Allen Bronstein is a professional videographer, the author of Make iPhone Movies Everyone Loves, and the director of content at MobileMovieMaking magazine.

MMM: How did you decide to make this video?

Allen: Out of curiosity I attended the Day of the Dead celebration at our local community center. I had not planned on doing any filming, but I always have my camera—I mean my phone—with me.  I was immediately impressed by the lighting of the event, the sculptures, the dancing, the music, the costumes, and the performers’ makeup. I had to record it.

MMM: Before you started shooting, did you have a plan for what the finished movie might be like?

Allen: I had arrived late, and the dancers’ performance was already underway. I especially liked the drum accompaniment. So the only planning I did was to decided to record one of the songs, knowing that I could then use the staccato beat of the drumming to edit the whole piece to.

MMM: So you’re saying that sound drove the production?

Allen: In my opinion sound is always half the picture. In this case, I knew that I would be able to combine the images with the music and come up with something interesting.

MMM: Can you say something about the sequence of shots? For example, what made you start with the skeleton and end with the three girls?

Allen: I knew I wanted to end with the Three Angles, who for me, represented the embodiment of spirit and continuation of life.

MMM:  Did you use any gear during the shooting?

Allen: I always recommend using a tripod or a steadicam-type device. But in this case, I had no equipment with me except the camera, so all the shots were handheld. That isn’t ideal, but it was better than missing the opportunity to capture the moment.

MMM: How did you create the dancing-letters effect for the title?

Allen:  I used an Apple Graphics animation app called Motion.  After I chose the typeface,  there was just one click to add the movement to the type.

MMM: This is an ultra-short mini-doc. Did you start out intending to make a movie less than a minute, or were there artistic considerations?

Allen:  I had no specific plan in mind about the length of the piece, except that I wanted to convey the energy, excitement, and power of the event.