You can bet a lot of studio executives are barking into their cell
phones these days about what the rest of us will soon be able to
see on ours. Sure the video iPod is hip and the
Blackberry has its addicts, but the cell phone is ubiquitous. While
studies still indicate that far fewer than one percent of all U.S. cell
phone subscribers access video on their cells, the race to figure out
how to make engaging content for a 1.5-inch screen is on.
After producing one of the first original cell phone series spin-offs
in the U.S., 24: Conspiracy, Eric Young, founder of
Spark Hill in Burbank, says of the emerging breed of mobisode
producers, "I’m not sure that there are many that have done more than
one." Because he’s honed his "nanoscreen" chops on mobisodes for Mitch
Feinman, VP digital content at Fox Mobile Entertainment, we asked for
some shooting advice. According to the two pioneers, the key concerns
when producing for the 1.5-inch screen are size, speed and light.
"We did a number of fairly wide establishing shots," says Young, "but
we tended to emphasize close-ups and medium shots." On a mobisode, a
four-man crew plus a DP outfitted with a pair of Panasonic DVX-100As is
standard operating procedure. Panning shots, or movement of actors, he
notes, frequently creates lag on the phone screen. As insurance for any
action scene, Young recommends covering with a slowed-down alternate
take. And don’t expect to save money on lighting for mobile shows.
Young says he used the same flotilla of HMIs that would be used on
big-screen shoots, but paid close attention to adjusting contrast
ratios. While his crew aimed to emulate the look of
24, the mobisodes were much lower contrast, with the
brightest brights and the darkest darks only several stops apart.
Young shot in 24p, feeling the frame rate played better on the small
screen, and he had to protect for a more vertical image space. Phones
and other wireless personal electronics often sport screens that are
higher than they are wide. "One of the problems," Young says, "is that
different phones have different aspect ratios. I would say mine is more
like 3:4."
Wearing a studio hat, Feinman says, "While everyone is enamored of
their iPod or Blackberry, there are two billion cell phones around the
world and we’re really trying to focus on that device and content that
might be uniquely crafted for the medium." Young voices the producer’s
POV when he says, "It’s very experimental right now in my opinion, but
I do think that there’s going to be a lot of opportunity."
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