Shot on iPhone 7 – Swiss Eco Music Video
Promise Me The Moon & The Stars is a down to earth music video from Swiss filmmaker Esther Petsche. Raw meat, raw guitars and raw visuals leave a strong impression. We asked Esther to tell us more about the video…
What is the story behind your film?
What is the story behind your film?A colleague who plays in a band and writes the lyrics by herself asked me to visualise her new song: promise me the moon and the stars. I like her differentiated/sceptical view of the world. It’s about the schizophrenia in which we live today. I was curious because I had never made a music video before.
What were the steps which led you to make it?
I asked the band what kind of images they associate with the lyrics and I got inspired by their proposals. They wished to have a scene in an underground chemistry laboratory. I was used to film with an iPhone before, but mostly for documentaries, therefore it was a challenge to create something abstract. We met three times in different settings. Once as the recording took place in the studio, at the rehearsal and we also went into nature…
Why did you choose a smartphone to film with?
I like to work with small size equipment. Everything finds its place in my small handbag. With an i-phone I am more flexible in moving around and the people I am filming are more relaxed because they are used to it.
What equipment did you use?
I used iPhone 7+ which I fixed on a ShoulderPod rig and a Cullmann tripod cruiser. I filmed with FiLMiC Pro and edited it on an iMac in Final Cut Pro.
How much did you know about filmmaking before you made this film?
I also work as a graphic designer and so I am used to think in pictures. Before I started filming by myself I also worked as a cutter and loved it a lot. When the iPhone 6 arrived I was curious about the quality and gave it a try. In 2015 I asked a journalist to work together on a documentary.
Two weeks after my new iPhone arrived we went to Paris at the COP 21 (UN-Klimakonferenz) . We met many activists and made a lot of interesting interviews. We thought the film material should be shown to other people, so we cut the film THE CLIMATE CHANGERS. It was my first experience working on an iPhone and it was not sooo bad. We were invited to an eco film festival in Malaysia and to different conferences in Switzerland.
My credo is: never be afraid but always curious.
What did you like/not like about filming with a phone?
I miss the depth of focus and a better quality for night shoots.
Has making the film changed your life in any way?
Now, I think again – almost everything is possible with an iPhone.
How successful was the film, personally and in gaining an audience for your work?
Personally it was a great satisfaction to create a surreal world. And also for the band it was a great success to realise a music video with small budget which could be shown to a wide range of online audience.
Looking back on the movie, is there anything you’d have done differently?
Yes, next time I would also use flat and log features on filmic pro.
How important are film festivals that give these kind of films a platform for you?
Film Festivals are great to get in touch with the audience and other filmmakers. Also to share different views on the world and to stimulate discussions.
