These final productions will be in the running to win an award in July at the MIFFest opening ceremony (All photos: Samsung Malaysia)
In this golden era of technology, it would not come as a surprise anymore if the movie you are watching may be shot on what you have been carrying in your pocket all along — your smartphone. Sequences conjured up by shaky phone images have been a fashionable element of documentaries since the arrival of handheld digital devices, but ground-breaking advances in phone cameras can now deliver more, along with stellar visual quality worthy of the big screen. No longer just a fun experiment, making movies on our mobile heralds a new age of cinema.
To drive the point home, Samsung Malaysia Electronics has launched a short film competition called "Born of the Galaxy Stars", which seeks 22 aspiring filmmakers to produce their works using the recently-launched Galaxy S22 series. Endorsed by the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), the competition encourages amateurs and directors alike to exercise their imagination and dream beyond the constraints that limit traditional filmmaking.
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“Producing a film is no longer just a dream. With astounding advancements in technology throughout the years, the Galaxy S22 Series is here to help kick-start the dreams of all aspiring filmmakers and content creators. The future of filmmaking is with the Galaxy S22 Series,” said Luke Au, head of product marketing IT and mobile business of Samsung Malaysia.
Smartphones have democratised the way we approach filmmaking, especially in a digital age when more people are crafting and distributing their works that do not necessarily fit into a commercial mould. The dynamic camera experience and powerful AI-backed processing of the Galaxy S22 line-up were put to the test by four local directors — Laura Low (Passion Plus), Ismail Jamaludin (Plus), Jawagar Samidurai (Graph Studio) and Taufiq Kamal (Seni Lab Studio) — who were enlisted by Samsung Malaysia. Each of them worked on a project under the theme of Music, Romance, Fitness and Fashion, and shared their movie-making experiences during the media announcement on March 28.
“Even with different types of lighting during a fashion film shoot, the Galaxy S22 Series captured clear videos with amazing details and colours even in the dark,” praised Low, whose notable works were picked up by international film festivals in Japan, Toronto and California.
Taufiq, who won first place at the 2014 BMW Shorties via his directorial debut Rozita Binti Roslan, also waxed lyrical about the phone’s Nightography function, “With a proposal being a once in a lifetime event and usually takes place in a romantic dimmed environment, the Galaxy S22 Series’ Nightography feature indeed captures every important detail and moment, even luminosity in dark spots”.
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The all-new Galaxy S22 series touts many innovative things, including a souped-up Ultra version with built-in stylus, longer battery life across all machines, and a quad-camera setup that markedly superseded its predecessors. But nothing quite drummed up the excitement among shutterbugs like the Nightography advancement, which automatically chooses the ideal frame rate to capture as many details as possible in notoriously low-light situations. With the Director’s Mode too, users can switch between front and rear cameras during recording for a fun vlogging experience from different perspectives.
The suite of camera features will be a boon to participants of the short film contest, as the phones offer advanced intelligent image processing for smart and swift editing. Shooting with the RAW app makes it possible for anyone to gain granular control over their photos, such as ISO, shutter speed and white balance, to nail the perfect shot. Need to sketch out or present a storyboard? Scribble every idea on the fly with the S Pen, which comes with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, without the need to open the Samsung Note app.
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To partake in the "Born of the Galaxy Starts" short film competition, hopeful filmmakers must submit a short script in line with the theme "Borderless with Nightography" by April 17 and pick any one of the following concepts: Fashion, Fitness, Romance, and Music. Samsung Malaysia and MIFFest will then select 22 winners, who will be presented with the Galaxy S22 Ultra to bring their ideas to fruition. These final productions will be in the running to win an award in July at the MIFFest opening ceremony.
In addition, one grand prize winner will be selected from the top three to receive a recognition award, a trophy and RM8,000 cash prize from MIFFest. Not only will the best three entries be shown at the 5th MIFFest, the winning participants will also get to expand their network and learn from some of the most reputable industry leaders in the Malaysian film and entertainment circuit.
Submit your entries for Samsung’s "Born of Galaxy Stars Short Film Competition here.
