Digital films for mobile phones: Crossing the digital threshold

Digital films are making headway in the Philippines. For one, the technology offers filmmakers the opportunity to film at lower costs at a time when big-budget Hollywood blockbusters and Asian horror flicks are ruling the box office.

In the 19th Singapore International Film Festival last April, special focus was given on the Philippine digital film revolution. No other regional country has taken so readily to digital cinema and the country produced over 30 digital features last year, 40 percent of its annual output.

Golden opportunity

Digital film technology opens doors even for small-time directors. Almost anyone can pick up a digital video (DV) camera and shoot to their heart’s content. It makes filmmaking more accessible, allowing a greater number of creative talents to rise.

Film festivals and contests like the Smart Cuts digital short film competition are great venues for independent filmmakers. And with new technology being developed constantly, viewing these films is no longer limited to the theater or home entertainment system. Three award-winning works of student filmmakers, for example, can currently be viewed on the cellphone through Smart 3G’s video streaming service.

Armed with their cameras and a great story to tell, the students shot 60-second digital short films that won in this year’s campus-based Smart Cuts digital short film competition.

"You need to invest money, and more often than not, you don’t earn it back," says first-placer, Jopay Guillermo, of filmmaking. "But when people respond to your work, when they compliment you, and when you win competitions, then you realize that all the hard work was worth it."

A fourth year Fine Arts student at UP, Guillermo made a short film called Wala Ka sa Lola Ko. Other winning entries include Kotse-kotsehan by James Amparo, a UP Mass Communications student, and Batang Pinoy by friends JC Gallegos, Tara Perez, JJ Pangilinan, and Jackie Buenafe of De La Salle University Manila.

"We want to encourage young filmmakers to generate quality materials that can be part of our Smart 3G content," says Ramon Isberto, Smart public affairs head. "Video streaming is one of the most popular Smart 3G services. Right now, subscribers with 3G-capable phones can watch TV shows of ABS-CBN 2 and GMA 7 either live or through video clips."

A Smart subscriber with a 3G-capable phone can view the winning entries by going to the Smart 3G portal and clicking the Video Clips category.

"In the long run, we hope that Smart Cuts will generate a niche market for independent short films among our subscribers and at the same time, make Smart 3G an alternative venue for young filmmakers to showcase their talents," adds Isberto.

Smart first launched Smart Cuts in 2004. Winning entries were screened at the 2nd .MOV Film Festival in Cebu City with an animation entry entitled Putek by Ramon del Prado, a La Salle Communications Arts graduate and Theresa Clamor, a UP film student, winning the top prize.

Why shift to digital?

In time, we shall see if the surging interest and support for digital films can truly revitalize Philippine cinema in the long run. Analysts and experts from the film industry say it will take some time (not to mention encounter some resistance) before digital can truly replace analog. Nevertheless, the advantages of digital film technology are too good to pass.

By using DV cameras, shooting a movie becomes less costly. Film is expensive, whereas DV tapes are very affordable. In addition, film has to be processed before it can be viewed and edited. DV cameras virtually eliminate the waiting time, allowing you to see and manipulate the results right away.

Digital technology has also revolutionized the post-production stage through non-linear editing technology. Various digital media creation tools such as Avid, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Sony Vegas 6 can be used for post-editing.

Transmitting digital films to theaters is also faster and cheaper. Instead of making a film print and shipping it to different locations for screening, USA Today says a digital film is transmitted through encrypted signals via satellite. It can also be distributed in the form of high-resolution DVDs or by saving it on a portable hard drive.

Going truly mobile

With more mobile phones equipped with higher resolution video capacity, digital films are going truly mobile. Last year, Discovery Networks Asia and Nokia made headways when it launched the Mobile First Time Filmmakers Contest 2005 where participants submitted entries filmed using their mobile phones. Two Filipinos eventually emerged winners – with Janice Yu bagging the grand prize and Manuel Osting’s entry being cited for "Best Editing."

Digital is the next step in cinematic evolution. Digital cinemas with digital projectors and computer servers have opened and will open soon in countries like the United States, China and the United Kingdom.

Aside from the film distributors, digital film clips or short films are being introduced by wireless service providers like Smart Communications. This is made possible with the launch of the third-generation mobile networks or 3G.

Soon, with more technologies coming in the way, others will surely follow suit as cinema’s digital revolution gradually takes the world.