The wonders of mobile telephony have always managed to avoid me. After losing a wonderful phone with a Mario ringtone I turned to an el cheapo phone with no quirks or perks. So the idea of making and watching films for and with mobile telephony is one I don’t quite have a grasp of yet. I have a friend who had a camera phone and it was always out to capture amusing little moments. She had built up a fond and hearty collection before losing that phone. How devastatingly annoying. Not only did she lose all her numbers and contacts, but she (and to an extent I was a victim too because we share memories) was also now without those magical moments that lived in her pocket. I think that’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to a camera phone.
Now while I may not have a grasp of it, I’m definitely interested in the art of producing content for mobile phones. There’s so much to consider; the unique screen size, image resolution, the fact that the phone is mobile and therefore so is the content. Before I start pitching ideas for mini mobile series (I’m thinking the Bold and the Beautiful, short scenes of someone walking in on a scandal of sorts and looking glamorous but disgusted, one sent to your phone every day at 5pm) too late.
What about gambling? The fabulous pokie could soon be coming to a mobile phone near you. The flashing lights, the clicking and clanging and other various MIDI sounds, oh! if only we could digitize the smell of stale Carlton Draught! Of course you’d only really have phone credit to gamble with. Mum gets a call on her birthday IF you get lucky.
In Philippines there’s this thing called pasaload (I think that’s what it was called). What it pretty much means is that you can send credit, say 5-50 pesos, to other mobile phones. Not only is this a brilliant idea that I wish happened everywhere (except for those times when you don’t want credit and you don’t want to speak to someone, you know the occasions), but I also wonder if larger dissemination of such a service would meet the rise of mobile gambling with gargantuan devastation.
So now I have to wonder about addiction. Addictive mobile gambling… almost seems too casual. Lose or win a couple of dollars while waiting for your sandwich to get toasted (or doing the more traditional waiting-for-a-bus, either way). Bores me already, I don’t think it’ll kick off.
