The footage got heavy-handed treatment
in postproduction, when color saturation was
increased and a digital grain was added to give
the look of film. In fact, the iPhone camera setups
were the smallest part of the budget for Baker,
who funneled more money toward a professional
sound technician, actors, music, and location fees.
Baker and his team did not reveal that the
movie was shot on the iPhone, allowing the cred-
its at the premiere to break the news. He wanted
the film to be judged on its storyline, dialogue,
and cinematography. Baker did not set out to
change the filmmaking landscape by shooting
with a smartphone. Like most independent film-
makers, he simply had no money.
The exposure at Sundance paid off.
Tangerine’s timely subject matter highlighted
the transgender issues that figure prominently
in today’s popular culture and politics. Magnolia
Pictures, one of the most important distributors of
arthouse, foreign, and independent films, picked
up the film and released it to theaters in 2015.
Moondog Labs, meanwhile, stands poised
to develop other products for mobile filmmaking,
including a new anamorphic adapter that is com-
patible with the iPro lens system.
“We have loaned gear to a lot of people,
and we have no way of knowing which projects
will be successful and compelling,” said Moondog
Labs CEO Julie Gerstenberger. “[Tangerine] was
compelling regardless of the fact it was shot on
the iPhone. Sundance was great for us. People
were questioning the validity of doing a film this
way, and now I think there is huge potential for
mobile filmmaking.”
Baker is grateful for what he was able to
achieve with Tangerine. People ask him about
iPhone filmmaking and his workflow all the time,
and he gets requests from technology groups and
film schools to speak about his experience. But
like his contemporaries, he said he is mourning
the “death of celluloid” and is even “pissed off”
about it. “There’s a danger in doing something
like this,” Baker said. “You’ve proved to the indus-
try that it can be done, and suddenly, they want
you to do it again. That’s the danger.”
Like most filmmakers, Baker would prefer
to shoot future projects with a big budget so he
can afford A-list actors and the best equipment.
(TOP) The anamorphic adapter lens by Moondog Labs. PHOTO: Moondog Labs
(MIDDLE) Tangerine was filmed with the iPhone 5s; its cinematic feel comes from an app, a lens adapter, and several hours of postproduction work. PHOTO: Sean Baker
(BOTTOM) An anamorphic adapter lens by Moondog Labs gives the movie Tangerine a cinematic feel. PHOTO: Moondog Labs
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