The International Mobil Film Festival™ in San Diego awarded Adi Spektor the Runner Up prize for his film, How to Rob a House, shot with an iPhone. As soon as the film opens you already forget the fact that it was shot with an iPhone. That is because Adi Spektor and his team paid a lot of attention to the details. From the sound to the sound effects, the cinematography and the make up, it was all top notch. This is what you expect to watch on TV or the movies. Adi Spektor is an actor and has worked as an actor professionally, and you are going to hear more from him as his latest film is int the works.
It is impressive when an actor gets behind the camera, like Ron Howard who grew up in front of it, and so many others, like the most recent, Tom Cruise. But Adi has stepped into the Director role with his iPhone and not with a big funding effort and an expensive camera which is the conventional way to make movies.
It is so intriguing a story that we asked Adi Spektor if he wouldn’t mind answering some questions to share with you. And we hope that, if you are reading this you will be inspired to give it a try. Read what he shares and you may be inspired.
SBP: As an actor, what brought you to the world of directing and producing films?
Adi: Making my own films gives me more creative freedom to explore different subjects and characters. It also gives me great satisfaction to create something out of nothing.
SBP: How many mobile films have you been a part of and what part did you play? (acting and filmmaking)
Adi: So far I have been involved in three iPhone films:
The Russian Roulette – Producer, Actor
Departure – Actor
How to Rob a House – Writer, Director, Producer, Actor
At the moment I am also in a pre-production of my next iPhone film.
SBP: What was your first experience in a mobile film and what was the film?
Adi: My first involvement in the mobile film arena was actually being on the Jury of the iPhone Film Festival in 2011. I was very impressed with the quality of the films I had an opportunity to watch. I was so inspired that in 2012 I produced “The Russian Roulette” with Conrad Mess. I was also one of the lead actors in the film.
SBP: About your film for MFF2015 “How to Rob a House,” what motivated you to write the screenplay and make the film?
Adi: I always wanted to do a film featuring vampires, but with a twist, something different and unexpected.
One day I came up with an idea of two burglars robbing the house of the vampire without having the slightest clue of who they were robbing. I thought it was a pretty funny concept. I got so excited that I sat down and started writing. After a few hours the first draft was ready. I re-wrote it 11 times and the result is ‘How to Rob a House”.
SBP: How long did pre-production take for your film? Production? Post-production?
Adi: I took me a few months to find a location for the film, since I wanted to make sure that the audience understood how rich the owner of the house was. Production and shooting took two days. Post production about a month.
SBP: How many edits did you need to make to get your film into film festivals? How many festivals did you submit your film to so far? (If you would like to share results that is good too!)
Adi: We have a 44 sec trailer, 5 min version and the full 6 min 44 sec version.
So far the film has been screened in:
Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival in South Korea ( one of 3 films nominated )
Cinephone International Smartphone Film Festival in Barcelona ( Best Script Award)
The FiLMiC Pro International Video Contest (Early Bird Winner)
International Mobil Film Festival in San Diego (Runner Up Award)
iPhone Film Festival in Beverly Hills ( 2nd Place Award)
Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles
Toronto Smartphone Film Festival in Canada
“How to Rob a House” is scheduled to screen in October 2015 at the Polish Film Festival in Seattle and it was also accepted to the International Movie Trailer Festival in Inverness, California .
SBP: During MFF2015 you made a special presentation with a film you produced and Conrad Mess directed, “Russian Roulette”. Did the experience allow you to learn about mobile filmmaking from Conrad Mess? Please share.
Adi: I think that “The Russian Roulette” was a learning experience for both of us (Conrad and I). It was the first film where Conrad actually used a dialogue and for me it was the first time I was involved in the production of the film with an iPhone. Neither of us knew how to go about the sound and iPhone 4s recording quality wasn’t good enough to use it in the film. So we had to ADR the whole film afterwards. Also, the iPhone we were shooting on, didn’t have sufficient memory, so we wasted a lot of time transferring the data to the computer etc.
In producing “The Russian Roulette,” we learned so much from our mistakes. This is why the production of “How to Rob a House” went so smoothly. I also want to add that we didn’t use the Filmic Pro at the time, which made shooting a bit more challenging.
SBP: During MFF2015 you also were invited to present a lecture during the mobile film making workshop. Please share what you shared with the attendees during the workshop in San Diego .
Adi: I shared my experiences working on set, what they should expect, the ABC of the iPhone film making, the gadgets I used and how I approached different aspects of mobile film making. It was my personal experience and thanks to other gifted filmmakers speaking at the workshop, the audience could get the bigger picture on the subject. Everyone does things a bit differently, they have different styles, different approaches, and different mindsets.
SBP: Please share your experience in San Diego for the International Mobil Film Festival.
Adi: The Mobil Film Festival in San Diego is one of those events, where the organizers are super passionate about what they doing. I spent two days there and from the beginning I felt like I was part of the family. There were numerous activities – newbies had a chance to learn about the film making process and filmmakers were able to interact and exchange experiences. To top off the weekend there was a red carpet event and a fashion show.
SBP: What would you say to professional filmmakers, actors and other pro’s in the film industry to inspire them to give mobile film making a try?
Adi: I think that seasoned professional filmmakers already know what they are doing. I would rather inspire upcoming filmmakers to take action and shoot a film with their mobile phone. Its inexpensive and with today’s technology the possibilities are endless. In fact, the iPhone 6 is being compared to a DSLR camera. A mobile phone camera is also very easy to use. Too many people wait for the “right” camera, for the “right” moment… Don’t wait, you can create awesome projects using your mobile phone.
SBP: What is in the plans for Adi Spektor in the world of mobile films?
Adi: I am currently in pre-production for my next film. We should be shooting within the month and I’m looking forward to getting on the set. I believe my film will be a bit controversial to some. A little controversy makes one wonder and think. That’s all I will say for now. Stay tuned!
SBP: We will definitely stay tuned! What are your latest non-mobile film projects?
Adi: My latest non-mobile film project is “Cranium Intel” which is an animated live action film. The production style of this film reminds me of “Avatar”. I have seen a few stills from the film and they look amazing. I’m excited to have been involved in this film.
*Cranium Intel is scheduled to be released May 22 2016. The production company behind the film is: Royal Middleton Publishing.
SBP: Thanks for sharing these awesome stills with us! Anything else you’d like to share?
Adi: It seems to me that mobile filmmaking is becoming more and more popular. The quality of the cameras are getting better and better, and films like: “Tangerine” and “Departure” prove that the sky is the limit. I hope there will be more projects like this in the near future.
And we wholeheartedly agree with Adi Spektor about the emergence of mobile filmmaking in the mainstream. Pretty soon it could be you!
As a special treat watch “How to Rob a House.”
Film Credits : Written and Directed by Adi Spektor
Director of Photography: Scott Baker
Special Make-Up FX Supervisor: Thomas E. Surprenant
Music by Aldon Baker
Actors: Adi Spektor, Dave Vescio & Amato D’Apolito & Peter Wrobel
You may learn more about Adi Spektor by following him on social media and taking a look at his IMDB profile.
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