That sentence was said by Apple when demonstrating the cinematography capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple has also released a BTS video of its famous Keynote that was shot entirely on an iPhone (plus $30,000 of camera gear). However, for us, it looks more like a pure parody. Here’s why.
Shot on iPhone by…
It’s not a secret that from the launch of the iPhone 12, Apple has tried to convince filmmakers that they can shoot their next movie with it. But not just Apple. Other smartphone manufacturers have been recruiting top-notch directors and cinematographers (Ridley Scott, Emanuel Lubezki, and more) in order to demonstrate to the crowd that they can shoot a decent project using the camera capabilities of their smartphones. Ridley Scott did it with minimal lighting equipment. Lubezki did it with the iPhone 12 on his hands with no special gearing. But now, Apple has taken a huge step forward, shooting its famous Keynote with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, paired with professional high-end camera gear.
15 Pro Max + $30,000 gear
Everybody knows that Apple invests tons of resources in its Keynote, especially when unveiling new products. The Keynote must be meticulously presented, filmed, and directed. In the last Keynote, Apple has replaced its high-end cinema cameras, with the newest iPhone model, which is the 15 Pro Max. The equipment was an overkill. The iPhone was paired with a crane used in Hollywood productions, plus fancy stabilization heads, and with expensive lighting. All these Hollywood toys, and an iPhone. “All of the presenters, locations, and drone footage in the event were filmed using iPhone 15 Pro Max, the preferred smartphone for creative pros and filmmakers. Led by documentary film director Brian Oakes” said Apple. “We were able to get the same complex shots with iPhone 15 Pro Max,” explained Oakes. “It amazing to see that the quality from a device that is so small and so portable can rival a large $20,000 camera.”
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera system offers the best video in a smartphone, with its quality rivaling those of professional video cameras.
Apple
iPhone 15 Pro Max = $20,000 camera?
Apple claims that “the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera system offers the best video in a smartphone, with its quality rivaling those of professional video cameras. iPhone 15 Pro Max enables creatives to capture in ProRes up to 4K60 fps to an external drive with Apple Log encoding, which allows even more detail to be preserved for post-production color grading. iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also the first smartphones worldwide to support the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), a global standard for color workflows”. For that specific crash shoot, the footage was captured with multiple iPhone 15 Pro Max devices, integrating the Blackmagic Camera app, and Tentacle Sync, showcasing the true power of the Apple ecosystem. Connected via Bluetooth, Tentacle Sync drives timecode and enables all devices on set — including Macs and preview screens — to be synced throughout the production. Beastgrip accessories, including cages and rigs, were also used during the production. Apple added that: “The director shoots in low light with amazing results — while treating iPhone 15 Pro like a real pro camera”. Watch the BTS below:
The era of the tiny cameras
In our recent article (out of many) we showcased how ‘The Creator’ (a high-budget Hollywood sic-if movie) was made. In that article, the DP of ‘The Creator’ said that advanced filmmaking technologies allowed the Sony FX3 to output an ALEXA look. The option of shooting full-frame 4K ProRes RAW from a $4,000 camera, gave the team solid results that can be screened even at IMAX theater. Apple’s last event is not different. Nevertheless, we don’t think that the iPhone 15 Pro Max imagery can hold up against a movie theater, although, there are blockbusters shot exclusively on smartphones. Anyway, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is not the Sony FX3. It lacks a large sensor.
The main limitation is the sensor size
The image sensor of the iPhone 15 Pro MAX is still tiny. Additionally, when we’re talking about cinema cameras, we refer to large sensor bodies. Apple is not there yet. Hence, the imagery can not be compared to a large-sensor cinema camera. Thus, it looks good as a gimmick and not more than that. This is not the near future of professional filmmaking. Apple should replace the sensor with a much larger sensor. But for that, all the apparatus needs to be changed. Maybe someday, but not in the near future. In our personal opinion, what Apple did with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, looks like a parody. Don’t think so?
With those lights I can make my 8mm camera work! Well not exactly, but realistically everything around the camera helps a bunch….
Yes, everything is possible with such a set-up! So at the end it’s a no-sense comparison. Put the iPhone in a challenging light situation and try to get out in post a good looking footage!
It’s telling and disappointing to note that Apple’s own Final Cut is mentioned only once while Premier and Black Magic’s Resolve are not only mentioned but prominently displayed in use. As a FC user for many years, I begin to question Apple’s commitment to their own NLE going forward.
Headline: “ Keynote that was shot entirely on an iPhone (plus $30,000 of camera gear”.
Picture: iPhone 15 on a $150,000 Maximus 7 stab head.
Apple had a LOT more than $30k worth of gear on those shoot days.
The same can be said for most 4K hybrid cameras that record 10-bit footage in Log or RAW.
Meanwhile apple still uses Sony camera in there devices, I wonder why everybody is saying this as if apple manufactures there camera hardware lol. Comparing the real deal with a tiny sensor made from the same company (Sony)
With all this marketing they want to squeeze us. Work. Buy. Obey.