The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones. S. Botello Productions (SBP) is a pioneer in the mobile filmmaking industry. Hosted, produced and edited by Susy Botello without AI.
Site
RSS
Apple
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
Episode 202: This episode was recorded October 13, 2024 and published October 15, 2024.
The time you have to get the attention of someone who watches your video depends on a lot of things.
In this episode, I’m going to share a trick I learned in video production and a tool I use from my journalism writing class, which I use for all my videos and other media projects. I share a bunch of insights with you!
I use the Five W’S: Who, What, When, Where and Why to decide if I only have 4 seconds or a bit longer at the start of the video to capture the viewer's attention before they move on.
This episode topic was inspired by a follower I follow on social media. Link below!
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Comics History in San Diego Featuring Matt Dunford
Episode 201
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 • Duration 55:19
Episode 201: This episode was recorded October 3, 2024 and published October 8, 2024.
A really fun conversation getting to know the chairman of San Diego Comic Fest, Matt Dunford. SD Comic Fest takes place October 25-27, 2024.
Matt is passionate about comics and has a connection to some of the most incredible celebrities in the industry, and yet, he is quite humble. Matt and I talk a bit about mobile filmmaking from his perspective, and his thoughts on ’28 Years Later’ by Danny Boyle, shot with iPhone and funded by Hollywood studios. But in this episode, you’ll enjoy a fun conversation where Matt shares intimate stories of his connection to the comics industry.
Matt shares how he learned to read with comics, his first San Diego Comic-Con experience, and then we discuss his role in the Netflix Emmy award-winning documentary series, “Love on the Spectrum.” Matt is in the first episode of season 2.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Producer, writer, director, editor, composer and host: Susy Botello. No AI is used to produce this podcast.
Episode 192 was recorded July 13, 2024 and published August 6, 2024.
Dhwani Shah's film, "Sapling" won the First Prize in the Short Film Competition in the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. Dhwani and her team attended the festival in person in April 2024.
I had an introspective conversation with Dhwani about filmmaking and the making of her winning film. It’s evident in our discussion how talented and skilled Dhwani Shah is as a film director, writer and editor.
It was a great honor to discuss the craft and art of filmmaking as a language.
“Cinematography comes from photography, comes from, you know, fine arts and painting and compositions…all those disciplines are really old, but the one true language of filmmaking is editing.” Dhwani Shah
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
It Takes A Village To Make A Movie - Levi Austin Morris
Episode 102
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 • Duration 01:25:16
Actors teaming up to make films together is impressive. And it’s happening more and more often with the rise of smartphone filmmaking.
You may think an actor cannot make a quality film, but think again. They have spent countless hours on film sets. They have the ability to ask questions and learn the filmmaking craft. They network with filmmakers all the time. And then…well, you knew I was going to bring it up, right? That’s correct, they have a smartphone camera close by.
Our guest in episode 102 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is Levi Austin Morris. He lives in Los Angeles and is an experienced actor.
This discussion shares the process of crowd funding in great detail. Can a podcast be a tutorial? Levi Austin Morris had experience in crowd funding and he was inspired by a conversation we had about feature filmmaking with smartphones.
Levi was one of the participants in a mobile filmmaking and storytelling panel streaming now on Mobile Film Stories. When he realized Inga Vosk was a first time filmmaker blew him away. Inga won the Best Feature Film Award in 2020’s International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego with her film, STEALTH shot in St. Petersburg.
Levi wrote a screenplay at the end of 2020 for a feature mobile film. He then began to ask for collaboration with his filmmaking team/family. Several revisions later, Paralysis was ready and is currently in the pre-production process. Paralysis is a 96 minute film to be produced in Los Angeles. The trailer for the movie is quite impressive!
When it comes to campaign and crowd funding, the team decided to make it very inclusive and interactive. The campaign is based around gamification and contests. Levi shares insights on planning for the campaign.
There are two ways to plan your campaign between the production and post-production phase. Levi shares which one they chose and why. He also shares how to plan your budget in detail, how to market your campaign in Instagram and Facebook, etc.
In this episode, we hope to inspire filmmakers making short films to make feature films with a solid plan for success.
Send A Message With Your Film - Arthur Mikheev
Episode 101
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 • Duration 55:43
Arthur Mikheev was raised in Moscow, by parents who were skeptical of his interest in art as a career. Arthur was attracted to photography in his early days in school, but he soon found it to be complicated. It just wasn’t for him. So he became a musician and studied psychology.
Arthur is a filmmaker with 10 years experience in the video industry. He began his career on television and gaming journalism. He has authored three books about filmmaking and one of them is exclusively about mobile filmmaking. He is the founder of the mobile filmmaking online school. He’s worked with companies like Samsung, Huawei, LaCie, Seagate, Apple, Amediateka (the home of HBO), and others.
Arthur began to make films and videos using his DSLR and cinema cameras about ten years ago. One day, his girlfriend told him about a mobile film festival in Moscow. As it turns out Arthur was referring to the festival founded by our friend Maxim Mussel.
Max has been popularizing making films using smartphones in Russia. Arthur was a bit skeptical about the idea, but he tried it. He made a mobile film and submitted into the Mobile Filmmaker International Festival in Moscow.
Episode 101 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is a conversation with Arthur Mikheev exploring his message to our audience about taking time to make good films and focusing on the story.
It’s easy to grab your phone and start shooting video. However, without a good story a film lacks substance. Arthur shares his journey from Russia and the reason behind his short film War is Not A Game. He explains why it was important for him to share the story and send that message.
Arthur is a teacher and he teaches making films using smartphones. His parents are now convinced that following your dream is not a bad thing because Arthur is able to earn a living as a smartphone video producer and instructor.
Most people watch films for entertainment, and so do filmmakers. However, most filmmakers watch films with a “third eye” to study the effects of a film on the mind of the viewer. We talk about Alfred Hitchcock’s style of filmmaking horror films like Psycho (1960) and that led us to analyze other films like The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008). In particular, we spoke about how some of the most effective horror stories don’t show much but the suggestions allow our own imagination to scare us. This is done with simple visuals and audio.
Special Edition: iPhone Movie Making History with Michael Koerbel
Episode 100
Tuesday, June 1, 2021 • Duration 01:24:55
Special Edition: Our podcast just reached 100 episodes and we have a special episode. Pioneer mobile filmmaker and the winner of the first prize in the inaugural International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego in 2012 joins us and we embark on a journey about his participation in the history of making movies with iPhones, and smartphones in general.
Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James got their hands on the iPhone 4 and the new iMovie app on the phone. They decided to run some camera tests, and that led to making a movie that became one of the most inspiring movies shot with iPhone at that time. You may have seen it, Apple Of My Eye, which won first place in our inaugural film festival.
Michael’s film was shot and edited on the iPhone. His partner edited it in the iMovie app. In a car as he drove. How mobile can you go?
They moved on to create a web series and partnered with an app developer to create a unique way to view the series in the app with features that allowed the film to be sent to a large display, receive push notifications for each new episode and interact through gamification. The app was Majek and the web series was called, Goldilocks. They put their phone and sealed it into a plastic bag, and put it into a fish bowl. They strapped the phone on vehicles. They did a lot experimental guerrilla filmmaking with iPhones.
Michael shares how Apple Of My Eye affected him personally and why the title of his movie has a special meaning for him. They didn’t make the the movie, in 2010, to gain attention but when they put it on Vimeo they garnered attention and it helped boost the video platform.
Michael shares why he pays attention to his recordings and how he feels we all have an obligation to what we capture with our cameras. Even if it is easy and accessible.
“I don’t hit record unless I know I want it captured, you know? My heart’s in it.” Michael Koerbel
Michael was inspired by a professor to go to L.A. and attend USC School of Cinematic Arts. It was there that he met many people who are now successful in the film industry today. Ryan Coogler, who held a boom mic in a class is the director of Black Panther.
Indie Filmmaking with Smartphone Cameras with Rachel Jacob
Episode 99
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 • Duration 01:07:13
The story in film has always been an attraction to Rachel Jacob. She grew up in the industry from her father’s side of the family and occasionally would dip her feet in it. She tried many aspects of filmmaking.
In her teens while in school Rachel was acting, which she still loves, and then she tried screenwriting. Most of her experience in film were a series of loose ends. When she was 18 she attempted directing a project and it became the push she needed to tie the knot as a filmmaker. Rachel advises to try working in different positions in film to learn and gain experience.
But it was in her twenties when she went all in and got serious. She found work on feature films and shows that were being shot locally, in New Orleans. That experience helped her become the filmmaker she is today. She is currently working on a screenplay to make a feature film.
During the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, in episode 99, we discuss many tips for people starting out in the industry, even if you live in an area where the film industry is not accessible. Rachel believes mobile filmmaking with smartphones is a great opportunity for people who want to make films and don’t have access to the traditional film industry, like she did, to get work and experience.
During the pandemic she had already heard about Tangerine, by Sean Baker, that was shot with an iPhone. She realized mobile filmmaking was a popular thing, however, she had never considered it.
During the pandemic in 2020, she designed a challenge with some friends, and the non-profit organization she works with. They created the Home Movie Madness Film Festival, which challenged everyone to make a short film at home using their smartphone.
That experience was mind-blowing for her. She had a blast making her first smartphone movie. She realized the potential of what she could do with her phone after completing her short film. That realization motivated her to begin making short mobile films, and Rachel now makes short films on a more regular basis. The simplicity of getting an idea for a story and making a film in a short period of time is thrilling.
Rachel discusses the opportunities mobile filmmaking gives everyone with a smartphone to make films and share stories. It was refreshing to speak with a filmmaker who understands the unique benefits of mobile filmmaking while still appreciating traditional filmmaking. Regardless of the camera, in the end we are making films and sharing stories. Traditional filmmakers making mobile films inspire mobile filmmakers and vice versa by coming together and sharing the unique culture of mobile filmmaking.
Hollywood Dreams and Your Smartphone Camera with FilmConvert and Filmic Pro
Episode 98
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 • Duration 01:03:25
The partnership between FilmConvert and Filmic Pro is bridging the mobile smartphone filmmaking with traditional filmmaking communities.
FilmConvert has been creating software for film grain and color grading for about ten years. They’ve been keeping an eye on the mobile filmmaking community’s growth and have partnered with the app used by Hollywood filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh to shoot their films with iPhones.
Episode 98 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is a discussion with FilmConvert’s John Parker and Filmic Pro’s Eliot Fitzroy explaining this partnership and how it benefits iPhone filmmakers.
FilmConvert has been working with Filmic Pro since 2017 to create supportive profiles with its software. They have brought compatibility between FilmConvert’s software and Filmic Pro’s App. Filmic Pro is available for both IOS and Android.
Most recently they have worked together to create a tool, Cinematch, that brings the look and feel of professional Hollywood cameras to the iPhone 12. John explains how it handles footage shot with the iPhone and it produces the color and tone of the Hollywood high end cameras when coupled with the FilmicPro app.
According to the Cinematch website, “Using dedicated camera packs, CineMatch converts your footage from one Log picture style to another. Mix and match between SLog2/3, CLog, BRaw, V-Log/L, RED IPP2 and more, and apply the correct REC.709 transform with a single click.”
One of the drawbacks to mobile filmmaking, according to some filmmakers, has been the dynamic range limitations of smartphone cameras. However, the process of using FilmicPro with the iPhone 12 and Cinematch’s Nitrate is an exciting game-changer for filmmakers.
According to FilmConvert’s John Parker, it will “…Give your films higher production quality. It’ll look like a million dollars.”
Cinematch can also do something powerful for documentary producers. A producer can send a camera person to capture footage with an iPhone, bring it into the production timeline, and it will create a seamless process that will match the look and feel of the other camera. Essentially, you won’t notice it was shot with a smartphone.
Actors with Smartphones, Make Movies with Anthony Bradford
Episode 97
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 • Duration 01:25:21
The process of creating films and video programming is extensive and can be exhausting. But for Anthony Bradford, our guest on the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking Episode 97, it’s about how much it prolongs the production process. Mobile filmmaking shortens a lot of the production so Anthony can go from pre-production and planning, to post-production and distribution.
Anthony Bradford is an actor and a producer who writes screenplays and has a lot of ideas for stories. During our podcast he shares how he organizes all his ideas so he can turn them into screenplays. He’s inspired by his story ideas. Some ideas come to him while he is driving, so he has to jot them down while stopped at a stop light. This type of dedication is probably one of the reasons he’s able to create some great stories into films.
Our conversation highlights the process from his perspective, which can help our listeners organize their own ideas for their films.
Anthony had to learn to edit his auditions “self-tapes” as an actor. He began with iMovie but has since learned the Adobe Premier editing program, and he uses other Adobe programs for sound as well.
Anthony is driven by the concept of stories in films. He shares how important it is to focus on your story and then revolve your method of capturing your story around it. The method he uses includes good audio. During this episode, you’ll listen to Anthony share some of the creative ideas he’s used to overcome some of the quirks that come up while filming with a smartphone. After all, the camera is only one part of your smartphone and all that your smartphone does in the background.
He mentions the microphones he uses and his back up process for audio capturing.
Anthony works meticulously to ensure that even though he saves time in production using a smartphone camera, he does not cut the quality of the filming and post-production short.
“Cleaning up with the audio—it can just feel like very monotonous but it’s super important, and I feel like it’s the longest part of the process.” Anthony Bradford
Anthony produces a web series, Love Millennial Style with his production company is called Priceless Productions.
Empower Your Song with Video with Amanda Smith and Colin Babcock
Episode 96
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 • Duration 01:12:29
Falling through floors is probably not what you expect when you are on set filming. The old creepy house called out to Amanda Smith and Colin Babcock.
Amanda brought Colin into the house and he found it creepy and dilapidated. Both nodded at the notion that the house could be the set for a film. They just needed to figure out what type of film they could make. But there was a little bit of a conundrum because Colin did not have his usual filmmaking equipment.
Colin began to think he could use his iPhone camera, even though he had never done so, or needed to. But that was not the only challenge, as he and Amanda would soon come to find out.
Amanda’s younger sister, Storm Smith is a talented and, in my opinion, extraordinary musician. When Amanda asked if she and Colin could use her song to make a video, she immediately gave them permission. And now, Amanda and Colin had a story.
The words to the song are an expression that comes to real life in their music video titled after the song by Storm Smith, “Too Young.”
Performed by Amanda, their video sends a powerful message of hope. It was, ironically enough, filmed during the pandemic and performed by Amanda on camera. There is a story about the message of the video and the song, which is heartfelt. We are delighted to share a bit of the song, with permission, in the intro to our conversation with our guests in this episode.
Amanda and Colin spent a couple of days in pre-production working the schematics to shoot the video. Amanda’s father, Steve Smith, owned the house and gave his consent to film before it was renovated. Her mother, Terry Smith, helped with wardrobe and set design. Colin, prepped his iPhone XR to shoot and planned the shots, just as any cinematographer does.
In the meantime, all sorts of things began to happen which made the challenge of filming with a smartphone the least of their concerns. Once the film was “in the can” Colin edited the video and color grade it using Premier Pro. There were challenges covering electrical outlets from the scenes. Overall, the video has cinematic aesthetic value and the music is professionally produced which also elevates the overall quality of the film.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Arthur Mikheev spent a good amount of time making his short film, War Is Not A Game. He set up the scene, shot it multiple times and took the time he needed to edit and color grade it. He suggests that practicing and learning to manually control settings can make a big difference in the quality of the footage. However, as he points out, it’s the story that will turn what you capture into a film. He shot the film before with another camera, years before. However, he was not satisfied with how it turned out. So he shot it again using the smartphone and he was more satisfied with how it turned out. Obviously, it turned out very well because he won First Place in the 10th Anniversary edition of the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Arthur has created several ambient tracks, which he says everybody can use in their works (the only requirement is to indicate the artist’s name in the credits)
In this special edition of our podcast, where we celebrate the 100th episode, Michael and I share our connection back in 2011. But also, it led us to discuss our connection to mobile filmmaking because we are passionate about storytelling and how the smartphone camera empowers storytellers and gives everyone a tool to share your voice with the world.
People who have not followed mobile filmmaking since 2010 may appreciate listening to Michael’s account of the days when it all began. Michael played a big part in the success of this “movement” to make movies using iPhones and other smartphones. Michael was invited to a panel in the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) event in Los Angeles by the head of Vimeo back then. The attention he received allowed him to succeed in the industry as a commercial producer and his partner Anna Elizabeth James has written a number of features that have been featured in Netflix.
He met Neill Barham, CEO of Filmic Pro when Neill reached out to film a commercial for a cruise line. He has had a lot of success making high end commercials. It’s inspiring to listen to Michael’s stories about his experiences. After that day he and his filmmaking partner decided to test if you could make a movie with an iPhone and edit it on the phone with iMovie, doors opened up to where he is today.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Staying busy making films is important to Rachel and she says its part of the process of becoming a better filmmaker. The more films you make, the better you get at it. She believes mobile filmmaking is a big part of the process now that she has experienced the benefits and how fun it is. Because of it, she can concentrate more on the story of her films as opposed to all the technical aspects.
All the experience with film festivals has given her many insights to the film festival process and she offers consulting to anyone interested in submitting films to film festivals.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
Follow Rachel on Social Media and check out her Reel and Videos:
Using Filmic Pro Log V2 and V3 features can help match the quality of your film using the iPhone 6s through the iPhone 12.
“Shooting log is one way to do that because you have a much more neutral starting point to build your finished look,” says Eliot Fitzroy.
John Parker shares the work and details involved in creating different color profiles at the FilmConvert Lab. It’s a process which involves gathering data using different cameras as they record test footage under different conditions.
I asked Eliot and John a bit about their experience in filmmaking and what brought them to where they are today.
Eliot mentioned his love for narrative films and the horror film genre, which he eventually would like to find time to make new films.
John shared his past within a local TV station in New Zealand putting together some local news stories and also lived in New York for some time, where he worked on some documentaries which ended up at the Tribeca Festival. Though his experience has been mostly in editing and post production, he’s also done some screenwriting.
We get to discuss our thoughts on the current state of mobile filmmaking and how Apple has helped realize creativity opportunities for content creators from writers and musicians to filmmakers.
This episodes includes a mention of the winners of the 2021 International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego and Best Feature Film Awardee Jennifer Zhang who shot and fully edited her feature length film using only her iPhone.
His film, Raider of the Last TP is screening at the International Mobile Film Festival which will take place online this year due to the event restrictions still in place. He shot the short film with an iPhone 11.
The film’s synopsis: A teacher moonlights as a basement storage unit raider in his spare time in search for a roll of toilet paper.
Of course, Anthony is also an actor. It’s impressive to see an actor who is not only directing and producing, but writing and editing his own projects. Anthony is routinely working as an actor, which is important for all actors. He shares how he’s working on his films, his web series and acting on television and films. It requires dedication and it’s commendable.
Like many who are making movies after 2015, Anthony was inspired by Sean Baker’s film, Tangerine. He watched the film and then found out, after watching it, that Sean Baker had shot it with the iPhone using FilmicPro and Moondog Labs anamorphic lens for iPhones.
This episode of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is inspiring because Anthony Bradford indulged me with many details on the topic of filmmaking, mainly with smartphone cameras. It’s an entertaining conversation about making movies, acting, editing, directing and more.
SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking: The Voice of Mobile Film™ is for everyone who ever wanted to or is curious about making movies and videos using smartphones.
International Mobile Film Festival dates are Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2021. It’s our tenth anniversary edition.
IMFF 2021 Tickets: We have worked very hard to create and design this event for you. In order to gain access to the information in the article in the link below, we are giving you the option to pay (support) anywhere between $5 to $25 for the tickets. Once you have unlocked the information you will not need to pay (support) again. Our current and new $5 minimum monthly subscribers on Patreon (link below) will also be provided access to the festival. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/susybotello/international-mobile-film-festival-tickets
In episode 96 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking, you are going to listen to stories from both directors, Amanda and Colin. They share stories from their set experience and shooting with a smartphone. How some scenes were captured, including what to use when your protagonist is required to eat worms on camera, how to capture your actor in suspension without a green screen, and…the story about the stench in the house and what they found in the freezer.
But that is not all. Listen to their inspiring stories in our podcast. This was their first podcast guest appearance and we are stoked about that too.
You can also watch the video during the 10th anniversary edition of the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. The festival is online this year, due to the pandemic restrictions, April 23-25.
