Mobile Media & Cine Apps

(Los Angeles, CA) - A hundred years ago, movie cameras were bulky machines that required a crew to operate. Today millions of people carry smartphones capable of creating high definition movies that would have seemed magical to early directors like D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille.

Responding to the explosive development of cameraphone cinema, the International Movie Trailer Festival (IMTF) is holding a moviemaking contest that turns the whole world into Hollywood. In partnership with TiVo, IMTF invites anyone with a smartphone and a little imagination to submit a trailer for a movie still in the dream stage.

These video pitches can be for work in any genre including horror, comedy, sci fi, drama, romance, web series, and documentary.

Festival cofounder Ronald Sallon explains, �You don�t need an army of grips, gaffers, and gofers to create entertaining video. You do need a story, but luckily storytelling is an activity everyone can do. It�s an innate skill that is a defining quality of being human.�

Of course, effectively using a simple camera to produce a watchable video does require know how. That�s why the Festival includes a variety of tips on such activities as scripting a trailer, getting exciting shots, helping amateur actors give strong performances, and editing the shots into memorable movies.

One of the biggest challenges of the new technology is recording dialogue. Although it�s possible to use external microphones, on low-budget shoots moviemakers may choose to limit what their actors say on the set or location, and rely on narration added in post production.

Festival cofounder Murray Suid, himself a film school graduate, notes that the mobile movie ultimately cannot compete with Hollywood movies in terms of production values. But that�s not a bad thing. �The cameraphone ushers in a new era of simpler, more immediate video making,� he says. �Just as budget restrictions in the 1940s and 1950s led to a less complex lighting style that we now prize as film noir, the limitations of smartphone moviemaking almost certainly will lead to fresh cinematic styles that will enchant audiences, and that will fit perfectly into the new habit of viewing movies on mobile devices and in home theaters."

The cameraphone contest isn�t just for the moviemaker. In addition to enjoying the entries online, audiences get to choose the winners. Explains Sallon, �Fans can vote online or at the movies. While theatergoers are usually cautioned to turn off their mobiles, this time they�ll be invited to turn on their phones and use texting to give their favorite a digital thumbs up.�

The grand prize winning moviemaker will receive cash plus support to produce the movie represented by the top trailer. This movie will be distributed online and in movie theaters.

Giving validity to the idea that cameraphones can be used for authentic purposes, IMTF�s own promotional trailer for Lights! Cameraphone! Action! was made using a mobile device. That video, plus an online entry form, can be accessed at
http://www.internationalmovietrailerfestival.com/cameraphone-contest/

With its previous trailer competitions having drawn entries from 35 countries and most U.S. states, the Festival expects the competition to uncover major league talent among the tens of millions of smartphone users worldwide.

For skeptics who say that not much can be done with a pocket camera, Suid replies, �Remember, Steven Spielberg started with an 8mm camera.�





Resources:

www.internationalmovietrailerfestival.com