Screening Our Smartphone Films in Berlin

We all dream of screening our films to a packed house at a premium cinema. But let’s face it, the chances of this happening are, for most of us, pretty slim. But a small, intimate screening before a live audience can be a very rewarding experience, for both filmmakers and viewers.

This year I shot my first 2 short films on smartphones (Android). Zoe, who played the lead character in the first one (You Have Been Chosen), arranged a few screenings – one of which was in Berlin, last Saturday. Francisco, who played a character in the second (ReGen), and Andrea, joined from Switzerland.

Muse, ‘Pop-Up’ Cinema

We had wonderful hosts, who have been running the restaurant for 5 years. In the basement they have set up a small “pop-up” screen, with enough space for about 20 people. Although over 20 had booked for the screening, quite a few didn’t show up. This is one of the major problems with a free screening (or any free event). People will book a seat with the best of intentions, but even charging £1 can have a dramatic effect on people’s commitment to attending.

I arrived 20 minutes before the first screening, with the films on a flash drive. We uploaded them to the MacBook connected to the small overhead projector. The USB adapter for the Mac didn’t work, the drive wasn’t showing up. Luckily, I had a Dual USB drive with both Type-A and Type-C connectors, which I bought so I could dump video files directly from my Samsung S9. The smaller Type-C connected went directly into the Mac and was then recognised.

We did a quick test and the picture looked nice and crisp – we’re talking about a screen no bigger than a large TV. Once enough people had shown up, they were encouraged down to the screening by the host. Not including those of us involved in the films, we had about 10 people watching.

A Live Audience

When showing my films to a live audience, I find it difficult to think positively. As the film plays, all I can imagine is everyone is sitting there thinking “what is this awful rubbish?” and wishing they could leave. When the film finished the audience were asked if they wanted to watch the 2nd episode – awkward silence. Thankfully, one woman decided to be decisive, “Show the next one”.

To my eyes, You Have Been Chosen had some ‘noise’, while ReGen had none that I could see, even in the low light scenes. So my decision not to use the lens clip which obscured the exposure meter which I used in the first definitely paid off, in that respect. Lesson 1: to avoid noise you really do need that manual exposure control.

After the screenings, we had a quick Q & A. There was interest in whether the smartphone choice was creative or to simply to save money. The answer is both. I talked about how we shot a 4 minute scene in ReGen from start to finish, in 10 long takes, with me moving the camera instinctively (rather than setting up any particular shot). Someone said they were blown away by the films and the unique stories they depicted.

Getting Feedback

It’s wonderful to hear that kind of comment from a stranger about your work. When I worked in a cinema, I realised people coming to watch films had often already decided they liked the film before they’d seen it. That was when I understood the powerful effect of marketing. Also, there’s a common psychological effect that if you pay for something, your brain wants to believe you didn’t waste your money so you are more likely to see that thing positively.

Therefore, the toughest test of any film is screening it to people who have no idea who you are or how your work is perceived by others, and who haven’t paid to be there (ie: if something is free, the instinctive assumption is it must be worthless).

That’s why, when I’ve done these small screenings in the past, a positive response is often mixed with surprise: “I thought this was going to suck, but actually it was really great!”

What do you think about screening your work?

While a lot of us are now focused on online distribution, is there still a purpose for theatrical screenings? Do you think they justify the time and expense?

This weekend, I travelled to Berlin to show my films to about 12 people. On YouTube, my films get about 1000 “views” per day. That’s why I thought of the trip as a chance to meet some old friends and have some fun.

Having said that, there is something human about being in a room with a group of people, sharing something and talking about it, face to face. When everything you do is online, you lose that and your work can feel like a bit of a thankless task. With your mind centred on acquiring ever more likes, views, comments and subscribes, it can often feel like a thirst that can never be quenched.

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