A runaway train speeds uncontrollably through a snowy, barren mountain pass, halted only by a devastating explosion. Its violent shockwave hurls the train from the track, careening over a cliff, and tumbling into the chasm below. A few feet away, the Director yells, "Cut!" Then, she huddles with the DP around a smartphone, their camera of choice, and checks the shot.

Ok. Next summer's blockbusters may not be filmed on smartphones - yet - but that scenario isn't nearly as implausible as it once sounded. In just the past two years, smartphone cinematography evolved from novelty to art form. Experimental shorts shot entirely with cameraphones gave way to award-winning titles and a new category of video production.

Get Smart

To paraphrase an old adage, the best camera is the one you have with you. That makes the smartphone a winner by default. With an iPhone, Droid, BlackBerry, or similar device, the ability to shoot always lies within arm's reach. And for many future video producers, their phone will be the camera they learn on.

Sure, tradeoffs remain. The tiny sensor and modest lens, not to mention the limited or nonexistent optical zoom, demand realistic expectations. But for every tradeoff, there's also an advantage. Smartphones are small, light, ubiquitous enablers of spontaneity and experimentation. And if a shoot runs over, you can even use it to call the spouse.

Shake It Up (Actually... Don't)

A cameraphone's diminutive frame makes it highly susceptible to movement; in the same way ocean waves rock a rowboat more than a cruise ship. Anything but the most basic handheld shots risk sending your project into Blair Witch territory. That doesn't mean this year's family Christmas video needs to look like you filmed during an earthquake.

First, lock the phone down. No, not with a tiny tripod; with a real tripod, the same one you consider indispensable on any other shoot. A simple device like Gary Fong's Tripod Adapter ($20, street) enables you to attach a phone to a tripod just as you would any other camera. In a pinch, resting your camera on a steady surface improves stability. Something as simple as a wine glass, turned upside down with your hand resting on the base, may save an otherwise shaky situation.

If you insist on cinematic camera moves, consider a unit like the Steadicam Smoothee ($180, street). The device takes a time-honored Hollywood camera balancing system and shrinks it down to mobile size. The Smoothee promises to absorb shakes, leaving behind only silky tracking shots and perfect pans. The same kind of shots would be inconceivable to pull off if you went entirely handheld.

The same tiny form factor that exaggerates movement can also work in your favor. Try stashing a smartphone in out-of-the-way places to capture unique angles. For example, affix a phone to the end of a broom pole and hover it over a crowd scene, or hang it outside a moving car to capture heart-racing motion.

Sweat The Details

As you move down the camera pecking order, the ability to handle a wide range of contrast gradually decreases. In other words, smaller cameras generally struggle with scenes containing both bright light and inky darkness. Composing shots thoughtfully to minimize that contrast will help hide your camera's humble origins (assuming you even care to hide it).

Many phones allow basic exposure adjustment. If you expose for a dark mountain range, expect the sky to render as a solid white mass. If you expose for the sky's billowy white clouds, expect your mountain range to come out like a dark, featureless splotch. Likewise, small sensors limit a camera's ability to handle low light. Plan your scenes accordingly. That great shot you envision of the detective apprehending some creep under the faint streetlamp may not translate on a cameraphone. Instead, have your detective confront the perp in his car, where the cabin light might emit just enough glow to achieve the intended effect.