'Crazy Rich Asians' director shows off iPhone XS Max video prowess in short film

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in iPhone
A new short film shot entirely on iPhone XS Max by "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu highlights the handset's video creation potential.

Chu iPhone XS Max


Prior to an official launch this Friday, Chu was granted access to Apple's flagship smartphone to shoot a special project in partnership with Wired. Titled Somewhere, the short film offers a glimpse into the strenuous workout routine of B-Boy star Luigi Rosado, who rehearses his latest dance moves in solitude out of a small garage in Los Angeles.

Without special hardware or post-processing software, Chu was able to capture the essence of Rosado's dedication to the craft of dancing through a variety of shots that typically pose problems for small format cameras.

"I had literally zero equipment," Chu said. "I see a lot of samples of iPhone videos, and sometimes they use different lenses or professional lights. I didn't have any of that."

All shots were accomplished in 4K without gimbals, dollies or cranes, meaning Chu had to rely solely on iPhone's set of built-in stabilization features. For 2018, Apple's dual camera system features optical image stabilization on both lenses, making for smooth recordings even while moving. In one shot, Chu put the stabilizers to work by running toward Rosado's garage.

Chu added that he "wanted to stretch it in a harsh environment," so he opted to shoot the film at night under fluorescent light. The bulbs failed to present issues with iPhone's color accuracy, though pulsing is evident during slo-mo scenes. Certain shots, including a top-down angle captured by balancing iPhone on piece of wood hanging from the ceiling, were captured at 240 frames per second.



iPhone's color accuracy, widely touted by Apple during last week's onstage unveiling and in subsequent online promotional material, impressed the director. While the outside of Rosado's garage is almost enveloped in darkness, the inside is bristling with small pockets of vibrant color.

"You can see the colors, they really pop. I did some shots in the daytime that didn't make it into the movie, and the daylight images felt a little cooler," Chu said. "But shooting at night, the video warms up. You can adjust the colors however you want, but I was shooting with the defaults."

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has over the past few days become an iPhone cheerleader on social media, shared the Wired special via Twitter on Wednesday.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    As a non pro to me this is simply impressive. 
    If i look back just a few years I’d not even think something like this would be possible. Hard- and software has come a long way. 
    GeorgeBMacwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    anton zuykov
  • Reply 3 of 12
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    So says a world-famous Director...
    pacificfilmracerhomie3zroger73watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 12
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    So says a world-famous Director...
    Methinks hethinks 17000 posts means he's an authority...on...? Everybody in this city has two jobs: what they earn money from, and critiquing movies and crew and cast. Just goes to show, numbers don't mean too much, except somebody has way too much time on their hands...and no offense if the person is retired, better post than be out on the streets  ; > /
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    People who actually know what they’re talking about seem to be saying otherwise. 
    zroger73watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 6 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    So says a world-famous Director...
    You don’t even know who I am.
    edited September 2018
  • Reply 7 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Rayz2016 said:
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    People who actually know what they’re talking about seem to be saying otherwise. 
    Who are they and tell me what they said was good about the direction of this clip.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    All the best directors are using iPhone. They are the best choice for any photographer. There's no need for any other type of camera anymore.
  • Reply 9 of 12
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    So says a world-famous Director...

    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    But the video itself is just meh. I mean, the iPhone capabilities are impressive, but praising the guy for Cinematographic skills would be...ehh..uncalled for. I honestly clicked on a link and for a few seconds thought I was watching some poorly made commercial.
    edited September 2018
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Ireland - "You don’t even know who I am." Sure we do. You're the guy with 17,400+ comments. Congrats. That stat speaks louder than your 500,000* words. * - estimate
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    So says a world-famous Director...

    ireland said:
    He can’t direct to save his life.
    But the video itself is just meh. I mean, the iPhone capabilities are impressive, but praising the guy for Cinematographic skills would be...ehh..uncalled for. I honestly clicked on a link and for a few seconds thought I was watching some poorly made commercial.
    Thank you. Spike Jonze made a great video for HomePod and the behind the scenes was particularly impressive. Guess Spike was busy this time.
    edited September 2018
  • Reply 12 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    pk22901 said:
    Ireland - "You don’t even know who I am." Sure we do. You're the guy with 17,400+ comments. Congrats. That stat speaks louder than your 500,000* words. * - estimate
    Sticks and stones may break my bones while names will never hurt me.
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