Imagine making cinema-quality films on a phone!
There has always been this dividing line that separated those who make movies and everyday people, and the main aspect was technology. Filmmaking equipment is expensive, and not many people can afford to bring their visions to life. These days, however, that line is starting to fade, as smart phones with video cameras allow more people to film videos and customize them. These devices continue to be modified for better quality video and more features, and some films like Patrick Gilles and Hooman Khalili’s Olive, and Sean Baker’s Tangerine were shot entirely on a smartphone. The latest device to be put on the market is the LG Electronics’ V 30, which features two lenses, controls for white balance and shutter speed, and SD card storage. So how does a film look like shot on an LGV 30?
Last Friday, I was invited to an event at the 55th annual New York Film Festival, where they screened six short films that were filmed on the LGV 30, followed by a panel with the participating filmmakers. Of course, I won’t be too critical of the shorts, given the amount of production time that the filmmakers were given, since they were part of the annual 24-hour challenge, but here is a quick rundown of each film.
The first short film to be featured in the block was Tagged, directed by Lisann Valentin. It is a documentary in which Valentin tries finding the artist behind a wall of graffiti she likes, later finding out that it belongs to a poet. It is a nice piece, only I wish it were a bit longer to see all the searching Valentin did. Ramon Pensante directs the second film in the block, titled LMFAO. The film involves an Internet troll searching for targets of his immature antics, only to find that his computer gets hacked by an unknown troll. It’s certainly a topical subject to make a horror film out, as films like Unfriended have made the Internet scarier than a graveyard.
Following that film was Leyla Rosario’s She Was Afraid to Fly , a film about a woman caring for her mother who is in the early stages of Alzheimers. This short features an excellently shot and lit hallway scene and some good color correction, and is emotionally heartfelt. The fourth film in the block was titled, ironically, ‘Just the Beginning.’ The short involves a woman going to a sister’s engagement party, although she is not too thrilled about the occasion. This film stands outs for its framework, in which the main character imagines different humorous outcomes of her toast. It is a cute idea and it does end with a nice monologue.
Next was a co-directed effort by directors Samuel Gomez and Marcos Sotomayer, titled The Spectacular Tito Garcia. The titular Tito Garcia is a subway performer, who is making his way to visit his estranged daughter on her birthday, which he forgot about. It is a touching piece that makes use of POV shots. This film also more resembles a stage play, which Gomez confirmed in the panel was a play at one point.
Closing the screening block was Diego Rooks’ High Stakes, a mobster comedy about a suitcase delivery, similar to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. In fact, this film even has the look of a Tarantino film, with offbeat cinematography and over-the-top color grading.
In the panel following the screening, all the filmmakers were asked to share their thoughts on the LGV 30, and the consensus was exceptionally positive. Regarding filming his film with a phone, Samuel Gomez, co-director and star of The Spectacular Tito Garcia stated, “For people who haven’t worked on film, they like to think that a director’s the same thing as a cinematographer, but it’s not. With LGV 30, because it is so seamlessly fits in your hand, you’re able to focus on directing your actors, and directing the setting and telling the story.” I personally had that same realization when watching The Mountain Between Us two weeks ago, and I couldn’t agree more. He continued, saying, “I felt like I had no one in front me and felt like I could just be. And it wasn’t until my director was like ‘Cut’ and I realized ‘Yea, we’re shooting a film!’ For me as an actor, to have that comfort ability with everyone was really a game-changer.”
Most of the filmmakers agreed that filming with the LGV 30 was less of a hassle than filming with actual equipment. Diego Ropes, director of High Stakes stated, “Back in the day, you needed a team of six people to carry the lights. Needless to say, what you need for a camera on a dolly, and now you have a phone, the LGV 30 that enabled you to just do a fluid work” As Elaine Del Valle, director of Tagged stated in the panel, “We really caught up to technology, it really allows anyone to be a filmmaker today, and that’s wonderful, especially in our community, where we need young people to be encouraged that this can happen for them.”
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt once stated on his television show Hitrecord on TV that telling each other stories is part of what makes us human, and that advancements in technology has the made that more possible than ever before. In regards to LGV 30, I do believe that there is more work that needs to be done on it: quality-wise (some shots in these movies looked too grainy for a big screen), but I do think it is another stepping stone in accessible filmmaking, as demonstrated by these fine young filmmakers.
NOTE: I actually got to test out a LGV 30 where I filmed myself quoting some lines from Taxi Driver while wearing a bowler hat. Now that’s entertainment!
