According to an old saying: “Life gives us tragedy. If we want comedy, we have to create it ourselves.” Finding laughter in everyday activities takes imagination and hard work. When done well, it looks natural and even easy. As an example, consider Irish filmmaker Simon O’Neill’s short piece about an audition video. O’Neill cautions us that the language is “salty.” There are no bleeps.
MMM: How did you develop your moviemaking skills? Did you go to film schools or teach yourself?
Simon: I went to The Institute of Art Design & Technology (IADT.IE) in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.
MMM: Where did you get the idea for TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF?
Simon: The lead actress Samia Rida got the idea for the film when she was discussing the horrors of ‘self-taping’ with other actors. She wrote the script and we decided it would be a pretty achievable movie to make. I made some minor changes to the script and we decided to go and shoot it.
MMM: Why did you decide to make this movie using a smartphone?
Simon: For this particular story—about an actor who has to ‘self-tape’ on his iPhone—it made perfect sense to shoot it on an iPhone for authenticity. I had also noticed there were festivals springing up for films shot on an iPhone, so I thought it would be worthwhile. We actually shot on a Cannon D5 too but didn’t end up using any of the footage, just the video and sound from the iPhone 4S.
MMM: How do you plan your movies?
Simon: In addition to the script—which is essential—I make a shotlist. Ideally, I will also scribble out a storyboard too.
MMM: Could you say something about why you framed the movie vertically rather than horizontally?
Simon: It is always slightly annoying when people frame their movies vertically, although I see there is more of a move for people to accommodate this format (http://digiday.com/platforms/time-take-vertical-video-seriously/). But we wanted to show that the actor recording his audition was a bit hapless with technology, which was another reason for his growing irritation, so shooting vertically seemed to emphasise this.
MMM: How did you assemble your team?
Simon: I have made films with the actors—Guy & Samia—before, so casting was easy. The crew was just me and the director of photography (DOP), Robbie Ryan.
MMM: Did you encounter any unexpected difficulties in the production—during the shoot or post?
Simon: No. It was the easiest shoot I’ve ever done. It probably took three hours or so from start to finish. I edited the film on my laptop using iMovie.
MMM: Do you have any advice for people who are just starting out making mobile movies?
Simon: The same rules apply as for any movie. The fact that it is shot on an iPhone will become less important over time. Concentrate on the story.
MMM: Can you let us in on your next project?
Simon: Afraid not. It’s top secret!
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You can learn more about Simon’s work at http://www.simononeill.org and by following him at https://twitter.com/Sim_ONeill
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