Director Pham Vinh Khuong and the challenging journey of making films over the phone

Quietly researching the optimal solution for those who share the same passion but do not have enough conditions. 20 years of a journey, quietly - alone, once attacked and criticized by public opinion for his statements predicting the trend of the times and being considered an "outlier" in a prejudiced society. Pham Vinh Khuong has now become a name with great influence, holding an important position in enlightening, igniting, and creating an everlasting empire for the global "True Smartphone Film" industry.

Director Pham Vinh Khuong shared in the program Moments of Life of HTV channel.

Considered a monument in the world of making films with phones, the title of "boss" certainly does not come naturally, the name that cannot be shaken over time affirms that he has "pocketed" 20 years of practice and contact with mobile phones, in which director Pham Vinh Khuong has 7 years of digging deep, exploiting information, experiencing the practical functions of the camera from taking photos to filming even with extremely low quality, "primitive" functions on the previous lines of phones with integrated cameras and more than 13 years of experience, composing, creating content with smart phones from Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, Android and IOS operating systems...

The above number of years of experience affirms the "experience" of a young man full of enthusiasm, a pioneer in seeking to learn in all adversities, ignoring all the looks of criticism, contempt, suspicion, ... to quickly find the right solution and direction, turning the thorny path he chose into an ideology for young people to follow, and now all the affirmations of the boy who was considered silly and "thinking in the clouds" back then, have achieved amazing achievements.

From famous global brands such as Tavat, Armani, Ferragamo, Lanvin, Marcelo, Loew, Nike, Adidas, Reebok,... to prestigious corporations such as VinGroup , SunGroup, SAPGroup... professors, doctors, artists... are professionally and uniquely expressed with just a simple smartphone, proving the saying: "I will use non-professional equipment to create professional works bearing my mark, which later will be hard for anyone to believe is true, even if they see it with their own eyes". This saying has created a comprehensive picture, keeping up with market trends and the flow of the times, the flow of digital technology , the era of Smartphone Cameras.

While still in school, director Pham Vinh Khuong soon saw the potential of near-future technology when he was exposed to phones with integrated rear cameras. Instead of borrowing from friends to use as a mere entertainment device, the director always tried to explore on his own, continuously improving the shooting operations, capturing moments through many different spaces to come up with optimal solutions, shortening the distance between phones and semi-professional devices or home cameras.

The director confided: “I used to use a cheap Nokia phone from my family to work. When I was in middle school, there were only a few rich kids in my class who owned a cell phone. To say that the phone had a rear camera was still a distant dream for someone whose mother only gave me 1,000 VND a day to buy sweet potatoes, even though my family situation at that time was much better than many of my peers. There were a few times when I was quick-witted enough to borrow a phone from a relative, and I had to beg my cousin to ride his bike around the neighborhood when there were no cars. I sat in the back, facing the other way, holding the phone to test shots that I had seen somewhere on TV instead of having to install a slide rail like the crew used to do in MV production. This method helped me to do in-out or move the camera around the character more easily, limiting shaking, at least we didn't have to use our feet to run and film at the same time. I also often took advantage of the available light source from the lamp Street lights, wall lamps, even table lamps to make the subject clear, if I could have invested properly in a professional or semi-professional lighting system at that time, I wouldn't have had to waste time struggling with folding lids borrowed from one person to another."

Director Pham Vinh Khuong's journey to pursue his passion with many difficulties.

Pham Vinh Khuong also recounted that many people know and admire him through the Handheld Oneshot technique, but few people know how that technique started for him. His childhood did not receive any support or backing from his family, so he had to try to tell his story with a single shot out of necessity. He had absolutely no knowledge of post-production or film editing at that time, and did not even have his own computer, so it was completely understandable that he had to build a tight shooting script in the pre-production stage.

The director's biggest challenge is that he was born with Parkinson's syndrome, his hands and feet are always in a state of loss of control and trembling. As a passionate filmmaker, pursuing handheld techniques but having to carry this unusual disease is clearly a huge disadvantage. There were times when he wanted to stop, wanted to change direction, but did not want to see himself as a "loser", so Pham Vinh Khuong was determined to persevere day and night, using his creativity to overcome this disadvantage to the maximum.

He practices how to maintain his center of gravity, how to release his body, and body language to hold and move gently, flexibly, and gracefully. At the same time, breathing rhythm and breath coordination are also techniques that the director constantly mentions when sharing. His creativity is not limited by health challenges, facing Parkinson's but still finding ways to film is a clear proof of the strength of spirit and will. When the incident happened, his life was completely turned upside down, he had to live a miserable life with all kinds of common jobs but still firmly embraced the ambition of becoming a professional filmmaker. Every day after work, he went to the internet cafe to upload videos and photo albums taken with his phone to the community network to interact and exchange experiences, accidentally catching the eye of international photographer Hoang Trung Thuy - an artist who wanted to train him specifically in real photography. Although great opportunities knocked on his door, he had to give up at first due to difficult circumstances. His family had to move to Long An to live temporarily in a thatched hut around a muddy, unleveled land. Where could they get the money to buy a DSLR to follow in his teacher's footsteps?

Nha Trang Stone Church was taken by director Pham Vinh Khuong with an iPhone 5s.

It is fate and debt. It is the difficult circumstances that make people find their own limits. Sometimes, when everything is going smoothly, we become lazy. He decided to happily use the phone he was given as a fishing rod. He started his journey to overcome challenges from the simplest things. He firmly believes that: “Willpower is a source of inner motivation, helping us overcome difficulties, challenges, and maintain perseverance in achieving goals. It is the spiritual strength that helps us face obstacles, never give up, and find creative solutions in every difficult situation. Willpower also helps build self-discipline and create consistency in each person's actions and decisions.” If he had hastily accepted to give up that day, there would never be a Pham Vinh Khuong full of energy today, always giving everyone endless inspiration with what he is pursuing.

“My current achievements are not based on any source of motivation, but on the way I create discipline for myself. Discipline will take me to places where motivation cannot. Today, I am forced to do better than I was yesterday, until I reach my goal. When someone gives me an opportunity, I always consider it my last chance, because only then will I truly try and be determined to overcome all barriers and limits. Any profession will have certain difficulties and challenges. But when we set a goal and clearly understand the value of that goal, we will not easily give up. ” - The tycoon of making movies by phone shared.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dao-dien-pham-vinh-khuong-va-hanh-trinh-lam-phim-qua-dien-thoai-day-thach-thuc-250258.html