At the heart of every successful movie is a message, which can usually be expressed in a few words, known as a logline.  Take “Jurassic Park”: “Don’t mess with genetics.” Or “Casablanca”: “Duty comes before love.” Or “The Incredible Shrinking Man”: “There’s a heroic challenge for every single person.” Stating the theme this way enables the filmmaker to produce a coherent video that is more likely to resonate with audiences. This technique works as well with short projects as with features as we see in Jon M. Chu’s mini-doc, “Somewhere.” Chu’s message is stated explicit onscreen: “Somewhere someone is practicing.”

Chu, director of the hit feature “Crazy Rich Asians,” made this short film exclusively for WIRED using the new Apple iPhone XS Max. Chu shot and edited the film himself, shooting handheld in available light and using only the native camera app and default stabilizer, without any additional crew or equipment. The film stars Los Angeles break dancer  Luigi Rosado.

As you’d expect from a master filmmaker, Chu shows off a variety of techniques in “Somewhere.” Tricks to look for include bird’s-eye shots, worm’s-eye shots, split screen, practical lights (the window  seen above the garage). You can find a behind-the-scenes article on the making of “Somewhere” at Wired.  For more information about Chu, you can follow him at Twitter.

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Developing a logline works with every genre. For example, if you’re making a commercial for your cousin’s bakery, the logline “Everyone loves this place” will suggest the kinds of shots you need to get. If you’re shooting a mini-doc about a local school, the logline “Our teachers work hard” could provide the framework you need. If you’ve shot a short mobile video based on a clear, distinctive logline, tell us about it by emailing info@mobilemoviemaking.com

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“Somewhere” was chosen as a Mobile Movie of the Week by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com