Making Movies using your Mobile Phone
Workshops by Filmmaker Vasilis Blioumis
By Neil Bie
As you’re reading this article, there’s a 99% chance that you have your phone near you – a smartphone to be exact! This smartphone that you have in your hand is capable of taking photos and videos – but have you wondered if you could shoot an entire film in it? The passionate and super dedicated Filmmaker Vasilis Blioumis shares with Tempo how to do just that!
TEMPO: Why filmmaking, Vasilis?
Since a kid it was obvious that I loved the idea of filmmaking. But it was an uncertain job. When I start to work in different fields and realize that I hated what I was doing. So I had an honest discussion with myself. You live only once and the question was how do you want to spend the rest of your life? Doing something you hate and on the side making hobby films? Or you want to be happy doing what you really love to do? I decided the second, so the next day I resigned from my work and went to study cinema. I hold a Bachelor degree in Film Directing and 2 master degrees, one In Producing and a second MBA in Marketing Communications. All related to film in prestigious universities such as Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade.
TEMPO: How do you make your films?
There is no specific formula. Every period of my life is different and can influence me to come up with new creative ideas. Mostly characters driven stories is what I like but everything can trigger the creative process. An incident, music, poetry, a picture, paint, art even the news. The difficult part is to get the right story. Do not like to make films just to make one. I want to have something worthy to say.
A screen grab of “Lost and Found in Dubai”. Watch it here!
TEMPO: You shot an entire film using your phone??
It was a challenge by a mobile phone company. They choose 15 filmmakers and they challenged us to make a film with the phone so they could screen them in Dubai Film festival. The verdict is that phones today have really amazing quality and easy to shoot with them. Small and light if u compare it with a video camera or a DSLR. There are still some features like the autofocus, lenses and dark sensitivity that need to be improved but I believe in the future the phones would be very popular in the world of filmmaking. We shot our film in 4K! I mean this is already a crazy resolution for a phone J
TEMPO: How did you do it?
Well, we used all the professional equipment what we normally use in film productions (tripods, steadicams, drones) so the film does not look like the usual shaky phone footage. I had also two amazing actors like Dr. Ghassan Al Katheri and Fe Ging Ging Hyde and a great script written by Roy Eisenstein. Mix that in combination with the phone quality – so yes, many people could not believe that it was shot with a phone.
TEMPO: Which filmmakers have inspired you?
Charlie Chaplin, David Cronenberg, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Kim Ki Duk. From the local industry I liked “City of life” and “Sea Shadow”
TEMPO: What’s a typical day for you?
That’s a difficult question. We do not really have a routine typical day. Different projects different days. The only sure thing is that I try EVERY day to watch a movie!
TEMPO: How would you motivate others to get into filmmaking?
I’d tell them to what you love in life! Life is short! Sometimes is worthy to take some risks. Also if someone has an idea or a story that thinks is good, they can always contact me. Looking constantly for good content and stories
WANT TO MAKE A SMOVIE? VASILIS TEACHES YOU HOW!
The Smovies will hold filmmaking workshops!
MoxieZone
twofour54, Park Rotana Complex #307
Sheikh Zayed Rd (Salaam St.),
Abu Dhabi, UAE
May 7 and May 14 | 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
Vasilis will show you how to plan, ideate, and use your phone. He’ll share secrets on how to upgrade the quality of the film and enhance our shots. These two workshops will free, and only for a maximum of 15 students. Slots will be reserved on a first come basis – call Neil at 02-491-8624 or email him at editorial@tempoplanet.com. Subsequent workshops will be charged.
See Vasilis’ work on https://www.facebook.com/blioumis and https://vimeo.com/billyblioumis
