With apps increasingly flooding the App store of both iOS and Android, one would have to wonder whether you could technically make a film just by using a smartphone and or your tablet such as the iPad. The answer is yes. Considering the fact that the camera modules installed in the various smartphones and tablets since their conception, it is increasingly becoming common place to shoot videos alongside taking the holiday pics on your smartphone or tablet, virtually killing off the camcorder and the point and shoot cameras that were prevalent some 10 to 15 years ago.
Why am I such an expert on the subject, you ask? This blog is about my analysis and opinion on the subject and I answer the question, given the advice that a lot of beginner filmmakers get: “Use what you’ve got”, I would assume that since most of the civilized population now carries a smartphone that is capable of shooting moving pictures using one resolution or the other, any one who is anyone can shoot a video and upload it to a streaming site like YouTube.
Even though the smartphones and tablets people buy come standard with their own dedicated photo and video apps, they seriously lack the ability to allow the user to control certain variables like the ISO (how sensitive is the image sensor to incoming light), shutter speed (motion blur) and the codecs (the file format) of the video used to shoot the video. There are apps like Camera+ or Filmic Pro, that allow the user or filmmaker to have complete, if not partial control over the image, like a professional or semi professional cameras offer. We are also seeing third party manufacturers like Zeiss and Schneider Optics, two of the most popular German manufacturers of camera lenses make lenses specifically for smartphones like the iPhone and custom cases to accommodate those lenses.
Back in the old days, when smartphones were still emerging and in their infancy stages, processing power was seriously lacking for it to play complex games like Grand Theft Auto or other graphics intensive games. Processors and graphics have improved since and so have the codecs used to record the videos captured. The images that the cameras were able to capture were also inferior to what can be produced today compared to back then. This means that videos can be recorded in 4K and stored (provided you have the required space on your phone’s storage drive) for retrieval later and editing is now also possible without the use of an uber powerful computer and the expense that goes along with it.
So, the question is: With the limitations of the smartphone and or the tablet’s camera’s image sensor and the size of the sensor, are you able to make a professional quality film considering the fact that content is king? I say yes. This is because there are quite a few films that I have come across that were filmed using a camera from a smartphone or tablet, and the professional apps that allow you to control all or some of the variables of the image like ISO and shutter speed. However, you have to consider the fact that because you are using a camera sensor that can potentially fit on the tip of your pointing finger, you will need to supply it with more light than a professional or semi professional video camera sensor needs. On top of this, sound is also another important factor in making a watchable film. They say that sound is as important as your visuals you show the audience who are watching a film.
To sum it all up, if you are on a shoe string budget and want to make a film, then this is definitely an option for you rather than spending a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars on a professional camera that degrades over time. This method of filmmaking is an option if money is an object and you do not have the means to afford a dedicated professional or semi professional camera to make your film. Just make sure that the techniques that you picked up in film school or from wherever you learnt basic filmmaking from are applied in making your film.
Good luck with your current and any of your future film projects that you will be engaging in.
