Filmmaker Anand Alagappan likes to tell stories. And so, when he bought himself an iPhone, he decided to shoot a short film. The Kiss is a story set in New York, and was recently screened at the International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts at Los Angeles.
“I was always fascinated by digital technology. Shooting my first feature film in Red camera only added to my interest. So, when I got an iPhone, I thought, ‘Why not tell a good story through it and see how it turns out?’” says Anand, who is based in New York. “The story revolves around two software engineers who meet over a weekend to fix a software bug. They chat, flirt and eventually kiss. What leads to the kiss forms the plot.”
This contemporary story of romance is almost 17 minutes long. “We didn’t have to change anything to shoot with an iPhone. In fact, it was the other way around. The iPhone helped us tell the story better since we could shoot scenes from inside a microwave oven and a trash can!” The film was made with tools that aid shooting with a phone. “Lenses, small slider dolly, iPhone holder and other tools made our work easy. So, we could treat our film the same way one would shoot a full-length feature film with lighting and so on. The digital medium is drastically changing our way of life and we have to adapt to it.”
Anand has had some experience in filmmaking. He shot a 90-minute film Anything For You along with American actor Pooja Kumar (who’s acted in Vishwaroopam ), one more short film, and a TV show on Star Vijay, We Love India . And so, this film wasn’t a tough task.
The Kiss has prompted questions as to whether a full-length feature film can be shot with a phone. “What matters in movie making is a good screenplay, acting, direction and background score. The medium is only secondary,” he adds.
What next? “I am currently working on the pre-production of a thriller set in New York. Cinema is not only entertainment but also a powerful medium to put out a message.”
For details, visit >www.thekissfilm.com
