announcements/international-mobile-film-festival-2021/ 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast  

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/  

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665 

Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello  

SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell  

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sbp-podcast-mobile-filmmaking-928180   

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1  

© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Two iPhones and a Feature Film with Patrick R. Young and Powell Robinson

One story, two guys and two iPhones embarked on a road trip to make a feature film. Directors Patrick R. Young and Powell Robinson are my guests in Episode 95 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking. 

Their experience comes from Patrick’s idea for a film when he was in Middle School or High School. Years later, he and Powell decide to use iPhones to realize his story into a feature film of about 77 minutes. They both live in the Los Angeles area in California.

Powell was involved with a musical band and his career plans were focused on his band until the band split. At that point he turned to filmmaking. Powell and Patrick have shot a previous film together, not with smartphones: “Bastard” (2015). Patrick wrote the screenplay for that film. He also wrote screenplays to other films, two which are on Netflix, “My Obsession” and “Pretty Little Stalker.”

Patrick and Powell teamed up as directors for “Threshold,” though they had not really thought about making a movie with iPhones. Inspired by Steven Soderbergh’s “Unsane,” a feature film shot with the iPhone, Powell jokingly suggested to Patrick that they should make their film with their iPhones. 

“Threshold” was shot over 12 days from a 23 page outline and no script. There were two actors, one producer, two cars and two directors: Patrick R. Young and Powell Robinson. The protagonists are Madison Gill “Madison West” as Virginia, and Joey Millin as Leo.

When you listen to their stories in this episode you will realize the way this film was made was a challenge and they will share just how they were able to complete the process all the way through to a finished product.

Patrick and Powell captured the audio for their film externally and included ADR to polish up the dialogue, a good investment. 

Color grading was also a worthy investment. They pointed out that their editor, Will Ford-Conway, was impressed that their footage came into the editing software just as any other footage shot with a traditional camera.

They used iPhones a generation behind in 2018, the iPhone 8S. Written by Patrick R. Young with Powell Robinson as Director of Photography. 

“There is a look to phones…there is a vibe and there is a certain vibe to an Arri Alexa and a Red and just understanding what that means to the people watching—and not necessarily crafting your story around it but crafting your visual language to not seem like it’s clashing with what the iPhone itself can make.” Powell Robinson

The conversation shares the nuts and bolts of making a film indie style. Patrick and Powell are both experienced indie filmmakers and it’s not like they had no filmmaking experience before they challenged their production using iPhones. However, they had not used smartphone cameras before to make a film. 

Our podcast guests, Patrick and Powell share tips and advice on what you should invest in when you are saving money making a film using a smartphone, like good audio. 

Mentioned in the podcast and crew are William “Will” Ford-Conway, Editor; Nick Chuba, composer; Kinan Chabani, Colorist; Charles Moody, Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer; Jerry Robinson, Dialogue Mixer; Lauren Bates, Producer; Nadine Sondej-Robinson, Costumes; and Alex Familian, Visual Effects.

San Diego’s International Mobile Film Festival will be showcasing “Threshold” April 23-25. www.internationalmobilefilmfestival.com

You can go to www.MobileFilmStories.com to join the participating filmmakers from the festival and connect with them, chat with them on the topic dedicated to the festival: https://mobilefilmstories.com/community/mfs-announcements/international-mobile-film-festival-2021/#post-223 

Connect with Patrick and Powell through the links below:

Watch the Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOMP9RVXcCI&ab_channel=BigBadFilm

Distribution Announcement: https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3652484/arrow-films-hits-road-threshold-hopes-breaking-curse-exclusive/

Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustYoungEnough

Powell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powell_robinson/

Threshold Movie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threshold_film/

Our Links:  

Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking   

Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast  

SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio   

Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com   

International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com  

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast  

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/  

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665   
 
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello  

SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell  

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sbp-podcast-mobile-filmmaking-928180   

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1  

© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Smartphone Feature Filmmaking in Lockdown with Jennifer Zhang

Imagine a story realized from your imagination. How you can turn that story into a feature film using a smartphone for a camera is impressive. Now edit the story in an app on your phone. Sounds unreal, right? That’s the real story behind the film “Charon” by Jennifer Zhang. Episode 94 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is a discussion about her journey.

Jennifer is a passionate creator and storyteller. I was honored to talk with one of the contestants in the feature film competition at San Diego’s International Mobile Film Festival. The festival takes place in April this year. All the films are shot with smartphone cameras. “Charon” is one of three feature films competing for the 2021 Best Feature Film Award. 

The story took place, literally, during lockdown in Los Angeles. Jennifer Zhang had just about completed a deal for her next feature film, when the lockdown was announced in California. It was as devastating as you can imagine as investors began to pull out. However, this superhero named Jennifer, decided to make another feature film using the situation to her advantage. 

“Charon” is a story about a woman under house arrest who has a boyfriend turning up the pressure on her to do things that are scary, to say the least. Her character, Charon, discovers an intriguing mystery behind his requests and she brings viewers to discover his motives to a shocking surprise.

Jennifer Zhang shares her experience making her film from the concept, and screenwriting, all the way through to post production. Jennifer shares how she struggled to film her performance as her character, Charon, on her own using her iPhone 8 Plus. The seamless result is astonishing. You would not realize how many struggles she had and persisted through. She was alone in her apartment during production for most of the film. 

Actor Eric Radic played her boyfriend, Jerry. Jennifer cleverly used Skype as a medium to bring his performance in her film through the screen of her computer, and it worked very well. 

One of the challenges was a fight scene that takes place in her apartment, choreographed and performed by Marc Morisseau. 

The fight scene was one of the hardest parts of making her film, according to her account. When she explains the details of what it entailed you will realize the challenges and fears endured during production. 

Jennifer’s entire story in her film keeps the viewer engulfed and absorbed in the story. Cameras and self-isolation during the pandemic magically disappear and the mystery and suspense of the story stand out.

It’s not by chance that happens, and it has not much to do with her iPhone camera. Even though it would have been almost impossible to pull off with any other camera, that was unavailable to her during the pandemic anyway. 

Jennifer Zhang married her screenwriting and storytelling skills with the tools at her disposal to produce a feature film during lockdown. When you watch this 73 minute film, you will become entrenched with the story pretty soon after it begins and you won’t want to pause and miss a thing until the end.

It’s been quite difficult to make films during the pandemic, especially during the early weeks after the lockdown in California. Even during normal situations, it’s not easy to make a feature film that can capture your attention for a longer period of time. But when it revolves around the protagonist as the center of the story alone during confinement, it’s quite impressive. One movie that comes to mind at the time of writing this, is “Rear Window” with Jimmy Stewart.

Jennifer Zhang’s performance as a victim is realistic and intriguing. In one word, I would say the film as a whole is riveting. 

Be sure to watch the film during the festival on last weekend in April. 

After you listen to this episode, go to our Patreon Page and subscribe to listen to the exclusive bonus episode in which I ask Jennifer a secret question and she shares a secret answer and a unique valuable tip for anyone writing a screenplay. It’s a  very inspiring, and in-depth special episode for our Patreon subscribers.

Here is the link to access the Bonus Episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47339376 

Log in to your Patreon account first or create one. Click on the link to become a patron & access the secret bonus episode.

SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones. 

 

Follow Jennifer Zhang:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJenniferZhang/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejenniferzhang/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zhangarang

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jenniferzhangmusic

Press Release “Charon”: https://www.yahoo.com/now/feature-film-charon-shot-entirely-223400335.html

Watch ”Charon Trailer": https://youtu.be/hOPNODC-2qE

 

Mentioned During the Podcast:

“The Evil Inside" Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psHolfGwUts

 Random Fight Sequence with my friend Marc: https://youtu.be/0y7Py9J7JJ4

Official Music Site: www.jenniferzhangmusic.com  

Our Links:  

Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking  

Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast 

SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio  

Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com  

International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/ 

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665  
 
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello 

SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell 

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sbp-podcast-mobile-filmmaking-928180  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1 

© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

 

Mystery Story and Smartphone Video Travels with Michael and Melissa Harlow

Michael Harlow shared a story with me almost ten years ago and told me it was a secret. Imagine you stumble across an intriguing discovery that is filled with mystery. I know some people cannot keep a secret for a number of hours, but imagine keeping this big discovery a secret all these years. 

My guests on the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking episode 93 are Michael and Melissa Harlow. They share the art and tech of earning a living as a voice over professional. They also discuss how they created a travel vlog using smartphones to produce videos of their adventures. Imagine dropping your career and selling everything you own to spend your life traveling. One key to doing that is to live debt free and my guests will share how they were able to do that and how you can do it too. 

Michael shares the secret story with our listeners. It’s a story about a mysterious discovery that I find very intriguing. It’s exciting that Michael is sharing this story publicly for the first time with our listeners. It could be that one of you can help Michael in a documentary about his discovery. I won’t say more because you’ll need to listen to his story to find out why he kept it a secret so long and why I’m excited to share it with the world in this episode of our podcast. 

Some of the tips Melissa and Michael share include how to create your own travel vlog using smartphone cameras. I met Michael and Melissa in person, as San Diego natives, during the Inaugural International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego back in 2012 after listening to Michael’s secret story. 

If you want to live a life as an adventure vlogger, either for years or a few months, Melissa and Michael will share some great tips with you. It’s your life, and it’s your story.

SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones. 

Follow Michael and Melissa on their adventures on social media and let them know you heard them in our podcast.

The Adventure Travelers Links:
Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theadventuretravelers?sub_confirmation=1 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAdventureTravelers 
Blog & Website: https://theadventuretravelers.com/ 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventureTravelers/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadventuretravelers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelharlow/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theadventuretra/
Tumblr:  https://theadventuretravelers-universe.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdventureTvlrs



Melissa’s Website: http://melissaharlowvo.com 
How Melissa got started and thrived in VoiceOver: http://melissaharlowvo.com/index.php/change-to-voice-over-career/

Our Links:  

Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking  

Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast 

SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio  

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665  

Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com  

International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/ 

MFTV - Mobile Film Network Distribution Channel: http://MobileChannel.TV 

Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello 

SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell 

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sbp-podcast-mobile-filmmaking-928180  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1 

© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.