SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking

In the Weeds Series: Get Your Acts Together - Jason C. Marshall

Part of The Mobile Film Podcast Series: In The Weeds, Episode 109 features Jason C. Marshall with Get Your Act(s) Together. Jason’s contribution to the series, “Story Formula and Structure” brings mobile smartphone filmmakers to the next level of filmmaking. In this episode Jason takes us into the weeds of the acts and introduces us to the beats, coming in the next session of the series. We discuss the Acts, are there 3, 4 or 5 Acts? The midpoint and setup and much more are discussed. Empowering the storyteller inside you. 
Read the article for this episode 109 - Get Your Acts Together by Jason C. Marshall: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
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.
Links from Jason C. Marshall:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasoncmarshall/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonmarshallca  
Alternate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerotheorymedia/  
My writing for HBOthenevers: https://www.hbothenevers.com/periodicals  
Our Links: SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio 
International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com   
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast    
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast  
Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast    
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/    
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking     Mobile Filmmaker Shop Online Store - NEW DESIGNS: http://mobilefilmmakershop.com   
Support podcast host Susy Botello: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello    
SBP Podcast on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14682500/reference    
Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com    
Mobile Film Stories on Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/mobile-film-stories   
iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665      
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell    
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1    
© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

In the Weeds Series Formula is Freedom - Jason C. Marshall

This episode is an introduction to a series which will accompany our regular episodes of this podcast. The Mobile Film Podcast Series: In The Weeds, Episode 108 features Jason C. Marshall with Formula is Freedom.
Jason’s contribution to the series, “Story Formula and Structure” will bring mobile smartphone filmmakers to the next level of filmmaking. We cover the outline of what we’ll be discussing in future episodes in the series, bluetooth technology for content creators, how Jason uses Filmic Pro, mics and audio, lenses, lighting, and more. 
Read the article for this episode 108 - Formula is Freedom by Jason C. Marshall: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Links from Jason C. Marshall:Instagram @jasoncmarshall https://www.instagram.com/jasoncmarshall/ 
Twitter: @jasonmasrhallca https://twitter.com/jasonmarshallca 
Alternate Instagram @zerotheorymedia https://www.instagram.com/zerotheorymedia/ 
My writing for HBOthenevers: https://www.hbothenevers.com/periodicals 
Our Links: SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio
International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com  
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast    
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sbppodcast 
Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbppodcast   
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobilefilmsd/   
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking    Mobile Filmmaker Shop Online Store: http://mobilefilmmakershop.com  
Support podcast host Susy Botello: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello   
SBP Podcast on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14682500/reference   
Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com   
Mobile Film Stories on Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/mobile-film-stories  
iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sbp-podcast/id1296673665      
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1   
© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Getting Into the Weeds with Story in Film - Jason C. Marshall

The arch, the beats, the plot and the structure in your story make films compelling. Jason C. Marshall shares the elements in storytelling that will help you make great movies. Now that you’ve discovered your smartphone camera can make cinematic films, your story is what will make your movie memorable. 
Read the article for this episode 107: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Breaking down some of the most memorable films give filmmakers the ability to recreate new award-winning films that can make an impact. Diving into storytelling can get complicated and there are many resources that will keep you busy learning. So we invited Jason to our podcast to share what he’s learned to simplify the process.
Jason and I go “into the weeds” of storytelling for film. In order to emphasize the importance some of the elements to consider as you create and design your story for your movie, Jason shares a lot of what he’s learned with our listeners. We discussed a bit about his journey through researching the topic and his personal interest in filmmaking. 
Jason shares a couple of books which influenced his education on the subject: Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show (2013) and Saved The Cat: The Language of Storytelling™ by Blake Snyder (2005). 
Jason has processed what he’s learned and has developed his own perspectives based on formulas and traditional storytelling. These processes are currently used in many of the most successful films made today. He has watched many films which he analyzes and breaks down to discover the formulas used in each one in order to learn what works and what doesn’t work. 
In episode 107 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, Jason and I discuss what we both know about story in film. Jason brings the breakdown of elements in storytelling to our listeners. The purpose behind how you shape your story is the reason your film works, makes an impact and is what your audience or viewers consider a memorable movie. If your goal is to make better films, and why would that not be, listening to this episode will give you a lot of information to consider as you plan your next film. 
Jason’s reviewing skills have captured the interest of the premier fan site for HBO’s The Nevers, which is story focused. They brought Jason into their website’s blog as an author for the the series. 
Jason is submitting his short mobile film Ride Share, into the 11th edition of the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego scheduled for April 29 through May 1, 2022.
Jason is working on many projects, but one of them is a video series titled Post Credits, shot with smartphones. The first episode is a Proof of Concept which premiers today, August 31, 2021.
Episodes of Post Credits are shot with a smartphone. Jason and Julian Bate-Vergette watch a movie and then immediately review it in the car.
New Video by Jason, Proof of Concept mentioned in the podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nED0akFaVLc
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. This is a technique that worked very well in the film and he explains in detail in the podcast. 
Jason C. Marshall Links: 
Instagram @jasoncmarshall https://www.instagram.com/jasoncmarshall/ 
Twitter: @jasonmasrhallca https://twitter.com/jasonmarshallca 
Alternate Instagram @zerotheorymedia https://www.instagram.com/zerotheorymedia/ 
My writing for HBOthenevers: https://www.hbothenevers.com/periodicals  
Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show (2013) Book mentioned by Jason: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/hollywood-said-no-orphaned-film-scripts-bastard-scenes-and-abandoned-darlings-from-the-creators-of-mr-show/195263 
Saved The Cat: The Language of Storytelling™ by Blake Snyder (2005) Book mentioned by Jason: https://savethecat.com 
Our Links: SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio
International Mobile Film Festival Website: http://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com  
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking    Mobile Filmmaker Shop Online Store: http://mobilefilmmakershop.com    Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast   
Support podcast host Susy Botello: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello   
SBP Podcast on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14682500/reference   
Video and Film Streaming Distribution for Smartphone Films: http://mobilefilmstories.com  
Mobile Film Stories on Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/mobile-film-stories  
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   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1   
© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Experience Counts Making Feature Smartphone Films - Darcy Yuille

Darcy Yuille wanted to make a feature and using an iPhone. Because of his professional experience in the industry he discovered it was important to get the story right. To give you an example of his professional experience, Darcy has worked on films like Pitch Black with Vin Diesel. Darcy is in Australia.
He learned making films is not just something you jump into without disregard for the process and that includes research for the story and character development. 
The story in One Punch is about growing up with the pressure of the family business. But it has a central plot with something that happens a lot between teen males that has a very tough consequence that includes brain damage. One thing he advises is to do the research because it adds quality to your film and story. Read the article for this pisode 106: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Because Darcy had a good feel for the story he wanted to tell, Darcy used a method called, character-based improvisation that helped him to create characters around real people. 
Because the story focuses on youth, it brings the filmmakers to a night out on the town, in Australia from the streets to inside a night club. The camera captured lots of moments on the streets that played well with the iPhone and adds to the cinematography in the film. The film begins by establishing the location, the protagonist and more of the important elements of the story for the viewer. It was something Darcy speaks about in detail. Going from location to location, Darcy decided to not block the scenes until they arrived to the locations on the day of the shoot. There was one scene which he devoted an entire day to shooting it and he shares in the podcast why that worked so well. 
Darcy used the lens by Moondog Labs which he mentions it gave his film a beautiful look and feel. The lighting inside the night club scene was created quite creatively. If you are having issues trying to figure out how to accomplish lighting tricks, you’ll appreciate this part of our discussion. When it comes to lighting, there is a lot of cheating in filmmaking but there is a delicate balance in knowing when you can cheat, and when cheating is a good idea and when to take the time to set up the shot. You get that from experience. 
Darcy’s crew was made up of a makeup artist, a gaffer and a sound recordist who recorded sound externally, and he was the cinematographer. Most of the dialogue in the film was captured on set but about 15% was ADR (automated dialogue replacement).
Darcy talked about how helpful it was to use lighting, of course, but he says there are still issues with contrast and exposure. He used Filmic Pro and used the log mode which helped him a lot in grading the film in post. He mentions that shooting at 24fps as opposed to 25fps “gives it a little softer edge.”
Over all Darcy brings a lot of great tips for filmmakers in this episode of our podcast. However, one thing that he sums up is to be authentic with your story. The story idea came from an incident he experienced a couple years ago in which he thought, “what if?” It’s something we all do but with the camera in your possession, you have the ability to turn your thoughts into stories that you can film.
He also mentioned part of his inspiration came with watching Blue Moon by Stef Harris starring Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow as the protagonists. One of the things he points out in storytelling with film was an element in which you are watching a film and you think the story is about one thing and then it turns into something else. It was something he accredited Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Stef Harris’ Blue Moon.
Film Synopsis: ONE PUNCH is a gritty, teen drama about Matt Mercado, a young Italian Australian man on the cusp of adulthood, struggling in his final year at high school and trying to hold on to the friendships and innocence of his youth.
Key Cast: Alex Arco, Mirko Grillini, Jessica Osrin, Sergej Arcaba, Jacob Ehlefeldt, Stavros Psoras, Amanda Grillini.
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. This is a technique that worked very well in the film and he explains in detail in the podcast. 
Follow Darcy and Rooftop Film Co. to watch the trailer as soon as it’s ready for viewing.
Find Darcy Yuille and Rooftop Film Co. on social media:
Website: www.rooftopfilmco.com 
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1101189/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onepunchfilm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ONEPUNCHFILM1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rooftopfilmco/
Darcy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dangerdarce
Lights Darcy mentioned in the podcast: https://creamsource.com/product/micro-colour/
One Punch Behind The Scenes Video: https://vimeo.com/460929744
Our Links:  
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking     
Mobile Filmmaker Shop Online Store: http://mobilefilmmakershop.com    
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast    
Support podcast host Susy Botello: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello   
Mobile Film Stories on Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/mobile-film-stories    
SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio      
SBP Podcast on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14682500/reference 
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        
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1     
© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Shooting Western Feature Films with iPhones - Travis Mills

Travis Mills is the Director and CEO of Running Wild Films. He has challenged himself to make 12 Western films in 12 months, one per month. In episode 105 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, we share the story of one of these films, which was shot with the iPhone.
Read the article for this episode in our Smartphone Filmmaking Publication: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking   
 
Travis loves a good challenge and calls himself a bit “crazy” so he jumped at the thought of shooting one of 12 Western films in 12 months with the iPhone. In 2013 he challenged himself to shoot 52 films in 52 weeks, and that was part of how he began to set incredible goals as a filmmakers. He continued to make films and feature films over the years and he came to the idea that he would make 12 feature films in 12 months. However, he upscaled that challenge because he figured it wasn’t hard enough. Remember, Travis is a bit crazy, right? He decided to make the most challenging features by shooting Westerns. 
 
Westerns are a unique genre because of the challenges, from sets, locations, horse wrangling, shootouts…it’s a big challenge in itself but shooting it all with the iPhone is both interesting and intriguing. One one hand, all these details can be challenging for any filmmaker using traditional cameras. On the flip side, it also becomes a relief to film using a smartphone due to the minimalist production process. Thinking about tearing down the equipment after shooting a scene with a smartphone is a lot easier to do with a small camera. What people think about though, is those grand shots of people riding horses and stage coach scenes. That didn’t seem to get in the way of the film, from the rough footage I watched, because again…the story itself is captivating. As you are following the story, the wide shots on the Western landscape are simply a part of the storyline. 
 
Travis is one of the characters in the film, one of the protagonists. But the main character is Pearl Hart, played by Lorraine Etchell. Her performance is worthy of mentioning. Her acting brings her character to life and watching her really brings you close to the turmoil she experienced in her life’s story.
 
The Woman Who Robbed A Stagecoach film tells the true story of Pearl Hart, a female outlaw who became famous for robbing a stagecoach and escaping prison in Arizona at the turn of the century.
 
The film also features actors Travis Mills, Kevin Goss, John Marrs, Michael Estridge, John Schile, and many more. It was written and directed by Travis Mills, and is part of the “12 films made in 12 months” and the first Western feature film shot with an iPhone. 
 
Most of the film was shot in Globe, Arizona. But they traveled to Yuma and they were able to shoot at the prison in the cell where Pearl Hart was held. Travis shares his character, and the unknown history about him which he had to create for the story in the film. The conversation brings the topic of bringing actual history into a film based on a true story. One of the ways to do that, was his insistence on shooting in the actual locations in Arizona, instead of shooting the film in more picturesque locations. 
 
Travis was inspired by Sean Baker’s Tangerine and since then, he’s been twirling the idea of making a feature with an iPhone. In the podcast, he shares some of the ideas he’s had for a mobile feature but it was the story of Pearl Hart that he kept thinking about. 
 
The budget for the movie was about $6,000 and it was a 15-day shoot. Considering it’s also a Western, it was a very modest budget. His crew was four people and they had no experience shooting on the iPhone. They learned about mobile filmmaking along the way. 
 
Listen to Travis share his own story of what brought him into film. Part of that story is that he was obsessed with movies growing up. Interestingly, he grew up in the Comoro Islands in the southeastern coast of Africa. 
 
Pioneers are paving the way for the future of the mobile filmmaking industry. It’s inspiring to share pioneers like Travis Mills in our podcast. If you are looking for inspiration and information about this niche industry where more and more people are making incredible films using smartphone cameras. 
 
Travis may also be the first filmmaker to shoot 12 feature films in 12 months, which he is using traditional filmmaking cameras for the rest of the films. We asked him to elaborate a bit on filming all his films, regardless of the camera he used on the rest of the films.
 
Close to the end of our conversation, Travis shares how the daunting process of feature filmmaking can be achievable, and how to push yourself as a filmmaker. He shares some of the filmmakers that inspire him.
 
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. 
 
Watch the trailer for the film which features a version of Buffalo Gals, performed by Courtney Odom: https://youtu.be/ig1xhBtyDUI 
 
 
Follow Travis Mills and Running Wild Films:
 
Running Wild Films Website: http://www.runningwildfilms.com/
 
Twitter for Running Wild Films: https://twitter.com/RunWildFilms  
 
Running Wild Films on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1uVUsOVjqQgIId1UF7khhw  
 
Travis Mills on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3524360/  
 
Travis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travismillsdirector/  
 
Travis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/travis_director  
 
 
Our Links:  
 
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking    
 
Mobile Filmmaker Shop Online Store: http://mobilefilmmakershop.com   
 
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast   
 
Support podcast host Susy Botello: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello  
 
Mobile Film Stories on Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/mobile-film-stories   
 
SBP Podcast Website: http://sbppodcast.studio     
 
SBP Podcast on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14682500/reference  
 
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      
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1    
 
 
© Copyright 2021 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.