5 aspiring Bollywood filmmakers share their experiences using the iPhone 15 Pro Max for film production

Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the professional filmmaking capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max during its launch. Apple even used the phone to shoot one of its own events. Five filmmakers recently put this claim to the test by creating five short films using the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These films can be viewed for free on the MAMI YouTube channel, showcasing that in skilled hands, it’s not just about the camera’s megapixels but the storytelling perspective and artistry.

Five filmmakers – Saurav Rai, Archana Atul Phadke, Faraz Ali, Saumyananda Sahi and Prateek Vats – under the direction of industry icons like Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane and Rohan Sippy released five short films titled ‘Crossing Borders’, ‘Mirage’. “Óbur”, “A New Life” and “Jal Tu Jalaal Tu” using iPhone 15 Pro Max and MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip.

The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) selected filmmakers to create short films for the 2024 MAMI Select — Filmed on iPhone initiative.

Vishal Bhardwaj, the iconic director who shot his film Fursat on an iPhone 14 Pro – believes that shooting with a non-traditional camera can be liberating. “You don’t have to limit yourself with the images, the depth or the colors you’ve captured… If you like what you see to the fullest, the results will surprise you,” he said.

“The iPhone is a real boon for filmmakers. It allows everyone to shoot great things,” said Vikramaditya Motwane.

While the results of using an iPhone to shoot a movie are on YouTube for all to see, what’s interesting is that each of the five filmmakers had a different idea of how they felt when shooting with an iPhone.

Using ProRes to get it right

While shooting ‘Jal Tu Jalaal Tu’ on iPhone 15 Pro Max, Prateek Vats mentioned that he shot the film in 4:3 aspect ratio, reminiscent of 90s television boxes. Using the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 24mm main camera, he frames character portraits that allow the audience to see them through his eyes. He used the iPhone’s ProRes Log recording capabilities to precisely adjust specific areas for exposure and color.

The short film he co-directed with Shubham was inspired by Anton Chekhov’s short story The Death of a Government Clerk. Jal Tu Jalal Tu (You are water, you are omnipotent), it captures the anguish of a factory worker who accidentally offends his employer. The film delves into power dynamics and social hierarchies in a blue-collar environment.

The use of cinematic mode in storytelling

“We shoot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and then send it for color correction… No fuss, no tricks,” said Saurav Rai, producer of ‘Crossing Borders’. The short film is about a woman who smuggled items like sarees and umbrellas across the India-Nepal border to make ends meet.

“I’ve been using Apple products for a long time… iPhone 15 Pro Max is made for filmmakers. Cinematic mode keeps his well-developed characters sharp while blurring the foreground or background. “This kind of shooting gives you a beautiful depth of field that you can control either in post or on the iPhone itself,” Rai explained.

Getting the right mix from 24-120mm shots

Archana Atul Phadke, in her short film ‘Mirage’, considered long takes as a significant form of storytelling. The film centers on a young boy who spends all his time with his iPhone, only to lose it – and himself – in the desert. To contrast the vast landscape against the fledgling protagonist, Phadke used the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s native cameras to pack and unpack the stories.

“With the default 24mm main camera, I initially explored wide shots. Towards the end, a 120mm telephoto camera – which gives amazing depth – shrinks the boy’s world, Phadke explained.

Using the Voice Memo App for audio playback

Filmmaker Faraz Al’s Óbur (The Cloud) is a tragicomedy following a teenage boy who loses his memory of his sick mother. The memories were on his iPhone, which he pawned at a pharmacy in exchange for his mother’s medical help.

“Colors can tip the scale toward tragedy or comedy,” he explained. “ProRes video with log encoding gives my judging artist and I the raw materials we need to strike a delicate balance.”

For this film, Ali recorded ambient sounds on an iPhone 15 Pro Max using the Voice Memos app and an external microphone. On Mac, he also uses Final Draft to work on his scripts and Adobe Photoshop to color still images during pre-production.

Getting the device right

Saumyananda Sah’s film ‘New Life’ follows a migrant factory worker who leaves his pregnant wife in search of better job opportunities. Shot in Kolkata and Bengaluru, it examines the tropes of fatherhood and long-distance relationships.

Cinematographer Runal Hattimattur used a small rig cage on a stand with an iPhone 15 Pro Max in the film.

“We film the video calls in real time, and the iPhone is part of the presentations. That kind of storytelling is only possible here… I can fix the exposure or shoot the Log, as I usually do with an Arri Alexa film camera,” he explained.