Episode list

Are you writing screenplays to make films or to sell? Our guest for episode 69 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is Steven Palmer Peterson. Steve wrote and directed a film and shot it with a smartphone but he also co-wrote a film with John Murlowski, Assimilate, now playing on Netflix. We have a fun and energized conversation about writing for the film industry, mobile filmmaking and a little bit about the red carpet experience at the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. Steve begins with an interesting revelation on how to best begin writing a screenplay.

Our guest in episode 74 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is Rich RB Botto, the founder and CEO of Stage 32. He created a platform which has become pretty enormous due to the size of its over 600,000 current members. RB mentions there are three divisions to the platform: Social media, Education, and Script Services. The Script Services division includes breaking down scripts for screenwriters, budgets and there are mentor-ship opportunities available as well.

When they lost their camera person on location, Caroline Spence of Raya Films, made the suggestion to use a smartphone and turned a bad situation into a fortunate one. Our guest in Episode 90 of the SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking is Caroline Spence. She is a screenwriter and producer, but she plays different roles on set as needed. She's even played an assassin in one of the company's films.

We talked about horses and hobbits with our honorary ambassadors Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow. You may know Jed and Mark from their roles as Dwarf brothers Nori and Dori in Peter Jackson's, The Hobbit. They also starred together in the feature-length film shot with iPhone, Blue Moon by Stef Harris. Mark's real life daughter, Olivia Hadlow also had a role in the film.

Imagine a story realized from your imagination. How you can turn that story into a feature film using a smartphone for a camera is impressive. Now edit the story in an app on your phone. Sounds unreal, right? That's the real story behind the film "Charon" by Jennifer Zhang.

Special Edition: Our podcast just reached 100 episodes and we have a special episode. Pioneer mobile filmmaker and the winner of the first prize in the inaugural International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego in 2012, Michael Koerbel joins us and we embark on a journey about his participation in the history of making movies with iPhones, and smartphones in general.

A heartwarming story turned into a film with 17 year-old Quinn Friedman participating in the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. We discuss how he made a film that showcases skills normally seen with more experienced filmmakers. Listen to a young inspiring actor and filmmaker discuss the power of storytelling in film and how he made his film with his younger brother and sister.

Independent filmmakers, Ryan and Brandie McDonald from Ogden, Utah. They submitted a feature film shot with an iPhone for the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego back in 2020 and attended the festival this past April for the 11th edition and presented a workshop at the festival.

In episode 133 we have an instructive discussion with our friend Ant Pruitt of Hands On Photography. Ant Pruitt has accepted an invitation to sit on two judging panels for the 12th edition of the International Mobile Film Festival. Some things we discuss: The smartphone photography myth, Printing smartphone photos to canvas, Photography basics for all photographers, Pixels and resolution, and Storytelling with photographs.

A very resourceful discussion with Joey Min and Stephanie Pham of Art School Dropouts: A Film Production Company and YouTube Channel based in the east coast. They are a media group that creates narrative-driven weekly exciting, fun and "feel-good" content. We discuss how to build a family to work with on more than one project. We speak to the shift for filmmakers who are online. Filmmakers are also content creators who need to do more than make their films.

We discuss feature documentary filmmaking with director Chris Collier. Chris and I take a deep dive into the genre from his perspective as a filmmaker. Chris is a professional filmmaker in Brighton, UK. We had a fascinating conversation about the genre and the process of professional documentary feature filmmaking.

I invite L.A. filmmaker Levi Austin Morris back for an update on his iPhone feature film, Paralysis. Details on turning a horror story into an entertaining, high quality film using iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro. Why he connected his own story to sleep paralysis.

Monique talks about her film and how her journey brought her from a professional career in television and film, to make her own films. She made her short mobile film Me vs Me which she wrote and performed in as the protagonist in the story. Monique shares many insights for actors.

Filmmaking is storytelling, and music can bring your story to the next level. Jason Rivera has been writing and making music since he was four years old. We have a fascinating discussion about the importance of film directors to work think about the film score and bring a good music composer into the process before the film is in production.

A discussion with producer and director Steve Weiss, one of the founders of Zacuto based in Chicago, Illinois. Steve and I get into the weeds about filmmaking and storytelling. We discuss filmmaking history and the future through the perspective of a multi award-winning industry professional producer, and film director who designs filmmaking products that have become standard in the industry.

Happy Halloween. Tonight the spooks are the vibe. We share insights into some topics around the scary movie genre and making smartphone films. We discuss: Scary music and music for effects, Light and shadows for scary movies, Levi shares how he shot a spooky scene for Paralysis, The panelists share personal scary "ghost" stories, and more. Some profanity.

Join a gripping, fun and inspiring conversation with host Susy Botello and Ryan Camp to discuss what you can do to make better short films, and perhaps better feature films, too. Ryan shares some tips for the post production process, as well as audio.

Jeremy shares in depth stories of his experiences as an actor. He has an extensive history acting in many short and feature films. Jeremy Gladen was cast as Tommy Braun in the 2019 film "I See You," with Helen Hunt. We discuss how actors can benefit from mobile filmmaking and smartphone video. I have been watching Jeremy's acting skills progress over the years, and I'm blown away by his talent.

Once in a while, you come across a name you know you want to remember and Réka Shikli is one to keep an eye on. She began writing and making films at an early age with her parents camera and evolved into writing, producing and directing films. A unique story how seeking a film grant brought her family together through a smartphone and storytelling.

We have an incredible discussion about his background in LA working as a writer and producer for television, with some shows you will probably know, and working in studio lots. Jack is now working full-time as the cinema and arts professor and runs the film program at Anderson University. When he's not teaching he's making films, writing books, and helping students produce their own films as executive producer. We talk about $100k cameras, smartphone cameras, the importance of storytelling, apps, AI, screenwriting and more.

An introspective conversation with Dhwani Shah about mobile filmmaking and the making of her winning film, Sapling. It's evident in our discussion how talented and skilled Dhwani Shah is as a film director, writer and editor. We discuss the craft and art of filmmaking as a language.

Mark Hadlow is one our Honorary Ambassadors for the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. He was a protagonist in a feature film shot with iPhone in New Zealand with Jed Brophy, Blue Moon. We discuss acting, storytelling and mobile filmmaking along with his favorite roles through his time acting in films.

We are happy to bring Jason Rivera back to the show to discuss the topic of storytelling for your film with music. Joey Min and myself enjoyed an in-depth discussion with Jason. Jason is a film composer and he's scored many films. His technical knowledge and professional experience began when he was four years-old writing and playing music. The language of music and storytelling speaks to all of us through films.

Join Levi Austin Morris and I as we comb through the technicalities of what it takes to get your feature film shot with iPhone distributed with streaming services. Levi shares some of the details of his journey getting Paralysis into some major OTT streaming services. We discuss log format, audio, frame rates, contracts, licensing, and a lot more. Want to take your feature smart phone film to the mainstream level of distribution? We'll guide you through it.

Part One of a two part interview with actor and filmmaker Miguel Lopez de Leon. Join me in a conversation with Miguel about the storytelling skills he's using as a novelist, and as a mobile filmmaker. Miguel has participated as a contestant in the International Mobile Film Festival in 2024.

Part Two of a two part interview with our Miguel Lopez de Leon. In part one we share who Miguel is, his passion for storytelling and his newfound challenge in mobile filmmaking. In second part we discuss the tools in more depth, and the importance of community he experienced during the 2024 International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego.

We brought music composer Jason Rivera back to the International Mobile Film Festival April 27, 2025 to record this show in front of our audience during the festival. Jason Rivera began composing music when he was 4 years old. He's been on the show several times, and was at the festival, where we met, in April 2023. This recording took place in the later afternoon at the festival. We enjoyed recording with an audience. Thankful to everyone who attended our special session during the festival. Things we discussed include, why indie film music matters more than you may realize. How good music and audio can give your indie film an edge, and why unique music is so important for independent films.

Justin Ho, won the Best Feature Film 2025 at the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego on April 27. Justin shot "Broken Pieces" with the iPhone 14 Pro. This is the first of a two part interview recorded March 27, 2025. We discuss his feature film which was 1 hour and 23 minutes long. Justin discusses his early start with cameras, cinematography in college and later for his film. Justin Ho shares details about the making of his feature film, without giving away too much. Except...there's an incredibly well shot chase scene. Find out how he pulled it off.

In Part Two of my conversation with Justin Ho, the winner of the Best Feature Film 2025 at the International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego, we discuss his feature film "Broken Pieces." The film was 1 hour and 23 minutes long. Justin talks about his film, and a few other topics related to his decision to shoot a feature film with iPhones. Justin Ho shares his production gear, the app he used to shoot, and editing software. Justin gave some shout outs to the wonderful humans who worked on "Broken Pieces" during the show, and much more.