MobileMovieMaking: How did you connect with Seth Miller?

Nalbone: We are life long best friends! I first met Seth when I moved here in 1999 and we’ve been friends ever since.

MobileMovieMaking: How did you come up with the concept for the video.

Nalbone: I came up with the idea simply by my inspiration from “Stranger Things.”  I love the show and all of it cinematic aesthetics.  This was no-budget and quick so I had to align my concept with what we had to use, which was Seth’s studio at his home and whatever we could find lurking in the dark at a nearby nature trail.

MobileMovieMaking:  How did you plan the shoot?

Nalbone: Ironically all of my videos have some type of preproduction and whatever storyboarding I can conjure up with my doodling skills. However, this one was completely unscripted, formed from live creativity in the moment. With that being said, it’s not the best method when you’re trying to tell a story but if it’s done right no one can know the difference!

MobileMovieMaking: Can you tell us anything about the locations?

MobileMovieMaking:  What gear did you use?

Nalbone: Some people don’t believe me but with a steady hand and the new iPhone 13’s excellent ibis system I didn’t need a gimbal or stabilizer. This was all done by hand.  For lighting I used one RGB outside the window and set it to solid red.  In the studio I wanted to create a glow on the subject, but not light him up completely so we bumped up the brightness on the monitors and I set one key light 8 feet high out of frame to just give a little edge on the hair and shoulders. However I wanted it to expand the atmosphere of the studio affect so I left the light stand in clear view. You may notice it when you watch the video now.  To create depth of field I periodically just ran the fog machine I got from Amazon and wafted it around the room to give it some haze.

MobileMovieMaking: What are the advantages of shooting with a mobile device rather than a traditional camera?

Nalbone: Ah yes this is one of the most common conversations among filmmakers and photographers alike. And I could go all day.  Basically both a mobile phone and a traditional camera have their own advantages and disadvantages.  But now more than ever some of these flagship phones give you the opportunity right out of the box to create something worthy of festivals, ads, content, etc.  There’s companies like Moment and Beast grip that provide exceptional quality lenses you can attach to your phone and blow peoples minds with the results. Honestly with the exception of low light, you can shoot almost any production with a smart phone.  It really just comes down to how you’re telling the story with your camera movement, angles, composition light and sound. And of course your production value will climb when you upgrade to anything like a DSLR, Full frame mirrorless or cinema camera. Using these cameras though takes a whole other level of understanding the dynamics of your equipment.  But if you are truly a filmmaker then that learning curve will feel like a new adventure.  I personally shoot on Sony and love it!

Nalbone: About five hours.  We spent about two hours indoors and ran through the song about six times with a different angle each time. Then we spent an hour driving around till we figured that we wanted to go to the Palmetto Trail and spent another two hours there.

MobileMovieMaking: During the shoot, did you encounter any unexpected problems?

Nalbone: If I’m being completely honest?  The whole shoot felt like a problem because we were winging it with no plan and I set my expectations low until I got home, dumped the files and realized I actually had something I could work with!  Then when I started editing I took a step back and said, this might actually be a good video for what I got!

MobileMovieMaking: Can you talk about your method for directing Seth?

Nalbone: Because we are best friends my method was as simple as being ourselves!  So for the shoot when I give Seth direction it’s usually in reference to something we experienced together and he instantly clicks and knows what to do. However this is not a proven method when working with new clients, actors, crew etc. Not everyone will understand your jokes lol. It’s all about your comfort zone and what comes naturally don’t be afraid to emphasize your vision just don’t push it hard and confuse everyone.  And always be open for other peoples creative minds and ideas. There’s always something to kick it up a notch that you don’t think of.

MobileMovieMaking: What was your process in editing the video?

Nalbone: I do all my editing in the latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro. First thing I always do is dump the files in a folder I’ve created for that project.  (ALWAYS dump your files asap after your shoots. Losing your entire shoot to the laundry machine will have you questioning your existence as a filmmaker.  Like you will feel really stupid when it happens.)  Then I go through them watching each one beginning to end trimming down the good ones and trashing the duds.  Always name each movie file.  Nothing is worse than a timeline full of the movie files that are just numbers and gibberish. This takes up so much freaking time but it’s worth it and trains you to be a better editor and treat your footage with respect.  After that I’ll trash anything that needs trashing then consolidate all the shots. Exterior goes in the exterior folder, interior goes in the interior folder etc.  After that I open up Adobe, drag my sound file to the time line and and go with what I’m watching in my head.  I’ll start pulling clips out of my interior and exterior folders arranging them till it starts to flow.  This process goes back-and-forth for a while because I’m very critical with myself and sometimes I’ll completely scratch a sequence and start over.

MobileMovieMaking: Is there anything else you want to say about the production?

Nalbone: I hope it makes its rounds for the whole world to see because the song is great and comes from a very talented artist! Also, I really just want to create things for people to enjoy and be inspired by.  My goal in film is to produce and direct a major motion picture for the big screen before I’m 70.  I feel like cinema is not quite what it used to be. Some of the greatest filmmakers of my time are reaching the end of their careers or have passed away. So who will fill in the void?  It’s definitely not Marvel! (There, I said it)