As Nokia Shorts 2011 asks for your stories, we thought we’d tell you some inspiring New York tales on the art of making mobile motion pictures.
In The State of Mobile Filmmaking, published in a recent post, Blake Whitman, Vimeo’s Vice President of Creative Development, told us it’s high times for filmmakers as HD camera phone footage frees up creativity. In this second take, Brooklyn-based Blake shares his love of filming in his native New York. Whether it’s an iconic wide shot of the Manhattan skyline or an intimate moment riding the subway, Blake talks up the thrill of shooting life in the big city on a small rig.
Blake Whitman, Vice President of Creative Development at Vimeo: There’s just so much raw humanity in New York that it’s impossible not to capture something amazing.
In search of that “New York moment” Sami Joensuu set out, armed only with a Nokia N8, a $20 monopod, and a cab fare. Sami, a frequent visitor to NYC, believes filmmaking is not about the right gadget for the technically perfect shot; it’s about stories. He says: “if a story holds us and speaks to us, even for one minute, we’ve made our way into the heart of filmmaking”. Taking mobile storytelling quite literally here, we sit in the back with Sami as he shows us why A New York Cab Driver Has The Most Beautiful Office In The World.
Sami Joensuu, director and filmmaker, takes a moment in the back of a Yellow Cab and comes away with this souvenir of New York. Shot on Nokia N8.
If you have a moment to share or a story to tell, pitch it to Nokia Shorts 2011. This joint production with Vimeo awards innovation in mobile filmmaking. Eight filmmakers’ mobile movies will premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival, with the Nokia Shorts 2011 Jury Prize & $10,000 cash going to the best mobile motion picture. Pitch your idea by 17th April. Good luck!