Most partisans of mobile moviemaking have not claimed that smart video will challenge Hollywood filmmaking. While there’s been astonishing technical progress with both apps and devices, directors eyeing theatrical release almost universally prefer pro equipment. It’s hard to imagine Steven Spielberg or Woody Allen working with an iPhone or an Android.

But what if the road to mass audiences bypasses Hollywood altogether? Evidence that this may be happening is found in a recent New York Times article “Small Screen Is Big Player at Sundance (1/22/15)  In the intriguing piece, Brooks Barnes reports that “Television Becomes a Force at the Sundance Film Festival.” There’s evidence that the goal of many moviemakers is to get a TV or VOD deal.  One producer is quoted as saying, ” “Your local art house cinema is moving to your living room.”

The implication for serious mobile moviemakers is great, because mobile movies are typically a lot closer to what you see on television than what you see on the big screen. In other words, the kinds of projects that are featured at mobile movie festivals, on YouTube, and in this magazine, provide relevant training for creatives who aspire to reach large audiences.