Weekly round-up of filmmaking articles

London’s first international festival for movies made on mobiles will celebrate innovation, diversity and access.

Smartphone films are no longer just a fun experiment: they are the next step towards a new age of cinema, already attracting top performers and influential directors, believe the two award-winning film-makers behind Smart, next month’s first London International Smartphone Film Festival.

“Anyone can now make an amazing film,” said producer Adam Gee, who has set up the festival with director Victoria Mapplebeck. “All you need is the vision and the talent. It is not a question any more of being able to afford the right equipment or securing a big distribution deal.”

#filmmaking #storytelling #cinematography

Read the article in full, here.

‘Abel Ferrara doesn’t mess around. The New York-born filmmaker is notorious for his no-holds-barred style, his meddling in between “exploitation” and “prestige” lanes, his gritty and grimy explorations of his home city and the horrible men who do horrible things in them, and for his encapsulation of a certain, vital strain of American independent cinema. Ferrara, born in 1951, makes movies that feel a little quieter now, and tends to trade NYC for Europe. But his work has lost none of its spark, intention, experimentation, nor independence.

He’s a directorial force to be reckoned with, one that fans of tough, hardboiled cinema should absolutely explore. And if you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve collected 10 of his many movies to give you a broad overview and representative taste of why Abel Ferrara is an important director, from his ’70s/’80s exploitation roots, to his unimpeachable run in the ’90s, to the haunting, alive works he makes today.’

#filmmaking #storytelling #creativity

Read the article in full, here.

‘A voiceover is a common tool in #storytelling, and you’ve almost definitely come across it in film and television. It is a great way to provide another layer to the plot, by exposing the character’s inner monologue. Many times, it adds tension to the story, and often it provides a comedic effect.

It’s no wonder, then, that TikTok has also chosen to create a voiceover feature, as the app is all about comedy and creative storytelling. With our step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to use this feature in your videos in no time.’

#marketing #socialmedia

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‘For the most part, the camera is a third-person narrator. It is an observer and a paintbrush through which a director can convey myriad multitudes of story and style. However, there are occasions when being a voyeur to the action loses something essential and, in those moments, slipping into the first-person narration of a POV shot can recapture the visceral edge of the unfolding moment.

Whether it’s putting the viewer on the receiving end of a shotgun or a look of love, plonking the audience front in centre is a mass knee weakener in every which way.’

#filmmaking #storytelling #creativity

Read the article in full, here.

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