Smartphone Cinema
Making Great Films with Your Mobile Phone
by Bart Weiss
Description
This book guides you through the process of using your phone to create different kinds of video and audio for TV, theaters, YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts.
Drawing from the author’s experience teaching classes on mobile filmmaking, this resource helps you tell stories better whilst going over the techniques necessary to control the phone professionally, also covering the accessories and software that can help you shape your narrative. Within the chapters you will first learn how to tell a compelling story, before delving into the proper methods for shooting video on your phone effectively and recording high quality audio. The book then explains the best techniques for editing and mixing these components together, always with the smartphone format in mind. Chapters also include the expert knowledge of a wide array of media makers that utilize this medium, from filmmakers to influencers, who give insight into the specific tools they use and how they approach the mobile phone as the hub of their creativity.
This book will be a guide to first time makers, students of many disciplines (including student filmmakers), and professional filmmakers who want to leverage what the phone can bring to a shoot.
Update June 2025
Greetings all
Thanks for reading the book!
If you have any questions, email me at [email protected]
Since the book was published, phones, software, and many new microphones have changed.
There have been some changes in AI on the phone. Adobe Firelight is worth considering if you are interested in AI. I have not delved deeply into AI filmmaking yet, but when I do, I will add that to the updates on the book.
Chapter 1
What This Book is About
New phones
As I write this, the current iPhone, the 16 Pro Max, has a camera control button that can work in both Apple native apps and third-party apps like the Blackmagic app. The camera control button has been used to adjust Exposure, Focus, Zoom, Luts, and more. I find the focus most useful because that tactile touch comes as close as possible to racking the focus ring on a camera.
The new 17 phones will be out in the fall and have some updates, including shooting in 8K.
Chapter 2
How Did We Get Here?
No updates
Chapter 3
Computational Photography
The only update to computational photography is not a video product but a still image app from Adobe called “Project Indigo.” Here is a link from Adobe about what this app can do. It is worth spending some time with this; these tools will be available for video at some point. This app takes deep advantage of computational Photography.
Chapter 4
Mobile storytelling
Mobile filmmaking has gained more acceptance in Hollywood. Sean Baker’s “Tangerine” was a breakthrough feature that was shown at Sundance and got theatrical distribution. Even though his last film was not made on a phone, the fact that a mobile filmmaker swept the Oscars is a big deal. This year, “28 Years Later,” a major film from a major distributor and a major director, was made on a phone. While the film “F1” was not made on a phone, it was made with a phone adapted to be mounted on the Formula 1 cars. Mobile is not fringe anymore.
Chapter 5 Shooting with your Phone
News about camera apps
Here is info on new apps and updates on older ones.
Black Magic Camera app
Info on iOS is here, and Android is here
The camera can now shoot up to 120 Frames per second
Halide Mark II
Info here
You can shoot long exposures in Pro Raw, and it has a great focus loop button that helps you find your focus. When you hit the focus loop, it momentarily zooms in to help you find that exact focus.
BeastCam
Info here.
BeastCam has an excellent interface and a focus look button.
Pro Camera by Moment
Info here.
It has a good interface and has an excellent time-lapse function.
Kino Pro video app
Info here.
The Kino also has an excellent interface, but the unique element is the looks that you can add to your film.
Chapter 6: Accessories
Gimbals
There are many good gimbals at many price points. They are all helpful. In my opinion, the best ones are by DJI and Hohem. The DJIs are smaller and lighter. The Hohems are larger and heavier but can do more. As an older person, I usually prefer the lighter ones. Which one you go with depends on what works for you. You can fit the DJI in your pocket (a large pocket.) Both of the new versions can do AI tracking by making a gesture. You can’t go wrong with either.
DJI 7p Info here
Hohem iSteady M7
info here
There are also good gimbals from Insta 360, info here, and Zhiyun info here.
Any of these will help you make better films
Lights
There are many inexpensive lights on Amazon that can help. Neewer has a selection of inexpensive lights to explore. They also have some great filters, which you can see here.
BigSofti lights clips onto your phone.
Lens
While most mobile lenses have not changed much, there is a very high-end, high-cost solution. The Tusk Shiftcam is a series of prime (one focal length) 7 lenses and 8 filters. That sounds great, but it costs $4,000.
Chapter 7 Sound in Mobile Media
The wireless mics created for the mobile space have changed the sound for the film industry. In the early days, Rode was the only game in town. Then, Hollyland, DJI, and Saramonic came out with low-cost, powerful mics. I remember going to the Sennheiser booth last year, asking what mobile solutions they had, and the guy said, “Why would we do that?” This year, they have a system that can be plugged into the phone. It is flexible and can be used in many ways, costing $299.
Hollyland has a variety of mics from $39.00 to $148.I have found them to be reliable and deliver good sound. Their bigger mic system, the Lark Max, has a larger mic (which is harder to hide), but that mic can also be used as a recorder, has environmental noise cancellation, and has a long range.
DJI has two mic options: the DJI mic and the DJI 2, which cost $219.00, and the DJI Mic Mini, which costs $89.00. The Mini is small (about the size of the Hollyland).
Chapter 8 Editing
Chapter 8: Shooting the interview on mobile
no updates
Chapter 9 Editing Mobile Media
Final Cut Pro for iPad
The changes here are minor. You can work vertically, there are keyboard commands to speed up the work, and perhaps most importantly, you can attach an external hard drive.
DaVinci Resolve for iPad
There are more changes here than in FCP. The new version can use AI. It can create a timeline based on a script, magically adjust the length of a music track, animate subtitles, superscale the image, and detect music beats.
Many of the changes in the cut page are meant to emulate how you would work in the desktop version.
As I wrote in the book, the app still only has the cut-and-color page, but you can still connect to the other pages.
Adobe Project Violet (free)
Adobe has released Project Violet, an upgrade from Adobe Rush. It can be used on an iPhone or iPad and can be used horizontally or vertically. If you have an Adobe account, you can use some of their music and sound effects. This software works well for both filmmakers and social media creators.
The interface is very intuitive, so you can start editing within minutes of opening it up.
Chapter 10 Made to be seen on Mobile
No updates
Chapter 11: Sending your film to a Mobile Festival
No updates
Chapter 12 The Future of Smartphone Cinema
No updates
Chapter 13 Mobile apps to assist in traditional filmmaking
No updates
Chapter 14 Resources
No updates