Here’s a suggestion: In addition to thinking up an idea, writing a script, and doing all the other chores filmmakers do, maybe you should get a sponsor for your next smartphone movie project. Follow in the steps of  Sean Baker, the director of the hit mobile shot “Tangerine”. His recently  released short–“Snowbird”–was commissioned by KENZO, the French clothing designer.

You might ask: “Why get a sponsor since one of the great virtues of mobile moviemaking is that it’s cheap?” If you have  a recently manufactured phone or tablet, you’ve got a high-quality camera that a few years ago would have cost you hundreds of dollars to rent or thousands to buy. Same with gear. Same with editing software.

All this is true. And yet, if you could find someone to finance your project, there are things you could do with the cash. You could, for example, hire a professional actor. Or rent a spectacular location. Or pay a composer to write original music. Hey, you could give yourself yourself a stipend, just like Spielberg does.

Admittedly, it’s easier for a director who’s had a smash hit at Sundance to interest a backer like KENZO. So you might have to wait a while. But in every town, there are businesses and organizations that might like the publicity that could come from being associated with one of your projects. If you’re doing a movie about a character who’s going to take a round-the-world cruise, perhaps a local travel agent would toss a few hundred dollars your way to be featured in the movie. Same thing with a local eatery or a hardware store or a medical center.

Of course, you should expect to hear “No” when you make your pitch. It took producer of “Forrest Gump”  10 years to secure the funding for her picture. But if you can show backers a clever story and–better–a well-made sample of your video work, you might get lucky.

We hope you’ll share with us your experiences of seeking a sponsorship for your next mobile movie.