There’s something exciting about a talented director picking up a new piece of equipment and giving it the test run everyone else is thinking about. We reported earlier about Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong shooting a short film (30 minutes) entirely on their iPhone (or maybe one they borrowed from a friend after asking politely), and now a teaser reel of footage is online.
Is it interesting that Park used a piece of technology that’s probably in your pants right now to make his movie? Yes. Is it even cooler that he got it into the Berlin Film Festival? Sure. Would it be even better if he’d used a more traditional camera so the movie didn’t look so bad? Definitely.
I’m all for innovation and experimentation. It’s the cornerstone of art and it’s a cornerstone that’s to be defended and celebrated no matter what the outcomes.
However, this footage (even with the level of professionalism behind the camera) looks crappy. The iPhone is not replacing the RED (or 35mm for that matter) any time soon.
On the brighter side, it’s an important lesson and catalyst for amateur filmmakers out there. Have an iPhone? You, too, can have a movie made up of grainy imagery.
Thoughts?
