With the support of the U.S. Department of State, the American Space at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) hosted a workshop organized by the organization IREX, where filmmaker Bill Megalos delivered a presentation focusing on how to make documentary films using little more than a smartphone. American Space Director, Dr. Rick Roberts, welcomed the crowd of eager young students in attendance, highlighting that the event served the role American Space plays in stimulating creativity among students and fanning their desire to explore the endless novelties the world has to offer.
Mr. Megalos explained that a person can single-handedly make an “unbelievably high quality” film utilizing an inexpensive, easily accessible, easy to use, and inconspicuous smartphone, pointing out the minimal disruption that the presence of the latter causes to the behaviour of people being recorded, due to the familiarity and the “intimacy” of the device. Utilizing a smart phone and a simple little stand is “a great way to interview a person,” the seasoned filmmaker said, adding that it is a “great (technique) for making documentaries.”