Quick Tip 09 - Why Mastering iPhone Filmmaking Matters

I don’t think there’s a more divisive topic in filmmaking than what camera gear you use. Everyone swears their own setup is the only way to shoot cinematic films, and honestly, I used to be one of them. When I first bought my RED Epic 10 years ago, I defended it like my life depended on it. Then I switched to the Sony FS7 and suddenly thought REDs were outdated and clunky.

It took me 12 years and a switch to shooting on my iPhone to finally realize that gear doesn’t matter nearly as much as we like to think. The gap between cinema cameras and smartphones is shrinking faster than most people want to admit. Skills matter more than specs, a great filmmaker can create something beautiful on a phone, while a beginner can still get lost behind a $100K rig.

Now, I’m not saying you should completely ditch your current setup, but mastering the camera that’s always with you might just be the biggest creative addition and unlock you’ll ever have. Let me explain why.

The following technicals define great images:

You need to master all of the above to truly be considered a good filmmaker, and there’s only one way to do that: putting in the reps.

There’s no way around it, the more you shoot, the sharper your eye and instincts get.

That’s where your iPhone comes into play. You need to be able to practice anywhere, anytime, not just when you’ve packed your “real” camera.

Walking home from work and the sun peeks through the trees just right? Take the shot. Out with your dog on a misty morning? Take the shot.

Once you start doing this, creativity becomes second nature. You stop waiting for the perfect moment or setup, you start seeing frames everywhere. That’s how you build your eye, your style, and your technical confidence.

Put in the reps with your phone, and you’ll be surprised how fast your filmmaking improves. Take this gained confidence and apply it to your client jobs and projects where it matters!

Don’t have an iPhone? Doesn’t matter. Master your Samsung, Oppo, Google Pixel, whatever camera you’ve got in your pocket. The same filmmaking principles apply across the board. As long as your camera app (or a third-party one) lets you manually control these settings, you’re all set:

If you want a head start on dialing in your iPhone settings, check out this article I wrote on it.

And honestly, depending on your phone, you might not even need a big camera rig anymore, unless you’re after something super specific like ultra slow-motion. Whether it’s for social media, client work, or short films, the latest phones (especially newer iPhones) are fully capable of producing stunning, high-resolution footage that hold up in almost any setting.

The biggest challenge right now isn’t the camera, it’s perception. Clients often need a bit of convincing before they’re comfortable with the idea of a film being shot on a phone. But that mindset is shifting fast, and I’m confident that in the coming years, it’ll become completely normal.

Let’s look at some examples of frames I would have completely missed would I not shoot on my iPhone. All of the below images are shot on my iPhone 16 Pro and completely unplanned and unscripted.

These are just a few examples, you’ll find many more on my Instagram channel!

Now go out and have some fun with whatever camera you have in your pocket, doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a seasoned filmmaker!

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Thanks so much for being here, I genuinely appreciate every single reader.
If you ever have questions or ideas for future issues, feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram!

Until next time,

Stefan

Minimal tools. Maximum creativity.

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