Dancers of California
When Summer is coming to an end on the first of September, what is better than Dance and the Beach. With that I give you:
A Tristan Pope Photgraphy Film
Shot on iPhone 6
Dancers of California:
Katie Lupke
Chelsea Zeffiro
Steph Amurao
Aaron Carr
Ariana Estelle Dewing
Emma Victoria Dewing
Music(rights obtained by Elliot Berger and Laura Brehm):
Elliot Berger – Diamond Sky ft. Laura Brehm
Other iPhone 6 Dance Films:
Dancers of NYC: http://vimeo.com/107617949
Dancers of Zurich: http://vimeo.com/130701787
Snowday: http://vimeo.com/121086993
Holly Laroche – In Motion: http://vimeo.com/129973515
How shooting on a mobile device could ruin your film.
Immediately you hop
online to google “best equipment” but quickly get overwhelmed by all the different options! But you start buying! You spend money, you buy the “tools”, and since you already have a mobile device, of course you will become a great cinematographer now! Look at the Billboards or Instagram! It is simple!
Nope.
You don’t know
- how to frame a shot
- the rule of thirds
- how to cast an audition
- how to edit a film
- how to handle a crew
- how to direct an actor
- how to light a set, you have no idea
- that a mobile device is actually going to be shakier than a bigger camera due to inertia
- what the importance of sound is
- how to operate a camera
The biggest problem is that last one, “you don’t know how to operate a camera”. We all have to start somewhere, but somewhere somehow it is being lost on people that basic filmmaking 101/camera knowledge is going to help you make a better film. The big red dot that records, makes you think, well you hit this and shoot. You don’t think about exposure, shutter, frames per second, aspect ration(well you do think of this because you WANT, nope you NEED 4K cause everyone says 4k is the best!), or any filmmaking 101 and you shoot.
And guess what? It is probably going to be shit.
No it is not groundbreaking, amazing, artistic, it is shit. The only praise it will get is on a Facebook wall with close friends and parents getting “like” happy. And it isn’t your fault. It isn’t your phones. It isn’t Apples. But it is a problem, as with all things that go mainstream quickly. And it IS your job to recognize when you should learn more to improve.
Remember when DSLR cameras hit the market? Everyone was a professional photographer! I would love the statistics of weddings ruined those first few years by bad photos.
But guess what, it is OK to be shit. Everyone has to start somewhere, and the magic behind mobile filmmaking is it is allowing people to find that inner filmmaker easier by making it more accessible. In countries where documentary crews would be arrested it is an amazing way to get stories out to the world. It is up to you for self awareness and knowing when you need help or to know you are just a prodigy. But regardless now you have learned something important, you have learned that you need to learn a hell of a lot more, because there is so much more that goes into a film than just owning a camera that can shoot it. The best equipment in the world be it for an iPhone or a RED, a GoPro or a Canon, will do you no good if you don’t pick it because it is the piece of equipment that will help to tell your story the best. I get asked, all the time, what is the best tool for iPhone filmmaking, and when I ask them, well tell me what your story is, they can’t they just want the quick fix, the list of tools, the tangible answer that money can buy. The magical weight loss pills of filmmaking. Guess what, the answer is simple, the tool is your story and your story defines your tools. Need a dolly shot to track along with some epic emotional moment? There is a tool. Don’t have that moment, don’t need the dolly.
But wait… you forgot the story, didn’t you? Yeah… that is the hard part. Coming up with it, shaping it, testing it, storyboarding it, shotlisting it… It is frustrating, exciting, and a lot of work.
Telling it these days, however, is easy, as long as you don’t just think there is some magical equation for the “best” of everything. You shoot with what makes sense to shoot on.
Sure shooting on an iPhone has this magical freeing quality to it, that I have explained here:
“Shot on iPhone” The Age of the Story
But at the same time, all the films I have shot on mobile devices were shot on them because I believed it to be the best medium for the story. If you asked me to shoot Fast and the Furious 19281 I would NOT use an iPhone. Maybe a shot here or there, if I really needed something crazy compact and mobile, but even then, probably a GoPro(i.e The Hobbit).
There is so much more to the process than the equipment and technical prowess of course. There is creativity, freedom, expression, trial and error, mistakes, roadblocks, brain freezes, breakdowns, fuck ups, reshoots, voice over, foley… but don’t skip the journey because you want “Shot on iPhone” attached to your film, because all of that process is half of the fun.
If you say “I didn’t have time to” “Don’t judge this too hard, I” or anything along the lines of “this isn’t my best work but I put it out there anyway and am using some stupid ass excuse so that I don’t have to actually put the time and effort into researching, learning, and executing techniques and such to polish this to a point where I can honestly say this is, regardless of what you think, something I believe is my best work”, than don’t release the fucking thing. Try again. Shoot again.
Mobile filmmaking allows for something amazing, trial and error! It allows you to fuck up. It allows you to truly shine if you can convince your audience to not care about the medium you are shooting on. If they walk out of your film talking about your film and the camera as an after thought or bonus because you have made a good film. Because that is the future, a story driven world, the age of the story teller. Being able to tell a story because you can grab shots that might not otherwise been accessible, since the camera is now in your pocket. Right now it is important for others to see that a film can and is shot on a mobile device so credits or tag lines “Shot on xPhone” are great to get the word out, but the next step is to be able to remove that label, and let the medium speak for itself. When it is no longer needed because it is just accepted. Films shot on mobile devices represent a very small minority in festivals and the like at the moment, so, yes it is encouraged to go and do, and by god there might be more mobile films than actual films around now, but at the same time, don’t just slap on a label to ride the hype train.
Remember with all films:
- You still need permits.
- You still need equipment.
- You still need post.
- You still need to edit.
- You still need good sound.
- You still need a story.
- You still need a budget.
- You still need common sense.
But now you have the freedom to choose the camera best for your story. The setup best for your story. The equipment best for your story. The best medium for your budget or lack of. I was amazed at how much equipment I have acquired and used in different scenarios depending on my film. The Ultimate iPhoneographer’s Equipment List, but I can’t tell people to buy all of this, because I don’t know if it fits their story.
Don’t let a mobile camera cause your film to become nothing other than a home video or a snapchat. Let mobile filmmaking be part of your expression and make sure that expression has a damn good reason to use a mobile device and a story to bring the audience on a journey with. You want to be a trend setter? Work on the cutting edge of technology? Make a mobile film? Make the mobile device an extension of your idea! If you put thought into the process, allow for the mobile device’s limitation to spur creativity, and remember or take time to learn some filmmaking 101 techniques, you will raise the quality of your film by leaps and bounds, not just ignoring it because you want to be “edgy”. We now have these amazing tools at our fingertips to produce something truly unique and just a pocket grab away. I will be the first to say mobile filmmaking is going to go leaps and bounds in the next few years and has already taken huge leaps in the past few. I cannot wait to see what people do with it. Just remember a story is a story whether it is 1080p or 4k.
There is no secret tool or item you can buy to make a great film, that is up to you, your story, and how far you are willing to push and believe in what you create. So follow your passions, get your story out there, but remember, just because it is accessible, doesn’t mean it is going to be easy or an instant success. The only way to find out is to give it your all right out of the gate, and when you fall, pick up the pieces, figure out why, and try again!
Dancers of Zurich (Shot on iPhone 6)
Zurich has always held a special place in my heart, as I spent many summers there as a child. Revisiting so many years later as a contestant and ultimately a winner for the MoMo film festival with Dancers of NYC, and meeting so many creative people using their mobile devices to tell stories, inspired me to make the sequel to Dancers of NYC. It was so different than our first go around, with multiple dancers in frame at once, better equipment, and foreign backdrops. It was an adventure to say the least and everyone was a huge part of its creation with their ideas, suggestions, and talents. The goal here is to showcase everyone’s talent and have a ton of fun doing it!
- Why shoot on an iPhone?
I switched over to an iPhone (around the iPhone 4s) because as a photographer I know the ageold anecdote “The best camera is the one you have with you”. I noticed I was using my phone for my vacations and everyday shots more than my DSLR due to ease and convenience so I wanted the best quality possible. From there I just kept pushing the limits of what an iPhone could do.
Be it through apps that unlock manual controls or techniques with external attachments, I found the potential this little phone in my pocket held to be exciting.
Dancers of NYC was inspired by the fact that a small camera could have 240FPS. I love slow motion, especially being a dance photographer/videographer. Being able to capture the entire move instead of just the perfect frame is beautiful. From there it has really kind of taken off for me, pushing my creativity to the next level while providing quality footage for the dancers I work with. As someone who is often the casting director, I knew people without a Reel more than often get passed over for those who do. So I found a way that I could help Dancers and Actors alike create a Reel for their portfolio efficiently, cheaply, and quickly. Not only that but I could focus on their strengths and cut right to the meat of what makes them stand out from the rest. I call this process InMotion Reels which can be seen at http://alttabme.site.nfoservers.com/portfolio/in-motion-headshotsreels/ the latest one being: https://vimeo.com/129973515
But this is just one layer. For me the “Dancers of” project had much more potential than just one city. What comes to mind is that old YouTube video of the guy who went around the world dancing with multiple cultures in a kind, loving, and sometimes comedic form. “Dancers of” has the potential to showcase the different cultural styles, fashions, and movements. This is why, when I went to Zurich for the Mobile Motion Film Festival for Dancers of NYC that won, I decided to film as many dancers there as I could. I felt Zurich is a more ballet- focused culture so I focused mainly on Ballet this time around.
What I have found out during the festivals I have been to, is a consensus that there is something liberating about shooting on a mobile device. I can’t put my finger on it completely as I have shot on DLSR, RED, and ARIS… you name it, but mobile filmmaking is just different, in a truly liberating way. Sure, you are limited but the limitations seem to be very freeing in terms of being creative. They push you to truly focus on the story. Plus it is a ton of fun to show someone something so beautiful from something so small. No longer do you need to add 5000 attachments to your camera to be taken seriously. It is also nice to push the boundaries of what the iPhone can do and try to make something small much bigger through content and story. This is the ae of the storyteller, where cameras are in everyone’s pockets, with the ability to produce amazing quality. So if you have a story worth telling, you can get it out there . There is really no excuse!
- How did you improve the production value? What equipment did you use?
This time around I was not limited to a tripod and the iPhone alone. I had some innovative stabilizers: From the Ikan’s FlyX3 Electronic Gimbal to Grip Gear’s IndieSolo Stabilizer,I had an arsenal with which to do some truly unique movements through the dance, with such a small footprint it is easily transportable and flexible in terms of locations and mobility. It is like having a complex rail system without the setup.
I was also lucky enough to have multiple dancers available at a time giving me depth and multiple actions going on at once. At one point I had every dancer line up on a banister I found, wait for a train to go by, and as it passed I ran down the line as they all did a simple Tendu iteration that had an amazing feel of strength and unity between the dancers. It also allowed me to layer and give depth to the shots since I was lacking true DoF with a mobile lens, using these layers as a creative way to fill that open aperture space.
As well, I had a lot more time to really go into post and add the needed color correction and special effects that I didn’t have time for in Dancers of NYC due to the 3 day turnaround(including filming).
I am often asked what is the best equipment to film on an iPhone, and I always return with the question: “What is your story?” “What kind of shots are you creating”. There are so many amazing options out there to accomplish unique shots, lens adapters from Olloclip, stabilizers from Gripgear, full on DSLR lens rigs by Beastgrip, even traditional equipment can work with a mobile device as was shown with my own film Romance in NYC utilizing a Gorillapod and Glidecam, but at the end of the day the best way to approach it isto ask yourself: if everything broke, could you still achieve the shot with just the iPhone? Then you know that it is the best medium to tell your story!
- What sort of limitations did you have to adjust to?
I am constantly fighting the bitrate and focus of my shots. This pushes my need to get creative with layering, depth, and movement to allow the shots to keep the “feel” of DSLR quality but with a phone that doesn’t always have that luxury. I also needed to be very careful about exposure and the smoothing that the iPhone can apply to certain shots. While this may be great features for when you want to point and click, it can work against you when you need continuity between all your shots. I would hope in future iterations that Apple allows me more controls over exposure and bit-rate through the stock app. The LG G4 is an amazing example of giving the camera operator all the tools he needs , while not overwhelming those who just want to have the one button to click and shoot. Until then there are some amazing external apps that I use to get the shot right. I use all of them at this point.
- What’s the downside of shooting on an iPhone?
To be honest the only downside is lack of DoF, but with equipment such as Beastgrip and iOgrapher you can now attach DSLR lenses to your iPhone, so it will be interesting to see what I can do with that next. Like I said, the downsides are there for sure… lower resolution when shooting 240FPS, no 4K…but it all seems trite compared to the liberating feeling you get running down the line shooting 3 dancers moving in tandem with just a small stabilizer and iPhone in your hand. And man, does it make traveling with your equipment so much easier.
- How big was your “crew” for this film?
The “crew” consisted of me and my sister who happened to be taking an “Eat Love Pray” trip around Europe at the time. She shot Behind the Scenes and helped me to keep my equipment in order and I shot. We had about 8-9 dancers this time around in total. All extremely talented and part of some very prestigious ballet companies. Ideally you want at least 1-3 people with you on these shoots. One person for lighting, one for makeup, and one assistant to make sure everything is in order.
- What are you planning next?
Dancers of the World! I actually just got back from another film festival the New Media Film Festival in LA for my short film shot on iPhone 6 “Romance in NYC” which also came away with a win, and ended up extending my trip in order to shoot Dancers of California as well. This film will have a strong emphasis on contemporary dance, performance dance(aerialist/pole), with ballet and other forms to round it out. I wanted to really capture the dance culture in California as best as I could. There are whispers that I may be heading to Hong Kong for my next “Dancers of” film.
Ultimately I believe this could be an amazing way for Dance companies such as Capezio, Sportswear designers such as Under Armor, or Fashion Designers in general to get their lines out there in a new and exciting way. I would love to work more hand in hand with them because the juxtaposition of the absolutely magical beauty of a ballerina’s form and technique with style and fashion and trends produces a beautiful result that caters to a broader and potentially deeper audience. Take that and apply it to dance styles and trends all over the world and you have a recipe for something truly amazing, all shot on an iPhone…. can’t get any more cutting edge trendy than that. And not just for the “trendy” aspect but because it is truly something I believe in as a legitimate form of filmmaking in this day and age.
Not only that but this is an amazing way to connect with so many different people and showcase their talents for the world to see, in such a new and unique way.
I am very excited to continue shooting on iPhone in the future, it is extremely fun to overcome the limitations and after seeing our first short film Romance in NYC on the big screen next to those shot with Reds and such we were completely blown away by the fact that it really held up beyond a measure of a doubt.
I was asked a very interesting question during the Q/A for Romance in NYC, “Have you ever considered not telling an audience they are watching a film on an iPhone?” I ended up writing a pretty in depth piece about it here: http://alttabme.site.nfoservers.com/portfolio/shot-on-iphone-the-age-of-the-story/
The jist though is that “As I continue forward with mobile filmmaking I am constantly working with companies like Grip Gear and Beast Grip to push thelimitations of mobile devices further. So I am excited for the day when I don’t feel it necessary to say it was shot on an iPhone, but for now I enjoy sharing that small bit of information for those who may feel like they can’t tell their story because their tech isn’t up to par. Because in the end if your story is strong and you know how to manipulate your medium for filming, iPhone or RED, your film will captivate your audience because we all go to the movies for that suspension of disbelief and all of these mediums allow that to happen. So take your phone out of your pocket more and start filming!”
As always you can follow the progress of all of these projects at http://tristanpope.com or any of my social media outlets: Twitter/Facebook/Instagram @tristanpope
“Shot on iPhone” The Age of the Story
I was asked a very interesting question yesterday during the Q/A for Romance in NYC, “Have you ever considered not telling an audience they are watching a film on an iPhone?”
I have actually thought about this a lot now that I have created multiple iPhone shorts. What I told him was the most honest truth; when I first set out to create Romance in NYC I had no intention of submitting to as many festivals as I did. I created this project because it held a very special place in my heart and I wanted to share that series of “moments” I had experienced in my life or wanted to in one complete day that made up Romance in NYC. I was extremely nervous coming from the upbringing that the more attachments you had on the camera the more serious you were taken, owning prosumer cameras and such and always wanting the best. So to say I wasn’t nervous about creating a full short film on a mobile device is an understatement. But I was convinced this would be the perfect medium to portray something so intimate. As someone just told me at the festival it reminded them of a Love Letter if it was being filmed instead of written. A beautiful metaphor. But as I edited and cut, I decided to put “Shot on iPhone 6” within the first 30 seconds of titles.
I was nervous that people might look at it differently if they saw it created on a mobile device. However as I have gotten to know more mobile film makers and gone to multiple festivals for my films created on mobile devices I have realized this is the age of the story(also said by a Judge at the Mobile Motion Film Festival). We have the tech in our pockets to tell those stories and it doesn’t matter if it is 1080p or 4k a story is a story.
So yes I have thought back and considered removing it from the beginning and perhaps just leaving at the end as a surprise or not at all. But on the complete flip side of this, I think it is important right now as mobile film creation is making a name for itself as a valid form of filmmaking to let people know. It lets people look at the film and consider shooting on different mediums and gives them promise that they don’t need a 50k setup to be successful. It allows them to watch it with a critical eye and see there is nothing to be afraid of! It allows them to see what a mobile device is capable of. I say it over and over again, that Filmmaking 101 still applies to any film, but the creativity needed due to the limitations of shooting on a mobile device are really pros because it spurs that creativity on how to achieve a shot in a unique and new way. It just happens to be a time where the best camera really is the one you have with you. Sure you might have a project that requires an Arris or RED and it shouldn’t be turned down just to be edgy, but if you have a project that fits the iPhone than why the hell not. You have no excuse now not to tell your story if that is what you want to do.
So having to answer that question out loud I don’t think I would change the fact that I reveal it was shot on an iPhone right off the bat because it truly sets the tone for aspiring filmmakers that you can achieve anything you put your mind to with any medium and especially that the mobile film making movement is viable and important to the industry.
Perhaps as mobile filmmaking gets more advanced and mainstream it won’t be necessary, but right now it is important to promote this movement. I am just proud to had such an amazing team with all my films thus far and to have been able to successfully execute a film of this type with a mobile device.
Watching it on the big srceen I am constantly shocked at how good it looks. It is crystal clear, but if that story isn’t there, it is the same thing as shooting on a RED or Prosumer camera, pretty images. But it can be so much more and now you can do it with a such smaller footprint. I remember have OCD attacks in low light seeing the grain, but I have been told many times, “Wow it looked just like film”. It is like watching a movie you saw as a child again at an older age and it still holds up regardless of it not being 4k or shot with a new age camera.
As I continue forward with mobile filmmaking I am constantly working with companies like Grip Gear and Beast Grip to push the limitations of mobile devices further. So I am excited for the day when I don’t feel it necessary to say it was shot on an iPhone, but for now I enjoy sharing that small bit of information for those who may feel like they can’t tell their story because their tech isn’t up to par. Because in the end if your story is strong and you know how to manipulate your medium for filming, iPhone or RED, your film will captivate your audience because we all go to the movies for that suspension of disbelief and all of these mediums allow that to happen. So take your phone out of your pocket more and start filming!
It is the “apple” versus “android”, “mac” vs “pc”, Car vs Car responses every time when you try to explain your choice of using a mobile device. Either someone is so set in the ways of it having to be shot on a red that they don’t understand the reason we chose a mobile device or they are interested in knowing more so they themselves can delve into it. This is an exciting time and as long as you are excited to share your story, pull that phone out of your pocket and start filming!
SnowDay wins Philip Wesley’s Music Content
“SnowDay” just won first prize in Philip Wesley’s musical contest for best use of his music in a short video. We re-edited this one just for his competition with his song Unbridled Spirit. I was always a huge fan of his music, it also being used in Romance in NYC. So it is an honor to win this! Congratulations everyone! Especially Brittany Cavaco for weathering the freezing cold and looking so strong and graceful doing so!
Filmmaker Magazine Brazil “Romance in NYC”
FIlmMaker Magazine in Brazil published an interview about Romance in NYC. Check it out if you speak the language here!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2y4Qekl6Xz9czV4bjd0am42VW95ako4OGRDMTZfZjViM19J/view?usp=sharing
Rough English Translation
Dancers of NYC wins at Mobile Motion Film Festival Zurich
After a beautiful stay in Zurich we are happy to announce we won at the Mobile Motion Film Festival!
Flying back to the states last week was sad but had such an amazing time with the wonderful MoMo film fest folks Andrea Holle and meeting Boa Lingua my sponsor Rahel Stössel. As well all the amazing dancers I met for “Dancers of Zurich” can’t wait to show you the amazing footage all together!
Zurich has always held a special place in my heart so it will be hard to leave but away to NYC for a few days and than off to another film festival the New Media Festival in LA with Aleece McCutcheon for Romance in NYC the short shot on an iPhone6.
Romance in NYC: Official Selection of iPhone Film Festival 2015
Romance in NYC is now an Official Selection of the iPhone Film Festival.
Congratulations everyone involved!
Pixar co-founder says smartphone, GoPro filmmaking are the future
It’s already happening on a small scale, but mobile videography just got a huge nod from Pixar co-founder John Lasseter. Speaking on a panel for ‘The New Audience: Moviegoing in a Connected World’ to an audience at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Lasseter said smartphone videography and GoPros are the future of film making. Some films, like the independent ‘Romance in NYC’, have been filmed entirely on iPhone, and released into major film festivals; it’s likely just the start, too.
‘Romance’, like an earlier film ‘Dancers of New York’, was filmed entirely on iPhone, which filmmaker Tristan Pope said afforded him a freedom dedicated rigs just don’t. “Sure I own many prosumer cameras, but I always felt they were just too big and invasive for this particular film idea [Romance in NYC]. To achieve the right intimate, candid feel, I felt I had finally found my medium, the iPhone 6.”
Speaking to his audience, Lasseter backed up Pope’s claims, even if he wasn’t aware he was doing so. “People will tell you, ‘That’s not going to work,’ but yeah, that’s going to work,” Lasseter said of smartphone and GoPro videography in major motion pictures. “But the reason they say that is because it’s not what they are used to.”
As camera hardware gets better and good editing software finds a home on the smaller screen, expect more of this, even in small doses. While the Directors of major motion pictures today may not subscribe to this thinking, they may dabble with it for their films soon enough.
Source: http://www.slashgear.com/pixar-co-founder-says-smartphone-gopro-filmmaking-are-the-future-13383352/
This is a great news for mobile filmmakers. I have attended quite the set of festivals now for Romance in NYC and even had people who run the events question my choice of a mobile phone, “but why not just use a ‘real camera'”. And it becomes the age old debate of Mac vs PC/Car vs Car/Android vs iOS, a never-ending slew of reasons being tossed at one another, no one actually listening to the other, because in the end, the best medium is the one you can use to make a beautiful story and the one that works for you. But that is easier said than accepted. Being able to see that a story in a story be it 1080p or 4k I believe the lines between mobile filmmaking and shooting on a red are soon to become blurred, especially with mobile phones catching up in terms of quality if not surpassing them in some situations, especially when a very affordable and creative outlet is needed.
“Romance in NYC” – Official Selection of the International Mobil Film Festival
“Romance in NYC” has been selected as an Official Selection to be part of a “Special Presentation” screening at the International Mobil Film Festival, San Diego. We are extremely honored to be a part of this festival not only via “Dancers of NYC”, but to be able to share” Romance in NYC” as a special presentation, hosted by Susan Botello the Festival Creator.
We truly believe in the growing Era of Mobile Filmmaking and are proud to be a part of this festival that encourages people to get out there and tell their stories utilizing tablets, phones, or any mobile device, seriously, anything with the word “cell” in it!
Dancers in NYC – Winner of Mobile Motion Film Festival, Zurich
Dancers in NYC has earned a WIN at the Mobile Motion Film Festival Zurich! You should all be really proud, I personally am very excited about this because I spent a bunch of my childhood in Zurich and just love it there, so it has a close place to my heart.
Congratulations everyone!
Romance in NYC: Official Selection for the International Film Festival of Madrid
Congratulations on your Nomination & welcome to the Madrid IFF 2015!
We are pleased to inform you that your film has been accepted into this year’s Madrid International Film Festival. The Festival takes please in the City of Madrid, opening on the 2nd of July 2015, with the International Red Carpet Awards Ceremony on the 11th of July.
Congratulations again to everyone involved and everyone who helped support us!
Watch the trailer here!
The Allure of Laurels (An insight into the Film Festival Circuit)
I get asked this question a lot when it comes to Romance in NYC our Short Film shot entirely on the iPhone 6 is, “When can we see it?” So I figured I would explain how the festival circuit works in a bit more detail for those who may not be aware.
The allure of the Laurels is real!
To have these on your films poster is not only a badge of pride, it shows you made it through hundreds of other films to be selected to be screened at a venue that has a limited space. It shows your work is being acknowledged and enjoyed. It is the equivalent of a gallery showing for a photographer. You are taking up limited time slots in a festivals very tight schedule.
Submitting to a film festival feels a lot like college applications but when you get denied from one it is much more of a moral hit due to the content being your creation, your baby, your “artistic vision”. Which also makes a win so much more rewarding.
When you decide to submit to film festivals with any film you basically become a very good reader of fine print and expert secretary and this is why:
Each film festival has its own rules for submission.
- Some festivals only accept World Premiere’s, meaning it has never been shown anywhere else or at any other festival. This means, if you wish to submit to this festival, you have to arrange the other festivals around it in a way that if you do get accepted to one it won’t show or premiere prior to the World Premiere one.
- Format for showing
- Length (in our case we fell into short, which can be defined as under 60 minutes, under 30, under 5 etc. It is pretty different per festival)
- EVERY festival has ONE major rule: The film cannot be viewable online to be considered as a selection for the festival.
- Some festivals have festival winner categories and some are just there to help screen your work and give it great exposure. You can be selected for screening at some festivals but not selected as a winner. Either way being selected in an honor because of the amount of submission each festival gets ever year.
This applies to every type of traditional festival, but because Romance in NYC was filmed using a mobile device this opened up other avenues for us as well. We decided to make our first round of submissions through tradition festivals even thought we used a mobile device to film it. We used the mobile device for many creative reasons, but the story is the ultimate selling point for any film and we felt the story came across well enough to run the traditional circuit so to say. But because we used a new medium as well we didn’t want to limit ourselves:
Online film festivals are growing exponentially, especially since we created a film on a mobile device, there were many other options open to us. Mobile Film is a very new medium still, but the opportunities it creates for emerging filmmakers to be seen in an otherwise hard to break into field is amazing. Many very prominent film makers and judges are joining the ranks of mobile film festivals around the world. The exposure this can create for your hard work is enormous and should not be overlooked! Just because it isn’t Sundance, doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely beneficial and prestigious to submit to anymore.
However, many online mobile festivals require a copy of the film to be posted to their website if it is selected. That would disqualify you from all of the above festivals you worked so hard to strategically pick and schedule, with the hope you are selected. Not to mention negate an entry fees, that adds up quickly, if you choose multiple festivals to submit to.
What we were able to do in our situation was to reach out to the festivals management we were interested in and ask them if we could send them a private screener of the entire short film and if selected have the trailer posted online instead of the full film to allow us to finish our festival circuit before a full online release to the public. Many mobile festivals are accommodating of this since they too understand the process of submissions and the varying rules and guidelines. Check with your festivals before hand. Off the top of my head the ones that were extremely helpful in this regard were the Mobil Film Festival San Diego, Cinephone, The Original iPhone Film Festival, and iPhoneFF.com.
It is very important to make sure your festival submissions do not conflict with one another. So keep a good calendar of submission dates, selection dates, and screening dates.
You should not just submit to every festival out there, I mean you can if you want, but it is better to get their history, length they have been running(which is a great factor in seeing if it is an established organization), and see if your films subject matter and story align with previous festival winners/selections. This will help you to create a very targeted approach to submissions in what can be a very overwhelming pool of festivals.
I hired Joanna Cabello to help with this process. She does this for a living and is very familiar with festivals and can help to create PressKits, contacting festival organizers on your behalf, and make it so you are not just submitting blindly. We have worked on many films together so I trusted her without hesitance. I highly suggest her services!
So now you have submitted to festivals, now what?
Well this is the tell tale of hurry up and wait. You cannot influence the judges opinions of your piece obviously, but what you can do is continue your marketting campaign to build buzz around your film, even if it hasn’t been released yet. For us Romance in NYC has been getting a lot of media attention lately from our trailer and behind the scenes footage we timed with the upcoming festival circuit we chose:
Local Press: http://alttabme.site.nfoservers.com/portfolio/romance-in-nyc-extended-behind-the-scenes-valentines-day-exclusive/
International Press: http://alttabme.site.nfoservers.com/portfolio/full-international-coverage-of-romance-in-nyc/
This is extremely important to a successful circuit run, keeping the hype alive. As well you are building a following of people who, if you are selected for a festival, will want to show up to see and support your hard work and film at the screenings. You don’t want your film to just sit in the ether and die. We started our film via Kickstarter which was a great way to engage and build a community, this still applied after it is over and your film has been finished and submitted.
You can release teasers, behind the scenes, and promotional material as long as you don’t show the entire film.
So this is a general breakdown of the process when it comes to film festivals and ultimately the answer to “When can we see it?” is, if you are lucky enough to make it into one of the festivals you submitted to, the festivals themselves!
We just got accepted as an Official Selection for New Filmmakers of New York 2015:
This means you can now tell your engaged audience and followers the venue, when it will screen, and invite them all to come and have a first look at the film in all its glory.
New Filmmakers New York
Wednesday, April 15 – Courthouse Theater @ Anthology
6:00 PM Short Film Program
Chantal Massuh-Fox GIRLS CLUB (2014, 4 minutes, video)
Lauren Muller AURA (2015, 10 minutes, video)
David Steven Simon DANTE AND BEATRICE: A FAMILY FILM (2014, 20 minutes, video)
Joseph Minion AIRPORT 2012 (2014, 22 minutes, video)
Tristan Pope ROMANCE IN NYC (2014, 18 minutes, video)
So we hope to continue sharing this film through festival selections until we are done with the circuit and make it available for everyone via online or DVD distribution. With a short such as ours I suggest online and DVDs being a special perk for those who want a physical copy.
Hopefully this clears up some of the questions and look forward to see you all at the screenings!
Romance in NYC – Extended Behind the Scenes Valentine’s Day Exclusive and Media Coverage
What we found when shooting this film was that the process of making the film was almost as exciting as the film itself. We wanted to share that with you.
So please enjoy an Exclusive Behind the Scenes look into the process of shooting an intimate and candid story about everyday love, shot entirely on the iPhone 6 to capture even the tiniest nuances of
“Romance in NYC”
Read our interview with Mashable HERE!
In 2015, it’s no longer uncommon for filmmakers to use smartphones instead of film cameras. Still, only over the past few years has the quality of the cameras, lenses and app software become so impressive that phones can be used to capture DSLR-quality cinematic moments.
Filmmaker and photographer Tristan Pope is one of these artists — and he used the new iPhone 6 to do the job.
Read our interview with SlashGear HERE!
If you still needed convincing that smartphone cameras are more than capable of professional results, “Romance in NYC” may do the trick. Shot not only entirely from the a single character’s point of view, but using nothing more than an iPhone 6 and a selection of apps and accessories, the 15 minute short was crowdfunded on Kickstarter in late 2014 and is now making the rounds of the festival circuit. I caught up with director Tristan Pope to find out what made him put down his pro-camera kit for a smartphone, how the iPhone 6 delivered in unexpected ways, and why he ended up wearing a GorillaPod like a Hannibal Lecter mask.
Read this article over at IndieWire
This Emmy Award-winning director and photographer shot his latest film, “Romance in NYC” on an iPhone 6. In this guest post, he explains why and how he did it.
Read this article over at Boing Boing HERE!
I love my iPhone 6+, and have been shooting, editing, and publishing lots of glorious video with it, on the road.
I really enjoyed seeing Tristan Pope‘s behind-the-scenes exploration of how “Romance in NYC” came to be. “The iPhone has limitations,” he says “but the limitations themselves spur creativity.” Couldn’t agree more.
Read this article over at iMore!
Romance in New York, by filmmaker Tristan Pope, takes the point of view of a boyfriend waking up to spend the day with the love of his life. Pope wanted to show the intimacy that comes from everyday moments, and the subtleties and nuances that exist in every expression and every action, even the ones that might seem small. What’s more — he shot the entire 15-minute film on theiPhone 6.
Romance in New York will be showcased at film festivals around the word. Check out the trailer, above, and the behind-the-scenes video below. Maybe, like me, it’ll inspire you to stretch the limits of your own iPhone videos.
Read this article over at NYDailyNews
TRISTAN POPE CAPTURES BIG APPLE ROMANCE ON THE iPHONE 6
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a New York City photographer and director is delivering a short film on capturing love in the Big Apple with nothing but an iPhone 6.
Read this article at InformedSauce.com
Well, what a coincidence, and just in time for Valentine’s Day! This behind-the-scenes making-of movie of Tristan Pope’s new 15 minute short film, ‘Romance In New York’, was posted online literally a few hours before I sat down at my desk, bleary-eyed, to write my previous post..
Featured on the Apple App Store’s Facebook
And Apple AppStore Twitter
Listen to our interview with The Bloomberg Advantage Radio show at Bloomberg.com
Watch the Official Trailer Here:
Follow the entire story from conception to kickstarter here: kickstarter.com/projects/165580313/romance-in-nyc-shot-entirely-on-the-iphone
For Updates Follow us on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tristanpope
Facebook: http://fb.com/tristanpopephotography
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tristanpope
Web: http://tristanpope.com
Toronto International Film Festival Next Wave – Guest Speaker
I have been given a wonderful opportunity to be a Guest Speaker at the TIFF Next Wave.
“Join Emmy-Award winning photographer and director Tristan Pope as he shares tips for capturing intimate moments and creating professional-looking films on your iPhone or mobile device. Tristan will discuss how he shot two pieces—”Dancers of NYC” and “Romance in NYC“—completely on iPhone 6. He’ll also talk about what makes him passionate about his work and share exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of his latest film, while sharing tips and tricks to creating beautiful moments via film on a limited budget.”
When I started creating films with the iPhone my intent was to show how anyone with a camera phone these days can capture the most intimate moments beautifully! This was the mission statement for my Kickstarter for Romance in NYC.
I look forward to sharing tips and tricks as well as speaking with these up and coming film makers about the process, industry, and hear their thoughts on the mobile sphere as they are tied into the heartbeat of this new revolution of how film and productions can be achieved!
Remember to tag @tristanpope if you take any photos during the presentation! 🙂