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Shoot a 3–5 Minute Short Film or Mini-Documentary on Your Phone

The capstone project for Filmmaking with Your iPhone — a free Creative course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A link to a finished 3–5 minute short film or mini-documentary shot entirely on a phone, plus the one-page plan (story sentence, three beats, and shot list) linked or included in the description.

What to do, step by step

  1. 1. Write your one-page plan: a one-sentence story (who wants what, and what stands in the way), your three story beats as three short paragraphs, and a shot list of 20–35 shots grouped by location with shot sizes (wide/medium/close-up) marked. You will submit this plan alongside the film.
  2. 2. Shoot the film on your phone at 4K (or 1080p if storage forces it) and 24fps, with exposure/focus locked on your subjects. Include at least three shot sizes (wide, medium, close-up), at least one deliberate camera move (push-in, tracking, or pan that follows action), and at least one static tripod-or-braced shot.
  3. 3. Use at least three lighting situations from the course — for example golden hour, open shade or window light, and one LED-or-lamp night/indoor setup. Record all main dialogue or interview audio with a lapel mic or the close-mic second-phone technique, and capture room tone at each location.
  4. 4. Edit the film to a final length of 3–5 minutes in CapCut, VN, or any editor: cut to your three beats, mix audio so voices are clear throughout, and use only royalty-free music if you add music.
  5. 5. Upload the finished film to YouTube (unlisted is fine) or Google Drive with link-sharing on. Put your one-page plan (story sentence, beats, shot list) in the video description or in a shared Google Doc.
  6. 6. Submit one link to the video; if your plan is in a separate Doc, paste that link on the first line of the video description so the grader can find both.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 6 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Story and structure: a clear who-wants-what told in three beats, with an ending that lands, inside 3–5 minutes25%
Image craft: locked exposure, deliberate composition across wide/medium/close-up coverage, and at least three intentional lighting situations25%
Audio quality: voices close-miked, clear and consistent throughout, no distortion, edits smoothed with room tone25%
Camera movement and stability: shots are steady, and at least one camera move is smooth and motivated by the story15%
Planning evidence: the one-page plan (story sentence, beats, shot list) is present and clearly matches the finished film10%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Filmmaking with Your iPhone before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Filmmaking with Your iPhone is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Filmmaking with Your iPhone is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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