Capturing home culture on a cell phone

Rachel Greaves, Contributor, Kerobokan

When Bali resident Bob Calabritto saw an advertisement on Discovery Channel for the First-Time Mobile Filmmakers Awards contest, he had one of his usual creative dreams.

The interesting combination of filmmaking and technology was a subject that had fascinated the native New Yorker for a long time.

Working in Indonesia as a creative consultant and magazine editor, Calabritto had already created a number of short films. The latest was a comedy, Snorkel, which featured a man who intended to snorkel around Australia using only his flippers, mask and a snorkel.

When it was entered into Australia's leading film festival, Tropfest, Calabritto jumped at the opportunity to enter another competition. "Being able to convey an artistic message through a new medium is like being a part of the development of civilization. Having the future in my hands and being a pioneer of an art form is being a part of technology and art history," he said.

Each contestant for the Discovery Channel contest had to choose an icon from the culture in which they lived as the subject of a one-minute mobile film.

Calabritto's topic was "rice". He explains, "For me, this was the obvious choice; while others might select a particular person or building, I found rice to be the ultimate omnipresent icon of Bali.

"No matter where you are or what you're doing, rice is near you in one form or another. There are few other cultures in the world where a single object has such a resounding influence on the daily lives of the people. I also thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to promote Bali."

He submitted his idea with a series of images, depicting the story of rice and the vibrant ways that it is engrained within Balinese culture.

"From sweeping landscapes and colorful ceremonies, to food stalls and temples", he wrote in his film proposal, "I will engross the viewer in a journey through Bali, marked with the magic, beauty and mystique that rice has provided to the inhabitants of this paradise island for centuries."

Development of the format

Mobile filmmaking began with the use of conventional video technology to create short movies that could be viewed on small mobile phone screens.

The concept challenged the mobile phone industry to invent imaging devices that would not only allow the viewing but also the shooting of high-quality films, combined with the ease of editing, sharing, storing and even printing.

Advancements in technology were so rapid that a pioneer generation of mobile filmmakers now regularly takes the stage at international film festivals.

The recently launched Nokia N90 already records videos to VHS resolution, and, at the current rate of development, analysts predict that it will not be long before the technology exists to shoot a film of cinema quality with a mobile phone.

It was in April this year that Discovery Networks Asia announced a multimillion dollar regional advertising sales partnership with Nokia. By tapping Discovery's expertise in documentary filmmaking, married to Nokia's technology leadership in imaging, the two companies are bringing mobile filmmaking to a whole new level, making it more accessible to its viewers and empowering its consumers.

On Oct. 4, Calabritto learned that he was one of 15 finalists in the competition, chosen from more than 1,000 entrants from Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and India. On Oct. 20, he and the other finalists, including just one other entrant from Indonesia -- Ferlin Mogot from Jakarta -- were flown to Singapore and each was presented with the coveted prize of a Nokia N90 multimedia phone.

That was followed by a one-day film and cinematography workshop in which the participants were taught how to use their new imaging devices to create and edit films. They were then informed that they had two-and-a-half hours to go out into the local community, pick an icon and shoot a one-minute movie.

Calabritto chose the buildings of a neighboring industrial park, noting, "The architecture of the area was fantastic.

"There were so many architectural influences in the buildings and each had its own distinct personality -- be it an industrial monster or a sleek and sexy modern box".

Capturing the essence of home culture

The progress of the contestants was followed by a Discovery Channel film crew, in preparation for a reality show documentary that will be screened in the near future. At dinner that night, the next tier of finalists was announced -- judged on the quality, originality and creativity of the films they had produced with their Nokia N90s that afternoon.

To his delight, Calabritto had made it into the final six, and was invited to attend another half-day workshop in which he learned more about filming techniques and the aspects that captivate the viewer.

During the final session, the tutors, who included Discovery Channel executive producer Vikram Channa, encouraged the notion of spontaneity. The six finalists were then told that they had three weeks in which to create a one-minute movie, capturing the unexpected elements of an icon within their home culture.

Calabritto's new topic, cock fighting, was selected because it was a slightly controversial but nevertheless significant aspect of Balinese life.

He maintains, "Like rice, the rooster provides sustenance; ancillary to important ceremonies, cock fighting has gone a little bit underground in Bali and part of my challenge is in sourcing where and how it takes place."

He has no intention of making a macabre or gory film: "My focus will be on the whole aura of discovery, the secret location and the enclave of people that have gathered for the event, combined with the completeness of the occasion itself."

Meanwhile the film poses its own intrinsic challenges in trying -- in the space of just one minute -- to convey the story in a nonviolent, educational and entertaining way.

Calabritto enthuses, "This wonderful experience has exposed me to a whole new means of creating things. With the evolution of this new technology, everyone can have a virtual movie theater in their pockets, together with the potential to capture spontaneous moments.

"The world is becoming a go, go, go kind of place; now, at least, we can be more entertained before we get there."

The winner of the First-Time Mobile Filmmakers Awards contest will be announced in December.

(For more information click on: www.mobifilms.net)