In earlier days people couldn’t imagine making a film without depending on expensive camera gear. However, all that has changed now with the smartphone causing a revolution in the filmmaking world with its inexpensiveness and multiple features. the feature film was not possible unless you spent thousands on expensive gear. Nowadays, the phone can substitute for your camera easily and in the hands of the right cinematographers, the job is that much easier. Here are the top mobile cinematographers who swear by their smartphones.
Emmanuel Lubezki
Emmanuel Lubezki has been known for his cinematography for some key films such as Tree of Life and Children of Men. They have been on the list of the best cinematography movies ever. Lubezki has a special fondness for recording his films on iPhone. His film Shot, released in 2020 made the right noise in the entertainment circuit, thanks largely to his unique cinematography. His style usually includes long takes and non-jerky camera movements. We may not see a huge number of iPhone cinematographers following in his wake… but the first step has already been taken.
Claude Lelouch
Claude Lelouch is another iconic French filmmaker who is leading from the front as far as mobile cinematographers are concerned. His first feature film was released in 1960. It is safe to say that he is a veteran in the field. In his 1966 film A Man and a Woman, and another film released in 1981, Les Uns et Les Autres was a pioneer of some sort.
However, it was in the 2019 film, Les plus belles années d’une vie, that he made his iPhone do all the talking, or should we say filming and went on to record thirty percent of the movie with his smartphone. His next film La vertu des impondérables released in 2019 was shot entirely on iPhone, of course with the help of extra equipment. Lelouch proved that if you really work hard you would be able to make the best of both worlds, and combine classic filmmaking with modern technology!
Greig Fraser
Greig Fraser is another one to join the bandwagon, his work includes, The Mandalorian. Dune, and Rogue One. Of course, his most famous film outing has been the 2012 release, ZeroDark Thirty. This film came to focus because of its realistic theme and gritty portrayal of capturing Osama Bin Laden.
This gave him the impetus to shoot movies of different genres on his iPhone 13 Pro making a dream team with Kathryn Bigelow, the Academy Award-winning director. Smart cinematography is possible with a smartphone, he is a complete believer in this statement and he is one of the few cinematographers who have proved it time and again.
Cassius Rayner
Cassius Rayner is another filmmaker who has embraced the new iPhone and used it as a form of filmmaking. His short films bear testimony to this fact. He even has a dedicated YouTube channel Mobile Filmmaking that is there to help mobile cinematographers.
His short film Dead Eye released in 2021 is just one of the films that fall in this category and enough to inspire other filmmakers to pick up their smartphones and start filming with them. If you are an aspiring filmmaker too just head to his channel and collect as many mobile filmmaking tips as you can.
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is certainly a filmmaker to reckon with and he has won an Academy Award to prove his mettle. His 2004 film, the Jim Carrey star, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind became an instant hit with the moviegoers. His other popular films include Be Kind Rewind and The Science of Sleep. He shot his 2017 French film, Détour with an iPhone 7 Plus. Michel wanted to show the world that it was absolutely possible to shoot a film with an iPhone without using a big budget.
Kevin White
Kevin White is another cinematographer who has been making multiple shows on BBC. He has worked on countless shows including Factual programs, and non-fictional broadcasts that keep a close watch on people and various events. In 2019 he shot a BBC film (documentary) known as Secrets of the Super Elements that was shot on aniPhone7. In fact, it was the first documentary to do so.
These cinematographers are showing the way how to make their films look great without the use of any fancy equipment. If they can do it so can you!
