One of the great challenges facing artists is making old subjects seem new. Peter Steele accomplishes this daunting task in “The Bird,” a two-minute animation film about recycling. While the visuals lead the way, pay attention also to the remarkable sound effects. Beyond aesthetics, the ultimate test of this kind of movie is whether or not it changes viewers’ behavior. We predict that it will.

A behind-the-scenes interview with the director follows.

Interview with Peter Steele

MobileMovieMaking: How did you develop your filmmaking skills?

Steele: I’m primarily an actor/puppeteer, and filmmaking is relatively new to me. During the lockdown in early 2021, I made my first film, “ROY,” with a phone and a puppet that I had built. “ROY” was initially shot as a way to pass the time during this strange period, but the film went on to win multiple awards, and from there, my interest in filmmaking grew. Over 12 months I made three short films, two of which were shot with a smartphone. It’s been a huge learning curve and I’ve been watching a lot of tutorials and reading books to expand my knowledge of smartphone filmmaking. Now I’m hooked!

MobileMovieMaking: How did you come up with the idea for “The Bird”?

Steele: The idea of “The Bird” was born out of being asked to work on Dublin Smartphone Film Festival’s Global Film Project. The team in Dublin took a group of filmmakers from around the world to create unique short films that shared the same theme— “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” I started to look at how magpies adorn their nests with shiny trinkets they find. As I ran with that idea, I explored what would happen if the bird was made out of trash and used the discarded items it found to build itself. I took inspiration from the bird sculptures created by an environmental awareness artist called Bordalo II. He constructed huge Egyptian vultures out of the trash that he collected from the sea. Due to my background as a puppeteer, I wanted the bird to be a puppet, plus I think puppetry on film looks amazing and often looks better than CGI. This is especially true if you have a smaller budget.

MobileMovieMaking: How did you prepare for the production?

Steele: I planned the shoot with mood boards and a storyboard. The film had to be under 2 minutes, so I had to be very selective with what shots I used.

MobileMovieMaking: During the production did you encounter any unexpected problems? 

Steele: I didn’t have any major problems as I spent quite a bit of time planning the shoot. I shot the film in autumn, so the days were shorter, but I worked out I could film it in one day. That, however, didn’t quite go to plan. We chose a remote location just outside of Vienna, so we weren’t disturbed by lots of traffic and people. Just as we were filming the last few shots, a farmer appeared and shouted something about having to move on. We soon came to realise that walking straight towards us was a row of men with rifles.

MobileMovieMaking: Well, that sounds major!

Steele: They were hunting and we were right in their path. We thought it best to make it a two-day shoot and come back in the morning.

MobileMovieMaking: Why did you choose to shoot this with a phone?

Steele: I shot “The Bird” on a phone as that was what was required of the project. I want to tell stories that don’t rely on a huge budget, so shooting on a phone is perfect for that. I love the flexibility a phone brings and the ability to shoot almost anywhere. My kit includes a tripod, a Zhiyun Smooth 4 gimbal, and SV Assets lenses, all of which can be packed into a bag and taken anywhere. For me, there are no disadvantages to “shooting on a phone. There are some limitations with cameras on phones, but they’re the perfect tool for what I need.

MobileMovieMaking: Do you have any advice for people who haven’t made movies but would like to try it?

Steele: With phone cameras being so good now, anyone can shoot a film and achieve some incredible results. Just look at some of the films being shot on phones now. For example, Steven Soderbergh, who’s made such major movies as “Erin Brockovich,” “Ocean’s 11,” and “Contagion,” shot “Unseen” on an iPhone and loved the process so much that he chose to shoot “High Flying Bird” on a smartphone too. I had no filmmaking experience when I shot “ROY” and it’s gone on to win several awards and be screened at festivals across the globe. Most recently it was screened at The Irish Film Institute as part of The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival.

MobileMovieMaking: Is there anything you’d like to say about your work?

Steele: I also wrote and directed “The Scaryglow” for Little Angel Theatre in London, which is available to view online. This wasn’t shot on a smartphone but filmed on a Red 4K camera by Inti Rowland, a talented cinematographer in London. For other examples of my work, it’s best to check out my Twitter and Instagram pages. I’m always open to collaborations/commissions, whether that be puppeteering, building puppets, shooting smartphone films, or editing.

MobileMovieMaking: Any new projects that you’re working on?

Steele: I have a couple of ideas for what I want to shoot next with a smartphone but nothing is definite. I know for certain that I’ll continue to use puppets in my work. Unlike some actors, they’re easy to work with and always do as they’re told.

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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “The Bird” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.