By Eric Preiss, Director of Nevada Film Office

“Sneak a Preview (#64992)” by mark sebastian is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

I recently read an article in which Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven; The Girlfriend Experience; Sex, Lies, and Videotape) said the future of filmmaking is iPhones. You can read the article here: http://www.slashfilm.com/steven-soderbergh-iphones-filmmaking/

Do you agree? I do, well, sort of.

I do not see an immediate future in which you can replace expensive equipment with your smartphone; however, I believe that smartphones may be a key component in the future of film.

What prevents anyone from doing anything? What prevents a filmmaker from making their very first film? Some might say the barriers of entry are just too high. If that’s true, the smartphone may just be the slingshot that hurls the rock to slay Goliath.

Barriers to entry are the existence of obstacles that prevent new competitors from easily entering an industry or area of business. Common barriers to entry include:

• Start-up costs
• Technology
• Access to suppliers
• Distribution channels

The smartphone can break down these barriers and allow the filmmaker entry into the marketplace. Start-up costs? You probably already have a phone that captures 4k video. Technology? You have access to hundreds of apps on your phone that can edit video. Suppliers? All in the palm of your hand. Distribution channels? Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo to name a few.

“Ascendant Day 1” by Tim Brennan is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Filmmaking Is About Storytelling

Soderbergh says about the smartphone, “I look at this as potentially one of the most liberating experiences that I’ve ever had as a filmmaker.” If it’s good enough for the guy who made Ocean’s Eleven, I would imagine it’s an acceptable alternative for you to get started. And that’s how I see it, as a starting point. Only when you start doing something do you realize the limitations of your current equipment, if there are any. You learn from experience, from getting out there and just making something, creating, putting your vision out into the universe. And when it’s complete? Do it again. And again. And again. Learn from each experience, improve upon your last effort, keep improving until you have exceeded the limitations of your equipment, then graduate to better equipment.

Let your skill at storytelling determine the sophistication of your camera package, and not the other way around.

“Storytelling is storytelling. You still play by the same narrative rules. The technology is completely different. I don’t use one piece of technology that I used when I started directing.” James Cameron

Storytelling has not changed, storytelling will never change. Do you have a story to tell?

“I’m playing a long game here,” Soderbergh says. “I’m trying to develop an approach to putting out a movie in wide release that makes some kind of economic sense for the filmmakers and the people that have a participation in the movie. It’s going to take a while.”

If it’s going to take a while, according to Soderbergh, maybe it’s time you get started.

What story do you want to tell?

Bonus

Watch the trailer for Soderbergh’s latest thriller Unsane, shot entirely on an iPhone:

“UNSANE | Official Trailer | In theaters March 23” by Bleecker Street

For more examples of movies filmed with an iPhone, check out this article on cheatsheet.com.

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