Movies that travel back in time are usually expensive to produce. This is true whether the time frame is centuries (“Ben Hur”) or just decades (“Back to the Future”). Finding appropriate clothing and objects can be challenging.  But in “Good Ole Days,” mobile moviemaker Ayesha Jordan demonstrates that recreating the past is possible even on a shoestring budget. In the following interview, Ayesha takes us behind the scenes, revealing her process, which includes not only directing the movie but also playing two key roles.

Interview with Ayesha Jordan

MMM: How did you become a mobile movie maker? Did you take classes or teach yourself?

AYESHA: I became a mobile movie maker, by experimentation. My first ever short film was shot on my first ever owned camera phone which was a Coral 356 at that time. I was playing around with the phone and the thought came that maybe I could find a way to put the video clips together and create a story out of it. Surprisingly I was able to do so using windows movie maker with no prior training, which is where it all started.

MMM: What equipment and software did you use to make your movie?

AYESHA: “Trash to Treasure” was shot using a I Pod touch . I then edited the film with Adobe Premiere Pro.

MMM: Why did you decide to use a mobile device rather than a traditional video camera?

AYESHA: I chose to use a mobile device rather than a camera because it was part of the rules of the EYE WANT CHANGE competition that I entered.

 MMM: How did you think up the idea for this movie?

AYESHA: The idea for the movie was inspired by the theme of the competition, at the Trinidad and Tobago Smartphone Film Festival as this was the film that won the first place award. The old time days resonated well for me. The idea came quickly as I would usually think of how much the use of technology would enhance our lifestyle and yet take from the core values and morals of society in times gone by.  From my point of view there has been a drastic change that has taken place because we are somewhat now detached from some important things that have been lost due to the advancement of technology. This was the story I believed I could tell to showcase some of that. I chose the characters because the entire story was from my point of view, a child growing up looking at aspects from the elements of disciplining, folklore and even the type of child’s play of that time and also some of the vales that were instilled back then.

MMM: Where was the movie shot?

AYESHA: At my home and environs as it was also a no budget film.

MMM: During the production did you encounter any big challenge?

AYESHA: There were many challenges such as not having actors, trying to train the children to act their roles, as they would sometimes get tired of repeating their lines at times. Using an ipod touch, handheld, to shoot the film which fell several times and broke, luckily it still worked! Sourcing items such as utensils things of that era, that would enhance the time settings of the film and also the use of limited resources to shoot.

MMM: What advice would you give to someone who would like to shoot mobile movies?

AYESHA: Utilize the resources that you have and to make it work. In the age of modern technology, things are a lot more advanced and affordable with reference to filmmaking. It’s not an impossible task to make a movie, as good cameras are conveniently made to fit in the palm of your hands. So I would say, the power to change the world is now in the palm of your hands so use it.

MMM: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about your work?

AYESHA: All of my short films thus far has been made with little and at times no budget and done without a crew. I believe in never limiting yourself, following your heart and your passions no matter what it is, and using what you have to do what you need to do by the Grace of God. As an independent filmmaker alot of the times you end up taking on many roles in your production and sometimes you are a “rebel without a crew” in so speaking. So in most cases, you may have to adapt and train yourself to do such a thing. Due to lack of having actors and it being a low budget film, I took on a double role of both mother and grandmother, just so I could complete and make the film into a reality. It was not however a hard task to accomplish as I did it times before.

MobileMovieMaking earlier featured Ayesha’s “Trash to Treasure” as a Mobile Movie of the Week. You can keep up with her work on her Facebook page.