SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking

How To Make A Blockbuster Film With Zero Funding with Brian Vowles

What would it be like if you could make your own blockbuster film with your family as cast and crew? It all begins with a smartphone, two boys and a playful Dad in the Animation industry. Brian Vowles is our guest in Episode 64 of the SBP Podcast.
Brian is a professional animator, video effects, compositor and concept artist gone rogue as a filmmaker. Brian’s dream has always been to be an animator and work on films for a living. He recounts growing up watching old films using animation for effects and being very attracted to that part of filmmaking. Then, Jurassic Park and other films of the like came along and blew his mind. Today, he makes his living doing what he loves. But he also loves his kids and his wife, and so he shares how he went from working endless hours on films you’ve heard about to working on more reasonable, if not—family-friendly projects professionally.
In the back of his mind, he always wanted to create his own film project. One day he realized his smartphone camera was pretty incredible and decided to begin his dream film with the cast and crew he loves more than anything else: His family. And so he embarked in an adventure, not just in real life but on film. “Robot Attack” has already won some awards and been in a few film festivals, something he was not even thinking about when he made the film.
You may be thinking that if his family was cast and crew, there was no need for things like, pre-production industry standards. Fact is, there was a lot of that in his filmmaking process and it began with The Pitch and moved on to Production Meetings with his two boys who were around 6 and 7 years old. The entire process was documented and the story behind the story of this film is pretty remarkable. Especially when you come to terms with the fact this is a Dad whose kids played a big role in all aspects of the filmmaking process. If you have kids, you know how hard it can be to just get them to bed, much less complete a film from beginning to end. Something even the most adultish filmmakers can find to be a huge challenge!
Brian was a lot of fun to chat with and the incredible story he shares is truly inspiring. He shares the work involved in creating giant robots opposite little children in action scenes and being on set for hours just to capture the basics to then spend hours and hours behind the computer creating the movie-magic we are used to in Hollywood films.
Brian’s latest film is a one minute film for the Action Scene challenge he made for Film Riot and Collective. Brian shot his latest film, RUN” with the iPhone XR and it is truly mesmerizing!
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 both films below.
Robot Attack, shot with iPhone 5S: 11min. 34 secs.
https://youtu.be/d-pahzBJCW8
Run, shot with iPhone XR: One Minute
https://youtu.be/GCeSM8ozH64
Below are a couple videos mentioned in the video and a before and after comparison of what was filmed and what ended up in “Robot Attack.”
Robot Attack BTS Episode 18:
https://youtu.be/h2neb-46cUI?list=PL527dVskZhZnnL1ybDaHm5fnutof35zIb&t=224
Robot Attack BTS, the tripod tears incident:
https://youtu.be/v4fh0xAVCC4?list=PL527dVskZhZnnL1ybDaHm5fnutof35zIb&t=344
Before and after comparison video of “Robot Attack.”:
https://youtu.be/nhsNc-JEvSY
Brian is online. Check out his websites and follow him:
Website: http://www.brianvowles.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianVowles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianvowles/
Robot Attack Movie Website: http://www.robotattackmovie.com
Our Links:
Submit a short or feature length mobile film to IMFF 2020: https://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com/mff/rules
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast
SBP Podcast Blog: http://sbppodcast.wordpress.com
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](http://twitter.com/sbppodcast
MFTV (Mobile Film Network Distribution Channel): http://MobileChannel.tv
Hashtag: MobilizeStories Mobile Film Community Website: http://mobilizestories.com
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Need a gimbal to go with your smartphone camera? Purchase a gimbal online to receive 10% off entire order at Check Out. Use promo code "susy" for the discount: https://globalgimbals.com
Are you starting a Podcast? Create a new podcast or network and use the code sbppodcast to apply a 25% discount and save: https://pcast.link/sbppodcast/
© Copyright 2019 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

A Story Told Through A Smartphone Camera Makes An Impact with Alexandra Guillossou

Before we all had access to an exceptional camera built right into our smartphones, we could not share stories like we do today. Our Community Stories program for mobile film was created to fill that need. Episode 63 of the SBP Podcast: The Voice of Mobile Film™ shares the story of Alexandra Guillossou, the Second Prize winner of IMFF 2019.
People from all walks of life, people who are not professional videographers or filmmakers, or even those who are, simply did not have access to their cameras when the opportunity arises to capture our stories. Community Stories is about sharing stories through filmmaking using smartphone cameras as a participating member of a community or culture.
Alexandra Guillossou was on vacation spending time with her family. Her brother has Multiple Sclerosis and as a member of the family, Alexandra began to record her family out by the lake. As she did so, she began to think about focusing on her brother and capturing her brother who is dealing with MS. Later, as she watched her footage, she decided to make documentary to share her family’s story.
When she submitted the film to the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego it was a film with a good story that we decided to select and screen in the festival. So I contacted Alexandra and notified her about how her film qualified as a Community Story and offered her the opportunity to present her film as such, in San Diego.
Alexandra Guillossou won Second Prize at the film festival and also won an Honorary Award from a selection of judges made up by winners of the Global Mobile Film Awards™, Matteo Tibiletti who won Best Experimental with “Yes, No” and Brian Hennings who won Best Cinematography with “Focus.” The films participating in the GMFA Honorary Award contest were only short films from attending filmmakers participating during the film festival in San Diego.
We asked Alexandra to share the experience of going back to visit with her family and telling her brother his story won.
During this episode, we discuss a topic I hope our listeners find informative and motivating. We address the power of how our films should be focused on storytelling because it can bring people together. We find ourselves spending most of our time connecting with technology and stories help us feel human emotions and I believe stories help us connect to our humanity.
We also discuss the trend in mobile filmmaking where people are sharing formulas and processes for making films with smartphones at the risk of destroying the opportunity that mobile filmmaking brings to storytellers without filmmaking experience to realize their dream. The democratization of mobile filmmaking is worthy of preserving and it has many different genres, and creates new genres too.
Alexandra inspires us. All of us. Alexandra made a film with her phone without filmmaking experience and her film touches people in ways that it has been selected in different film festivals and has already won awards. Most of us create things and we do not realize the potential of our creations. Some of us don’t even believe something we create can have an impact in some way or win awards. But after listening to her story, I hope you are inspired to go for it. You will never know your potential until you complete it and put it out there. If you like what you made, don’t hold back.
SBP Podcast: 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 in San Diego is open for submissions right now for feature length films and short films. If you shot your film with a smartphone, submit your film to our film festival, and if you can, make a point of attending in beautiful San Diego.
Watch the trailer for “The Deepest Cut”:
https://youtu.be/cm-kLe74om4
Follow Alexandra and her film online:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/deepestcutdoc/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/onemousecreativ
Our Links:
Submit a short or feature length mobile film to IMFF 2020: https://internationalmobilefilmfestival.com/mff/rules
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast
SBP Podcast Blog: http://sbppodcast.wordpress.com
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
MFTV (Mobile Film Network Distribution Channel): http://MobileChannel.tv
Hashtag: MobilizeStories Mobile Film Community Website: http://mobilizestories.com
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Are you starting a Podcast? Create a new podcast or network and use the code sbppodcast to apply a 25% discount and save: https://pcast.link/sbppodcast/
© Copyright 2019 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

The Camera Details Of Feature Filmmaking With iPhones with Ryan O'Rourke

Episode 62
You have heard of it as more and more filmmakers talk about making movies with smartphones. There are countless short films being made every day but there are not enough good features shot with smartphones and that reality is coming to a close soon as more films like, “Blue Moon” are emerging.
Director of Photography Ryan O’Rourke is the person behind the iPhone 7 camera who shot, “Blue Moon,” the feature length film in a very short period of time. Our guest for Episode 62 of the SBP Podcast shares a behind-the-scenes look with our listeners. Ryan is in Nelson, New Zealand, which is about 30 miles from where the film was shot.
Ryan O’Rourke and I had a great discussion about his part in the filmmaking process. Ryan is from Nelson, New Zealand and he and director, Stef Harris have worked together before. After all, they both worked on the police force together. He shared many of the people involved in the film had a similar background. But hey, let’s stick to the story behind the other story: The feature film shot with iPhone that is going viral around the world.
Episode 62 of the SBP Podcast is a wonderfully informational episode from a filmmaker who shot a cinematic Hollywood style film using an iPhone in a single location with a small crew of about 8 people and two reputable actors, Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow best known for “The Hobbit.”
Ryan shares the different settings he used to film with the iPhone from the native camera and the FilmicPro app. He also went on to share some in-depth details about the settings and why they were set. The settings were very helpful to Judd Resnick who edited the footage into a complete cinematic film.
Ryan also shares why the anamorphic lens from Moondog Labs was instrumental in giving the footage it’s cinematic aesthetics.
We go into many details about the process to make this film work and if you watch the trailer, below, you will realize that the movie’s visual and audio quality is truly cinematic. All the elements of any other film we are used to seeing in many films in theaters or streaming services online…they are there. Are you inspired?
“It’s never been easier or more accessible, I suppose, to make a feature than it has now. If you’ve got a good story and you want to tell it then…the technology’s never been more enriched.” Ryan O’Rourke.
If you are a filmmaker making short films and want to make a feature film, then this is one way to do it with a much lower budget. And not only is it about the budget…Ryan and I share the opportunities available to feature mobile filmmakers due to a demand in the industry.
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 Blue Moon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJV_vtIg-BM
Film Credits: Rueben: Doug Brooks, Gina: Liz Mullane, Security Guard: Nathan Green, Police Officer: Mathew Crawford, Police Officer: Nicole Gardiner, Newsagent: Kyle Abbott, Police Officer: Jeshurun Scheib, Police Sergeant: Robert Ballantyne, Veronica Jones: Alison Lenton, Wahoe Chan: Lai Zhouwen, Gilly: Doug Brooks, Motorist: Simon Paynter, Geoffrey the cat.
Directed by Stefen Harris
Written by Stefen Harris
Director of Photography Ryan O’Rourke
Editor Judd Resnick
Sound Design Chris Winter
Composer Tane Upjohn Beatson
Sound Ben Dunker and Janja Heathfield
Production companies Dark Horse Films & Kahu Media
Producers Stefen Harris and Pegeen O’Rourke
Executive Producer Tim Riley and Rich Vizor
Follow Ryan O’Rourke:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kahumedia/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ryanorourke_dop
and
https://twitter.com/KahuMedia
Our Links:
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast
SBP Podcast Blog: http://sbppodcast.wordpress.com
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
Hashtag: MobilizeStories Mobile Film Community Website: http://mobilizestories.com
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Are you starting a Podcast? Create a new podcast or network and use the code sbppodcast to apply a 25% discount and save: https://pcast.link/sbppodcast/
© Copyright 2019 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Australian Film First Screening Wins First Full Feature Mobile Film Award in San Diego with Ross Perkins

Episode 61
Would you like to take a true story, perhaps something sensational in the news that happened in another country, and re-tell that story as a film? Our guest for the SBP Podcast Episode 61 did just that.
Ross Perkins is an actor turned filmmaker. He wrote a screenplay based on a true story. The film was a feature film. He then shot it with his iPhone. He filmed it in his parents house, as the principal location, and then, after spending about a year editing it himself—he submitted “Mad House” to the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego, where he and his producer, Kimberly Hart attended. He flew back home to Australia with a trophy and the "Best Feature Film" award.
The film had never been screened before, anywhere. Imagine that. His first screening wins and he was present to accept the award. Are you inspired yet?
Ross Perkins studied acting in theater and mentioned how lucky he was to have encountered good teachers who taught him, not only acting, but writing and directing. Because in Australia, the opportunities for filmmakers are limited, according to Ross, he feels the mobile phone allows anyone to make films.
He emphasizes how helpful Kim was to him during his production because she designed the main set, the house. Which happened to be the house Ross grew up in as the youngest of six children. He recalled a moment before the first scene they filmed on the first day of production. The actors began to arrive on set. As a director, he was a bit nervous. So he asked Kim, how he could get the actors to do what he wanted them to do in the scene. Her response was, “You just have to trust them.” Ross said, that simple statement felt like a a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. It worked, and it still works.
Ross says he is in the “rejection business,” as a filmmaker. He cannot let it get to him, “the numbers game.” He was grateful that his film was accepted to IMFF 2019 and the film festival in San Diego was the premier screening. Receiving the Best Feature Film award was a very good moment for him above the film festival experience of having a film accepted into a film festival.
Ross had not watched the film in about six months and had never seen it in front of an audience. He recalls the experience of sitting in the back of the room as his film screened during the festival. He could see the reactions of the audience as it played. Mad House is a harsh film to watch. Partly because it is so realistically performed.
The story is about a home invasion with “junkies” holding a family hostage. As he watched the audience wince during the right moments was an exceptional experience for him. And that is an experience most filmmakers want to have after completing their film. Ross shares how they pulled off some harsh scenes for the right effect.
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 Mad House: https://youtu.be/CGVUUlDqftY
Watch the Red Carpet Extravaganza! during IMFF 2019 with Ross Perkins and Kimberley Hart: https://youtu.be/HRDrbSkqXwI
Listen to Episode 45 with Ross Perkins for in-depth details about the film “Mad House” with Ross Perkins: https://sbppodcast.podiant.co/e/36e60863058b1a/
Follow Ross Perkins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rossperkins28/
Our Links:
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast
SBP Podcast Blog: http://sbppodcast.wordpress.com
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
Hashtag: MobilizeStories Mobile Film Community Website: http://mobilizestories.com
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Are you starting a Podcast? Create a new podcast or network and use the code sbppodcast to apply a 25% discount and save: https://pcast.link/sbppodcast/
© Copyright 2019 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.

Tedious Post Effects Of A Smartphone Winning Film with Blake Worrell

Episode 60
His film won First Place during the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego 2019. All the judges on the panel gave our guest, Blake Worrell the highest rating. Episode 60 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is a discussion about the work involved in post production, the importance of audio, and some of the challenges he experienced during production as he shot the film with his iPhone 6S.
Blake’s film was originally a six minute film that he shortened to five minutes to qualify for the film festival’s short film competition. Blake is an artist. He brings his experience in music and acting to his film and spent a lot of time in post production working with several software applications to elevate the quality of the film in both audio and video. The story came together during post production for Blake in his film, Upend. Blake and his wife, Arly Jover, acted in the film and gave a star performance.
Upend is an emotional sci-fi story with some special effects. Blake shares a lot of details with techniques and in-depth advice on the making of his winning mobile short film. His film also won the 2018 Global Mobile Film Awards™ for Best Visual Effects.
Below is the six minute version of his film along with the five minute version which won IMFF.
SBP Podcast: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Blake’s Original film version of Upend (Six Minutes):
https://vimeo.com/283887857
Upend: First Prize Winner IMFF 2019 in San Diego:
https://youtu.be/9HFOZlLlLGM
Blake’s Website: https://www.blakeworrell.com
Follow Blake Worrell on social media, below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blakeworrell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BlakeWorrell/
Song featured in this episode Bumperz from The Beast Within Album by Blake Worrell
Released April 5, 2013
https://blakeworrell.bandcamp.com/track/bumperz
Our Links:
Subscribe, support and listen to bonus episodes and more on Patreon: http://patreon.com/sbppodcast
SBP Podcast Blog: http://sbppodcast.wordpress.com
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
Hashtag: MobilizeStories Mobile Film Community Website: http://mobilizestories.com
Susy Botello on Twitter: http://twitter.com/susybotello
SBP Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ISEF0SZOLyRpw20loXzlo#upsell
Smartphone Filmmaking Publication on Medium: https://medium.com/smartphonefilmmaking
Are you starting a Podcast? Create a new podcast or network and use the code sbppodcast to apply a 25% discount and save: https://pcast.link/sbppodcast/
© Copyright 2019 S. Botello Productions™. All rights reserved.