Why Use Screen Capture and Phone Technology To Film An Advert?
When you think of recording a video, or shooting a film, you’d normally picture those big, bulky cameras that the professionals use. But what if you can still capture the same quality of video on your phone? Or even using your own laptop and computer? Nowadays, modern technology is evolving to the point where you can shoot a film or an advert on your own smartphone or record your own podcast with your computer’s audio. You can even use pre-made filters and make up your own, with just a few clicks on your phone. So, you don’t even have to use those complicated colour grading software, professional video editors use. With so much on offer, here are a few reasons why you can use screen capture and phone technology to film an advert.
In 2022 Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, The Handmaiden, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) was hired by Apple to shoot a short film using their iPhone 13.
Zeitgeist And Current Affairs
One of the most obvious reasons why you should use screen capture and phone technology, to film an advert, is because of the current environment. With so many people under lockdowns, or forced to remain quarantined in their own homes, using webcam, video calling, and screen share technology is quickly becoming the norm. So, why not take advantage of that? Use your ingenuity and keep up with the zeitgeist and trends of the modern age.
Despite lockdowns lifting, and many people returning to life similar to those pre-lockdown days, many still live in fear knowing that the pandemic could hit them hard. So, many people still work from home, and creating an advert to reflect this is a great marketing technique, because it still addresses those who are still quarantined. Using screen capture, or even smartphone technology can help enhance your advert, and bring it into the future. After all, that’s where technology is headed, and the film industry should be too.
Who Needs Cameras?
Every year new smartphones are released, and with those newest models, come better recording and editing equipment. Just as The Guardian, from the UK claims, it’ll herald a new age in cinema. After all, with professional filmmakers confined to the four walls of their mansions and villas, how else are they going to make their money? Using a smartphone, or screen capture technology, can be the new norm in storytelling. Just take a look at the BAFTA-winning documentary Missed Call (2018).
The documentary uses almost entirely home-video footage, and screen capture technology to tell the story about a boy who’s trying to reconnect with his absentee father. Although it was created just before the pandemic, it shows just how impactful screen capture technology can be, for a film like this. Seeing the sentences being typed up, and then erased is a great metaphor for the thought process of the person who is typing up the message.
Teach With The Advert, Not A Manual
Nowadays, people are becoming more video visual, so written manuals, with paragraphs of writing are starting to be redundant, since people can find video tutorials on YouTube or other social media platforms. They can see someone fixing the problem they have, without having to decipher what a sentence means or what a picture means. So, why not include a short tutorial on what potential customers need to do.
Not only that, but with the advent of TikTok and other short video formats, like Instagram Stories & Reels, videos are becoming shorter and faster, with the basics explained very quickly. So, why not include that in your adverts too! Having a short, simple, and easy answer will make sure your audience is hooked to your advert, and they learn how easy and quick a service is.
Phones & VR Headsets Are The New Screens
Nowadays, with phone cameras and webcams improving their capacity and ability to record videos and take pictures, there really does seem to be less point in using bulky cameras to make a film. Not only that, but viewing screens are becoming smaller. What with Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, you can watch a film just about anywhere. So, why bother with those ULED and 4K cameras, when the resolution on your phone might not render those videos anyway?
Think about it this way, the Apple MacBook now has an M1 chip, one of the fastest processing chips in computer technology, and even Samsung, Asus and other laptop brands are following suit. So, high quality videos can be captured anywhere, and with anything. Not only that, but VR and AR technology are still on the rise. And as RedSharkNews reports, videos and movies may just veer into that immersive direction. So, instead of watching a movie in 3D, or on a screen, the audience will literally be in the movie, chasing after runaway cars, or floating in space. So, the TV screen will soon be a thing of the past.
Lighter Equipment, Less Power
The last thing you need to consider, when choosing to use your smartphone, or screen capture technology, is the amount of power you need. With regular cameras, or those big and bulky ones that major studios use, you’ll need a constant source of power. So, they’ll need to be plugged in all the time, and you can bet those wires are going to be a hazard that could cause an accident. But using a smartphone won’t cost you those extra insurance fees at all.
You can even use a portable charger to keep your phone going, while you’re shooting for hours on end. Not only that, your phone will need less power than a Canon DSLR or a Sony A7. Not only that it doesn’t take long for a smartphone to charge, maybe an hour at most, and they can last at the very least, 4 hours with constant use. So, you can’t go wrong with a smartphone. Not to mention, selfie sticks, steady-cam technology and even drones are now being made to accommodate smartphones, so instead of strapping your camera operator with a heavy harness, they can use the ball-bearing equipment with minimal effort, especially if you’re shooting on location, and in uneven terrain.
Tangerine (2015) and Unsane (2018) are critically acclaimed exampled of phone-cinematography. Since their releases, technology has leaped even further.
Last April, Jefferies tasked us to produce a short video where 15 testimonials from 12 different cities around the globe would share the milestones achievements of their respective offices. Due to the travel restrictions and other limitations it was decided that each speaker would be recorded using iPhones. Guidelines and trainings were set in place to make sure that the content was standardised to the maximum extent possible. The video was then stitched together into a motion graphic template.
Have a look at the Jefferies Around The World video below:
