Ghost: Brilliant Feature Shot in London on iPhone 8 – Interview
This year we (MoMo FF) received a number of fantastic feature films. In fact, we received so many great ones we will not be able to show them all. Unfortunately, the length of these films combined with our limited resources means we couldn’t show Ghost, despite being a fantastic achievement.
The film is a tough but warm-hearted crime drama. And as a Londoner of over 50 years myself, I found this film really captures a truth of the city. But it’s a powerful work, and not just because it was shot on 2 iPhones.
“On his first day of freedom, a grizzled ex-con must reconnect with his troubled, conflicted son before his violent past catches up with them.”
We have been running a series of interviews with smartphone filmmakers (and not only those who made selected films). We asked the writer/director of Ghost – Anthony Z James – to tell us more about the film.
What is the story behind your film?
Since losing my father a few years ago I was compelled to tell a story about my relationship with him through the lens of a gritty crime drama, the kind of movie he loved the most. Initially, we made a short called ‘Day One’, after which I felt that the story and the character created by Anthony Mark Streeter needed to be explored further on the canvas of a feature.
What were the steps which led you to make it?
I decided to make the movie in the DIY guerilla-style, which really suited the tale about a down-and-out ex-con. All the fineries I became accustomed to at the film school fell away. My goal was to tell a coherent narrative by capturing engaging performances. I believe this focus and bare-bones approach was the key to giving this story a beating heart.
Why did you choose a smartphone to film with?
Inspired by John Cassavetes, I felt determined to find the most straightforward way to make this film, and Tangerine was a recent proof of the iPhone’s capability to produce image quality adequate for theatrical distribution. I was used to taking stills on my iPhone 8 and we wanted to use a lot of improvisation. Hence, using a camera that I was most comfortable with at the time was a no-brainer.
I remember Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane trailer coming out on the day we started shooting, which, in a way, felt like another encouragement.
What equipment did you use?
Two iPhone 8 with Moondog anamorphic lenses and DJI Osmo gimbal, captured on FiLMiC Pro 24fps in Extreme 4K 2.39:1 with Flat.
The exteriors were shot with natural light and interiors with mostly practical lighting, occasionally supported by two small LEDs.
The sound was recorded on Sennheiser ME66 Shotgun and two EX100 radio mics. We also did some ADR on the surprisingly capable iPhone 8. Then everything was edited on MacBook Pro using a free version of DaVinci Resolve 15.
To test the final master export, we played a DCP at a 500-seat commercial cinema – both sound and picture were perfectly clear and sharp.
How much did you know about filmmaking before you made this film?
I started making little films when I was 15 and went on to graduate from the University of Westminster with BA (Hons) in Film Production. Since then I carried on making shorts, some of which were picked up by Raindance and Shorts International. I also was working as a storyboard artist for 7 years before shooting Ghost, where I was fortunate to learn from the masters, working for directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Jonathan Glazer.
What did you like about filming with a phone? What were the downsides, if any?
I find physical flexibility to be a major advantage – you can start shooting instantly and in combination with a gimbal it allows to achieve a smooth and agile quality. This allows capturing moments on the fly, suited our run-and-gun approach and improvisation-based performances.
I’d say the most significant downside was an extreme limitation put on the types of shots available. Generally speaking, the whole film is a variation of one set up – a wide or medium-wide. You can’t get a shallow depth of field and the lens is super wide, hence you must adapt a unique aesthetic instead of trying to imitate professional cameras.
Cutting an exciting trailer proved to be a challenge as the shot size is the same throughout the film, making it almost impossible to have a fast-paced edit. However, once you embrace this limitation, it allows you to tell a story in a less conventional way.
Has making the film changed your life in any way?
Absolutely. I feel like actually making a feature has somehow earned me more of a right to voice my opinion about the films I see. Also, it introduced me to unorthodox filmmaking methods, especially adopting unusual equipment.
I believe it only works well when the subject matter and the narrative match with the technical aspects. Therefore it doesn’t suit certain projects that require a more traditional cinematic approach, but it’s definitely liberating and encouraging to experiment with the medium.
How successful was the film, personally and in gaining an audience for your work?
Ghost was just released on Amazon Prime and Vimeo On Demand to some positive initial reviews. Also, there is a limited theatrical release in the UK this April. It’s still early to say, but it has already exceeded our expectations, and I’m just happy for an opportunity to share this story with various audiences.
Looking back on the movie, is there anything you’d have done differently?
At the time of filming, I felt that we could have done with more prep work. That being said, looking at the final product it seems that spontaneity did lend a certain lightness to the film. While being very inspiring, filmmaking is also a really demanding and highly unpredictable process, requiring tenacity and unlimited faith in the cause.
I guess my two cents on this is that you just gotta do your best at every step of the way and never stop moving forward.
You can find more info including upcoming screenings and VOD links on ghost-movie.com
Contact: [email protected]
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