Los Angeles mobile moviemaker Ian Leer has won the People’s Choice Award in the Preview 2020 Video Contest. Shot on an iPhone 11 Pro, the 60-second movie predicts that stress and anxiety will remain with us as we rush into the future.

Leer’s prize is a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software, a tool favored by 95% of the writers of feature movies and television shows. Final Draft, which works on computer and on smartphones, is the software used by the staff of MobileMovieMaking.

Leer came to directing through acting. As he explains, “The original plan was limited to making a name for myself in front of the camera” But unwilling to passively wait around for opportunities to act, Leer started writing short films for himself and working with other filmmakers to get them made. This led to working behind the camera where he discovered a passion for filmmaking.

The actor-turned-filmmaker developed his skills in a variety of ways including film school and tutorials found on sites such as   “No Film School “and “Film Riot.” He also relied on the ancient learning method of trial and error.

Leer mentions a number of reasons for shooting with a phone. “The greatest advantages are convenience and instant availability.  Stories can be captured virtually anywhere nowadays, and the technological advancements seen in the iPhone cameras enhanced by the FiLMiC Pro camera app make it competitive with expensive high-end video cameras.”

You can see “8:20” and the other entries in the Preview 2020 Video Contest on the contest’s Instagram page.

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The Preview 2020 Video Contest is one of a series of competitions created by MobileMovieMaking Magazine to encourage experimentation. We’re grateful for the support provided by Final Draft and other companies that produce filmmaking resources.