Hey I am Rah Sharma and today I am going to show you the lens system I used to film a short on a mobile phone!
I have been so comfortable using dslr and cinema cameras that I wanted to challenge myself to film on a mobile phone. So here’s how it all went..
I had my phone that I use everyday, iPhone X, a story, super small cast and crew and that one thing was missing. Focus length - how to get those different shots using smartphone?
After doing some research I approached Sirui Australia, glad to see that Sirui responded and was happy to supply set of lens for my iPhone for my short film.
Let’s look at what comes with Sirui lens kit. If you’re purchasing a kit, it comes in this nice case that not only protects the super tiny phone lens but also for ease of travel.
There are 5 lens inside this case
170 Degrees Fisheye Lens
18mm Wide Angle
60mm Portrait Lens
Macro 10x Lens
And a polariser filter
These lenses build quality are extremely good, let me say I have given them a rough time and they still seem to have no scratch and optical issues!!
There are two different ways of mounting these lens onto your smart phone. You can either get a phone case that already has a mounting point build in or use Sirui Smartphone Lens Clip which is very quick to mount lens to any phone!
In most of the scenarios I ended up using Sirui case for my iPhone X as this was the best solution for my gimbal shots. After all 90% of the shots in Restoration, the short film I shot with these lens were on gimbal.
So getting back to the film, “Restoration” is a short film about a young man, bottle in hand, goes for a test drive with his late father's restored car on a deserted road. The car hits a young woman, he realises she is not badly injured and offers to take her back home. When he reaches his destination, the past suddenly catches up with him.
I shot this entire film within 6 hrs. Let me say this, I am very fussy, I desired a location and that had to be it. We travelled almost 4 hrs each way for to this location in Broke, NSW. My cast and crew were absolutely supportive and I cannot thank them enough.
It’s scary filming a short film on a mobile phone, nowadays phones shoot 4k videos! It was a good challenge.
Before we started filming “Restoration” I also did my research if there were any film festivals still accepting entries. Someone recommended be SF3 film festival.
I edited, done ADR and color grading, submitted the film to the film festival. A few days later I receive the announcement that we have made it to the finals. I also also scheduled to go to Photokina in Cologne Germany with Zhiyun Tech. Keep an eye out for my vlogging video from Sydney to Shenzhen and Germany.
Had to take a 26 hour flight on the last day of photokina to come back to Sydney as “Restoration” was premiered at SF3 film festival at Sydney Opera House where we were awarded Best Cinematography and Best Actor. So proud that a film shot on a mobile phone made to the large screens.
I was quite surprised that “Restoration” looked really nice on the big screen, thanks to Sirui I was able to get those shots I desired.
If you’re a upcoming filmmaker trying to find ways to crack into the market and don’t have the budget to buy dslr and cinemas cameras, lens etc then look no further then your phone in your pocket, it can be quite handy! I mean it got “Restoration” on the big screens that got us awards.
Pickup these Sirui lens as they are great quality, the housing is solid and I believe the price is just right.
And if you’re just a regular smart phone user wanting to expand your creativity, pickup these lens as they will be perfect for your holiday tips, daily commuting and what so ever!
Now, let me make it more interesting, since I am so happy that I made the most out of my mobile phone, I am going to run a giveaway - give away details coming up in the next video!
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Instagram - / rahsharmafilms
Facebook - / rahsharmafilms
Purchase this lens at: sirui-photo.com.au/category/m...
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Rah Sharma
16 ноя 2018
