Mobile Phones In The Movies

Mobile phones have made it to the big time—the entertainment world big time. To start with, there is a major motion picture staring a mobile phone. “Cellular” with Kim Basinger and Chris Evans is set to open in September. On slightly smaller screens, movies shot by and made for mobile phone are being screened at film festivals around the world.

The “interfilm” festival will be held this November in Berlin. Exhibitors will show 90-second movies shot with the small video cameras imbedded in mobile phone. The entrants will be competing for the “Micromovie Award,” the highest honor bestowed by this festival that focuses exclusively on films shot with a mobile cellular phone.

Interfilm provided camera-equipped cell phones to film schools and producers and is now anxiously awaiting the creative results. Already, more than 150 films have been submitted to the mobile phone movie festival. The top 20 entries will be posted on the web for viewing beginning in October.

Mobile movie producers face many challenges. The tiny, in-phone cameras have no zoom and lighting is a tricky issue. Low battery capacity makes filming difficult. Mobile cameras also tend to distort movement and color.

Even at the film festival, mobile-phone movies won’t be showing on the big screen. The low resolution of mobile phone cameras makes that impossible. Film festival viewers will gather around computer monitors to see what has been created via cell phone cameras.

At the 2003 Raindance Film Festival in London, Nokia sponsored a competition for the best short film produced for mobile phone viewing. Ten, 15-second films made especially for the Nokia 3650 mobile phone were showcased at the festival.

Also See: Sprint prepaid phones.

About The Author:

Wendy Whittaker is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-cell-phones.com. A cellular phone industry resource featuring articles, comparisons and reviews of cellular phone and service plans.