We all know the iPhone single-handedly changed the way people shoot photos, but surprisingly, it’s also beginning to impact the world of professional filmmaking. Apple’s flagship smartphone recently made headlines at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival for the critically praised feature-length film, Tangerine, which was filmed entirely with the iconic mobile device.
Tangerine, directed by Sean Baker and now set for eventual distribution, quickly earned the backing of Magnolia Pictures. Although it lacks the heavy-hitting qualities of most blockbuster films — it features a small, unknown crew and a plot revolving around two transgender women running around Los Angeles’ underbelly — it still touts one big hook from a tech angle; the crew shot its entirety with an Apple iPhone 5s.
As with all filmmaking cameras, using just the iPhone by itself wasn’t quite enough to create a complete film. Rather, the crew relied on extra equipment to beef up the film quality, including a prototype anamorphic lens adapter from Moondog Labs, the FiLMiC Pro video app, and a Steadicam. The film crew also received a healthy dose of help on the audio front, utilizing an SD 664 production mixer, boom mics, and even a lavalier during the filmmaking process. Baker specifically pointed to the anamorphic lens as the essential part of Tangerine’s production, though. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have even made the movie without it,” Baker told The Verge, further emphasizing how it “elevated” the film to a more “cinematic level.”
However, Tangerine isn’t the first production to utilize one of Apple’s many devices as a video camera. Here are some other great films shot entirely with Apple products.
Next page: More videos shot with Apple products
The Apple iPhone isn’t the only device getting in on the video-making fun. Many other devices in the Apple family – notably the iPad and Mac computer – have recently served as the primary recording equipment for various projects, allowing amateurs and professionals alike to get the most of of their devices and budget. Below are just a few of them.
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