With internet articles like “How to Film A Hollywood Worthy Movie on Your iPhone” and “How to Shoot iPhone Video Like a Pro” you may get the impression that cinematic brilliance is in the palm of your hand with the purchase of the iPhone X.
You say to yourself, “Why do I need to hire a crew for my social media campaign, my promotional video, or my company’s internal projects when I can do everything on my phone?”
Then you see incredibly beautiful images produced with the iPhone like this gorgeous short film by Amnesia Art and you think, “I can do that.” But, it’s not as easy as it looks.
When you see such a well crafted film like this it is easy to get swept away into the notion that you, yourself, or at the very least, your neighbor’s teenager because he’s better with technology than you are, can create something similar for your video project. Until you give it a try. Then, sadly, passed your deadline with half your budget wasted, you find yourself with unusable footage ruined by terrible lighting, unbearable sound and choppy editing.
Just like wearing Nikes doesn’t make you Jordan, the iPhone doesn’t make you a talented DP. The device is only as good as the person operating it. Ryan Earl and Nick Arcivos, the talent behind this film, have years of experience as filmmakers and photographers. In their dedicated and very capable hands a phone becomes another tool in their arsenal to create a successful piece of art.
Another thing to consider is the extensive amount of equipment needed to create a piece that looks this professional. The Amnesia Art team posted the list of equipment they used which totals over $2,000. Half of that was spent on sound equipment alone! BECAUSE THAT’S HOW IMPORTANT SOUND IS! No one will watch your video if the sound is bad! That is why a professional Audio Tech is so crucial to the success of your project and worth every penny. Not to mention the smooth flow of the edit is not something that can be accomplished by just anybody, even with easy to use editing apps.
There is a laundry list of details that go into making a film like this. The kind of details that those of us who work in Video Production are completely passionate about, obsess over and educate ourselves on daily.
The iPhone definitely has a place in the DIY video world. You can make awesome videos for your podcast, Instagram or YouTube channel, but when it comes to larger endeavors and really higher-end projects – nothing beats experience. Or dedication. Or knowledge. Or passion. A crew of experts who understand how to use the equipment and deliver a solid project is always worth the investment.
