Apple posts short movie 'Detour' by Michel Gondry shot entirely on iPhone

Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2017
As part of its ongoing iPhone advertising campaign, Apple on Thursday posted to its French website a short film called Detour, which was shot entirely using iPhone 7 hardware by French director Michel Gondry.




Also posted to Apple's YouTube channels in France and the U.K., Detour tells the tale of a French family that takes a road trip to a beach town for vacation.

Gondry, who won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," makes the mundane engaging with clever cinematography and a fanciful storyline centering around the youngest daughter's tricycle. A take on the lost-and-found theme, Detour follows the tricycle as it tries to make its way back to the girl after falling off the family van.

In true indie filmmaking fashion, the short includes quirky characters, a never-ending backing track of overly dramatic music and singing fish.



Alongside the short movie, Apple released a series of behind-the-scenes clips that show Gondry at work. Each running less than a minute, the videos explain the director's methods and thinking behind a number of standout shots. The tutorials also offer a look at some of the equipment used during filming, including multiple iPhones, what appears to be a Beastgrip Pro professional gimbal systems and Lightning-compatible microphones.

Gondry will be on hand to talk about Detour and answer questions at a Today at Apple session scheduled to take place at Apple March Saint-Germain on June 30.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    It’s sweet and simple. Very French. Gondry is great. 
    fotoformat
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Very nice film. I thought of Pixar a few times as I watched. 
  • Reply 3 of 7
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,843moderator
    Remarkable.  
  • Reply 4 of 7
    toysandmetoysandme Posts: 243member
    Pretty amazing what can be done with simple tools and a lot of talent 
  • Reply 5 of 7
    fracfrac Posts: 480member
    So well done. From the homage to Lamorrise's The Red Balloon, nods to Toy Story and Tati's School for Postmen, it's a little gem. 
    But then, Gondry is class.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    CynflorCynflor Posts: 11member
    Gondry rules.  France, apparently a country where families actually have fun on vacations not involving commercial theme parks and where parents on vacation aren't interrupted by work e-mails and kids aren't absorbed into smart phones at the picnic table.  Ironically filmed on iPhone; Gondry winks. 
  • Reply 7 of 7
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Nicely done. Of course, the budget was probably still in the upper six figures, possibly low sevens.
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