Emulating the Masters: NYC Through an iPhone, Safdie Brothers Style

With technology right at our fingertips and free editing software, I currently use CapCut on my mac book pro laptop, and love it. Alongside with the free Blackmagic Camera App where you have lots of freedom to manipulate your ISO, Frame Rate, Shutter Angle and lots more, I have no reason to film almost on a daily basis.

As my recent 24 second still life films inspired by Tarvosky and Kairostami, I intend to film some more of these contemplative, melodic moments. I personally find them to be tranquil and refreshing.

Since I work in NYC – there's a myriad of colors and life buzzing. So…

I shot a short film with my iPhone 15 Pro

The settings I used while recording in the Black Magic Camera app are: 24fps, shutter angle at 180degrees, and underexposed by 1 stop, shot in daylight (5600k), and used a LUT which applies a “look”…

One of the perks while filming in NYC you inevitably will run into another filmmaker, who allowed me to film him, while shooting a project for a client, much thanks to Tim Hughes. You can follow him on IG at @Wefilmooh – he also made it in the final cut!

Once I air drop the footage from my phone to my laptop, I bring the footage into CapCut (it's free).  Looking at the footage I knew I wanted it to resemble and feel like a mash up between Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer were running and gunning it on the street. 

I found music and slowly begin to assemble the footage into what it is. I got rid of a lot of the audio and swapped it out to give it a heightened  tension to it. I saturated the color and applied “particles” to give it a film grain and boosted the “contrast” “blacks” and underexposed a bit, not much. I knocked out the final edit pretty much in a day. This was a lot of fun and want to keep making more films along the lines of the Sadie Brothers meets Scorcese, meets Derek Cianfrance… 

A Project For You

Wherever you are, go create a quick short film with your iPhone and post it on IG and tag me @melvinthehermit – I really want to see what you create. It can be anything that you find inspiring. I present to you my latest short.