Smartphone Filmmaking – Theory & Practice

Master Class - Max Schleser

Mobile Filmmaker

Curator (MINA)

Associate Professor of Film and Television, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

As someone who's been making films on smartphones for years, Max Schleser spoke highly of their artistic value and creative potential during the master class.

Max Schleser first turned to mobile filmmaking out of necessity — he couldn't afford traditional equipment — but that unexpected start led him to fully embrace and champion it ever since.

"Smartphones are more than just a creative tool. They're a cultural shift," he said. "They break down the traditional barriers of filmmaking and make it so much more accessible." What excites Max most isn't just the tech itself, but how it's reshaping who gets to create and how stories are told.

Smartphones have opened doors for countless independent filmmakers. For Max, what started as a way to work around budget constraints has grown into a global movement. With persistence, he's helped mobile film festivals flourish. His success shows that mobile filmmaking is practical, promising, and enjoyable — a reflection of his many years of hard work.

Rather than diving deep into the technical details of filmmaking, Max focused on mindset — encouraging young creators to break free from traditional thinking and not let gear or money limit their ideas. Learning how to make the most of what mobile filmmaking offers is what young creators should really focus on. For example, phones let you shoot in vertical mode, selfie mode, underwater mode, or even mounting on drones, giving new ways to tell stories. Mobile filming also lowers the cost of experimentation and mistakes in impromptu creation. Moreover, it can help directors develop skills as both filmmakers and photographers, enabling them to better grasp the visual language of their stories.

Max believes that mobile filmmaking, with its unique creative vibe and accessible tools, is helping spark real social change. At the master class, he shared how building stronger connections with communities plays a key role in that process. He collaborates across different fields, immerses himself in diverse cultural settings, identifies powerful stories, and uses his phone to bring them to life efficiently. For Max, finding the right subject matter is the fastest way to help a new creative movement take off.

Max sees mobile filmmaking as a catalyst for a new wave of media transformation, and he's genuinely excited about where it's headed. While mobile films have introduced fresh storytelling styles and visual languages, he believes — just like every major shift in film history—the real breakthrough comes from the creator's inspiration and creativity. Technology can open doors and expand the playground, but it's still up to the filmmaker to bring enough imagination and expression to let that tech carry their vision further.