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. S. Botello Productions (SBP) is a pioneer in the mobile filmmaking industry. Hosted, produced and edited by Susy Botello without AI.
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Episodes
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
When they lost their camera person on location, Caroline Spence of Raya Films, made the suggestion to use a smartphone and turned a bad situation into a fortunate one.
Our guest in Episode 90 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is Caroline Spence. She is a screenwriter and producer, but she plays different roles on set as needed. She’s even played an assassin in one of the company’s films.
Without going through 89 of our previous episodes, I cannot recall a time when our podcast featured a guest filmmaker who had made more than one feature film with a smartphone. But our guest, has completed two feature length films.
“Cyberlante,” has been released to Amazon Prime. Their second mobile feature film, “Surveilled,” was just accepted into the UK’s “biggest film festival,” Horror-on-Sea Film Festival.
My conversation with Caroline was lots of fun and inspiring and I believe you will enjoy listening to her share the experiences she has had during the production of two features shot on smartphones. “Cyberlante” was shot with the Google Pixel and “Surveilled” began filming with the same phone. However, during filming, something happened and they had to get a new phone, so they used a Samsung S9 Plus.
Caroline has always loved the arts, drama and films. However, it was her work for a realtor that introduced her to the filmmaking industry, as a participant.
It was after an experience, working for the realtor, to be on camera for a TV Travel Show that she teamed up with James Smith in 2004, and began to write screenplays and make films with Raya Films.
Screenwriting has become her passion. She learned how to write screenplays on her own. She studied the craft from a book, reading screenplays and then studying the films from those screenplays. Although her screenplays received good reviews, even from people in Hollywood, she and her partner had trouble with funding for the films. So they shot most of their films on low budgets.
During one of those films, the cinematographer quit and took his camera with him, leaving James and Caroline without a camera. It was then, that Caroline brought up the idea of using a smartphone to experiment making a feature film. James agreed and so they began to shoot “Cyberlante,” A film about a young man who moves to a new town who begins to use his skills as a hacker out of curiosity and stumbles upon a situation at the isolated hotel he is working for.
Caroline shares the challenge of making that film because for one thing, she was writing the screenplay as they shot it. They were also filming it with a handful of people. Her partner, James, was directing and filming using the smartphone camera. Caroline was alternating between the role of sound tech and script supervisor. One of the actors was running sound while he was off camera so she could focus on continuity as script supervisor.
The film received great reviews and is currently available on Amazon Prime.
Their second smartphone film, “Surveilled,” a mystery horror, was planned. They were surprised at how many people were willing to travel to the UK from different countries, to take part in the production.
Caroline and James were in their small yacht in Spain in March, this year, when they were forced to quarantine. They kept trying to leave but about nine cancelled flights later, they realized they were stuck. So they made due and finished editing their film in there until they were able to leave in July.
Currently, Caroline and James are working on their next film, which is not a smartphone film, “Casting Kill,” as they continue to make films with Raya Films.
Caroline Spence knows how to turn bad situations into good outcomes and she shares several times that she has been able to do that. It’s quite inspiring to listen to her stories and accounts on being challenged and rising to the occasion with the best outcome.
SBP Podcast: 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 Surveilled: https://youtu.be/wzu-mbO4eRM
Watch the trailer for Cyberlante: https://youtu.be/ztnuWhHAnZw
Watch it on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Cyberlante-Gavin-Gordon/dp/B08K32P3WX
Follow Caroline on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cspenceproducer
LINKS:
Raya Filmswww.RayaFilms.com https://twitter.com/cspenceproducer https://twitter.com/jsmithwriter https://twitter.com/RayaFilms http://www.facebook.com/RayaFilmsLondon
Cyberlantewww.cyberlantemovie.com https://twitter.com/CyberlanteMovie http://www.facebook.com/cyberlantemovie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10063580
Surveilledwww.surveilledmovie.com https://twitter.com/SurveilledMovie http://www.facebook.com/surveilledmovie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7336284
Current Film Project not shot with smartphones: https://rayafilms.com/castingkill
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 2020 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
Aaron and I discuss tonight’s Blue Moon, briefly, or as a segue to a movie shot with an iPhone, called “Blue Moon.”
We quickly began to discuss some creative ways to make use of your smartphone camera to make scary movies even creepier. We then discussed other Halloween stories like some story about a monkey’s paw, told by Aaron. Then I shared a creepy true story that I experienced with a friend.
We also gave a few shout outs to some of the members of “The Quad” on the new Mobile Film Stories website and streaming movies service for smartphone filmmakers.
I also somehow made a connection as to why Vote and Voice begin with the letter V. Thanks for listening to Episode 89 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking.
SBP Podcast: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Aaron Nabus Website: https://hallh.com
Our Links:
The Quad on Mobile Film Stories: https://mobilefilmstories.com/the-quad/
International Mobile Film Festival Submit on FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/InternationalMobileFilmFestival
Twitter to follow me: https://twitter.com/susybotello
Twitter to follow Mobile Film Stories: https://twitter.com/mobilefilmstory
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
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
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1
© Copyright 2020 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020
When it comes to smartphone filmmaking, we’re going to have a collective epiphany and realize the question is not about the best phone, the best gear or the best app.
The question is: how good is your story?
You’ve heard it a lot, maybe even from me! Story is king! But what is it about a story that makes a good film? Once you realize you have a great concept for a story, how do you turn it into a great film?
Good stories usually have a human factor.
In episode 88 of the SBP Podcast, I am going to speak directly to you for about 19 minutes. Would you like to hang out for 19 minutes with me?
I have some news to share with you about the International Mobile Film Festival too.
The regular deadline to submit a feature film shot with smartphones and not more than 10% drone cameras to include aerial shots is October 19. Hey, it’s all about 19 right now!
Feature films run from a minimum of 40 minutes and not longer than 120 minutes, or two full hours.
The regular deadline for short films shot with smartphones and drones, same rules, is November 19.
Short films run no less than one full minute and not more than five minutes.
We only accept submissions on FilmFreeway and we are a Gold Level Film Festival so if you are a Gold Member you’ll get a discount on submission fees with us.
The other news is our new platform Mobile Film Stories.
MobileFilmStories.com is a film distribution video streaming service for smartphone films and videos. It gives smartphone filmmakers an opportunity to earn revenue from Pay-Per-View streaming. Also, it has a free dedicated space for filmmakers to collaborate and network with their audience and other filmmakers.
SBP Podcast: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Mentioned in this episode:
How It Works page on Mobile Film Stories: https://mobilefilmstories.com/how-it-works/
The Quad on Mobile Film Stories: https://mobilefilmstories.com/the-quad/
International Mobile Film Festival Submit on FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/InternationalMobileFilmFestival
Article about Mobile Film Stories: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking/groundbreaking-smartphone-movie-streaming-b40747b89a4e?source=friends_link&sk=567d7d105f457d9e0d21ed9334007ea8
Twitter to follow me: https://twitter.com/susybotello
Twitter to follow Mobile Film Stories: https://twitter.com/mobilefilmstory
Our Links:
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
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
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1
© Copyright 2020 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.
Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
He began making films in his teens. Episode 87 of the SBP Podcast is an in-depth discussion with Anthony Z James, who filmed a crime drama feature film with his iPhone.
When you watch his film “Ghost,” you are left without doubt that Anthony Z James made a crime drama, a gritty film which captures the viewer through to the end. What inspired him to become a filmmaker was his first experience attending camp as a kid. One of the kids had a MiniDV camera and they all began to make a “little” movie.
But it wasn’t so much the moviemaking experience, even though that has a lot to do with it, that really made him want to do it again. It was the camaraderie in the process that inspired him to want to make films. And this is where Anthony’s story begins.
The film is about 85 minutes shot entirely with an iPhone in London. The film will have you on the edge of your seat during some scenes. The drama unfolds with the story as the plot develops and unfolds into a very intense development in the story. The film was shot in two weeks in different locations in London.
Anthony is a passionate storyteller and filmmaker and he shares his experience making this film in-depth. What motivates someone to work hard to create films has always been something the average person is not able to understand. Why someone who has a great story and embarks to make a feature length film would choose an iPhone, or any smartphone, to film is even more incomprehensible to traditional filmmakers.
Anthony Z James does a great job expressing why a good story is so important in your journey to create a film from beginning to end.
“Ghost” is available now on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B086P4W1F1/
Learn more about Anthony on his website and follow him on social media:
Website: https://www.story-image.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyimagefilms/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/storyimagefilms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storyimage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/storyimage
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/storyimage
Our Links:
The NEW Video Streaming Service & Community for Mobile Filmmakers: https://mobilefilmstories.com
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
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
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1
© Copyright 2020 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Episode 86 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking brings a bit of insight to everything mobile filmmaking with our guest in the UK, Rob Leach.
Rob Leach began his acting career at the age of 12 in drama class at school when his interest as an actor found him and inspired him. He was 17 when he learned acting at an acting school which kept his passion growing until at 24, he made the move to London and then he began to get creating with writing and thinking about making films.
He realized soon that his smartphone camera had a 4K setting and then one thing led to another. So he began to experiment with equipment, apps and filmmaking styles.
Rob made a short film during the COVID-19 lockdown where he got pretty creative and then created a “how to” video on his techniques to accomplish it.
We speak a bit about foley audio effects he used in his video and then we spoke about the value of creating good audio for your mobile videos. The editing process is something we spoke about in-depth because we spoke about free editing programs which you can use if you are getting started and are looking for things to test out before purchasing programs.
One of the topics in the podcast went into why mobile filmmaking is not mainstream and perhaps shouldn’t be.
This conversation with Rob Leach brings insights into the mobile smartphone filmmaking platform as a growing niche in the film and video production industry. It highlights why actors and creators alike can and perhaps jump in with their smartphones and start creating content today.
We did find a little time to play the “ 20 Second ShoutOut Game” in this episode but would like to make note of the last shoutout that was cut off at the end. Rob mentioned Mobile Motion Festival.
Rob Leach mentioned his mentor who said something quite wonderful for filmmakers to take to heart, “Write the story only you can tell.” Rob expands into that a bit as some very good advice and insight for the filmmakers listening to this podcast.
SBP Podcast: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Watch the short film Rob mentions in this episode where we then discuss how he made it: https://youtu.be/ziurHGfzh8Q
Watch the video tutorial he made about the techniques he used during that short film:
https://youtu.be/Tj9jx4Vg_p0
Rob’s Film, “Caterpillar”: https://youtu.be/cc1IDeZa32o
Follow Rob Leach and subscribe to his YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SmartphoneFilmmaker
Website: https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/6696-1272-0005
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartphone_filmmaker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rob_leach
Rob Leach’s mentor he mentioned in the podcast: Rikki Beadle-Blair: https://twitter.com/RikkiBB
Our Links:
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
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
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mobilfilmfestival?sub_confirmation=1
© Copyright 2020 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.
