We're developing the brief for our next Free Fridays project at the moment, with client Rainforest Saver. One of the ideas under discussion is mobile phone distribution. It could be an extremely powerful way of getting the animation (about sustainable farming methods) to lots of people.

There are some implications. Even in countries where smartphones are common, many people have phones with tiny screens. File sizes have to be kept small, to minimise download times. You're speaking to your audience one-to-one, rather than the more familiar one-to-many of cinema or broadcast.

As we discovered when making the About Here mobile phone films, this affects decisions about everything from colour palettes, to cameras - fast camera movements really don't work well - to sound design. Mobile is a great medium, but it's very different from other screens.

We're gathering information about network coverage, phone ownership, and download costs in rainforest areas - specifically Honduras and Cameroon, where Rainforest Saver have current projects - at the moment, before making a decision about whether mobile distribution is the right approach.

(Cross posted from www.showthempictures.com)