Filmmaking is a branch of magic. Just as with traditional magic, a film magician can make things disappear or cut people in half without hurting them.

Do you want to reverse time, or show the world in black and white, or turn a dog into a cat? Those and other illusions can be done with mobile gear and apps–and on a shoestring budget. But movie magic isn’t limited to special effects. It’s also magic the way filmmakers can combine separate shots into what appears to be continuous action. It’s magic when a director enables a beginning actor to achieve a great performance by doing multiple takes.

Rule 1 of traditional magic is: “Don’t give away the trick.” Showing how a coin vanished makes the magic disappear. But it’s totally different with film magic. Learning the trick doesn’t spoil the effect. To the contrary, when we learn how the moviemaker got an amazing shot, our admiration for the film increases.

This brings us to Anargu, who created Vandangi BTS (behind the scenes)—an show-all documentary about the making of his prize-winning movie Vadrangi. This kind of sharing is not only entertaining, but also empowering: It teaches  us that—with a little imagination, work, and gear—we can create a little movie magic ourselves.

So here’s an invitation: If you’ve shot a short documentary about the making of one of your movies—any genre—we’d love to showcase it. Write us at info@mobilemoviemaking.com.