News
A new 'indie' genre: iPhone 4 filmmakin
By: cnn.comPosted On: 08/10/2010 3:39 P
Ryan Gonzalez really wanted to make a music video for his first solo album -- but like many independent artists, he had no budget.
So Gonzalez, a Hawaiian singer who goes by the stage name R. Vaughn, found a director with a plan to shoot the project cheaply.
Digital designer John Garcia, a colleague from his Honolulu office, had just bought the iPhone 4 and downloaded Apple's iMovie app, a program that allows iPhone 4 users to shoot and edit HD video using only their phones.
The two shot the video one morning on the scenic Makapu'u Lighthouse trail overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Garcia started cutting footage at the diner where they had breakfast after wrapping up and spent a total of four hours over the next 10 days making edits.
"Whenever I had time to open up the project, I'd add a clip and listen," said Garcia. "My entire family memorized the song."
The result, a simple but professional-looking clip, is now on YouTube and R. Vaughn's website. Gonzalez accomplished his low-budget music mission. He only had one expense: Garcia's breakfast.
Despite the iPhone 4's well-known antenna woes, Garcia and Gonzalez are among a group of artists and bloggers who are optimistic about its potential as a high-def camera and mobile video-editing tool. CNN iReport's "Video editing on the iPhone 4" assignment drew in 10 submissions as of Thursday, and iPhone 4 clips on YouTube and Vimeo run the gamut from short films to news reports.
Gonzalez and others say the $4.99 iMovie app -- even with some flaws -- has the potential to open new doors for artists who have great ideas but no money. Gonzalez believes the user's ability to shoot and edit video on the phone and upload it to the web may prove particularly useful to independent musicians.
Latest VLogs
iLoveMakonnen "Loudest of the Loud Tour - On the Road Pt. 2"
Life With Ty Dolla $ign (Ep. 7)
