Why Use a Cellphone?

Why all of this interest in using cellphones to capture stills and video? There are numerous digital cameras and digital video cameras available that are small and inexpensive, yet take superior pictures. Why, then, all of this interest in cellphones?

Convenience, pure and simple.

To shoot a short movie, all I have to do is pull out my phone (which I carry with me everywhere) and start shooting. Total spur-of-the-moment filmmaking. As close to video stream of consciousness as one can get. Yes, the resolution isn't great and I only have 15 seconds to shoot, but these are limitations that can be overcome. The main idea is that having the phone with me where ever I go frees me to film whenever the mood strikes and if I film something striking I can possible repeat the shot using higher quality equipment.

Cellphone filmmaking can be about spontaneous as one can get short of wiring a tap into one's visual cortex.

Tags: filmmaking, cellphone