The First Apple Event “Shot on iPhone”

Perhaps the most exciting thing to come out of Apple’s latest keynote was not the new iMacs or Macbook Pros, or even the M3 chips, but that, for the very first time ever, the Apple keynote event was shot on iPhone.

“Shot on iPhone” The slogan popularized by Apple in their campaigns for the iPhone has become the unofficial catchphrase for the pictures or videos taken from our phones looking so damn good. 

Apple takes it to the next level in the latest keynote presentation, “Scary Fast”, unveiling the new M3 Chips along with the new Macbook Pros, filming it all on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

Behind the Scenes

Apple just released the behind the scenes video showing off how they utilized the iPhone across different production scenarios. Mounting it onto gimbals, drones, and putting it all together in a professional capacity is amazing – yet somewhat comical; to see all these high production tools, easily costing over hundreds of thousands of dollars, and for it to be shot on an iPhone, something that fits in our pockets, is something that would’ve been unfathomable even a few years ago.

New iPhone Video Features

What exactly makes the iPhone 15 a more capable video camera compared to the last generation? Is it really that much of an upgrade?

The iPhone 15 changed their lighting cable to a USB-C connector, something that has been available on many other competitor smartphones for a while now, but new to the iPhone system. This allows data transfer speeds of up to 10GBS of ProRes videos into external SSDs. For those unfamiliar with the more technical jargon, this means that editors can review footage, and edit much faster. Not only does this speed up the workflow but anyone who has recorded with Prores in the past, especially on 4K, knows how much space it can take. By recording externally into a SSD, the iPhone is now capable of recording forever* (*limited by how many SSDs you may have).

Apple also introduces Apple Log for the very first time. Their proprietary log picture profile. For those unfamiliar with recording in log, it is typically a feature featured in professional cinema cameras that allows for more dynamic range and flexibility in color-grading. This allows for a more balanced looking image where the shadows aren’t too dark or the highlights aren’t too bright. Video creators are able to utilize Apple Log to customize their look even more and get colors they are more happy with.

Blackmagic x Apple

In the behind the scenes footage, it is revealed that the production crew utilizes a third party app to take advantage of the imaging capabilities of the new iPhone. Using the Blackmagic Camera app, the production crew had more controls over the camera settings, something that is not possible on the default native iPhone camera app.

Exclusive to the iOS App store, Blackmagic and Apple seem to be forming a closer relationship for the future. This is good news for iPhone users, as Blackmagic are established in the industry for their innovations in filmmaking hardware and software.

As seen in the behind the scenes, the editors of the video are using Davinci Resolve, Blackmagic’s video editing software. This seems to be more fuel to the fire, as Apple has their very own professional video editing software, Final Cut Pro.

We seem to be in the early stages of their professional working relationship, but fans are excited to see what may develop in the coming years as both companies seem to be at the cutting edge of their respective industries.

Not all that it seems

This isn’t the very first time that a professional production was filmed on an iPhone – but no matter what, it seems like whenever the average joe gets access to the latest and greatest iPhone, they aren’t able to shoot nearly as great quality as what is advertised – are we being lied to? Well… yes and no.

While these productions are filmed entirely on iPhones, what sometimes goes unmentioned are the number of crew behind the productions, or professional grade lighting equipment, or the third party lenses that are used – making it feel like a lie; still unattainable to the general masses.

But should we really feel cheated? What Apple is really showing in these types of videos isn’t that the average joe can make these types of videos but rather the iPhone is capable of withstanding these professional conditions and can pass a professional looking image. It’s not a gimmick; there is a reason why Apple seems to be making a serious push into the filmmaking world now.

The Future of Filmmaking

As a video maker myself, my mind was blown when it was revealed that the keynote was filmed on an iPhone. For the very first time ever, an Apple keynote presentation was filmed on an iPhone.

For a company that seems to put a lot of value into the production of their videos, one would expect them to be using the high end cinema cameras that are used to shoot commercials and movies (Something like a Venice or ARRI Alexa). For them to be using an iPhone for one of their own productions was scary.

Year after year, we seem to be getting into the same debate. Are iPhones seriously good enough to replace cameras? I’ve never really participated in this discourse, as I thought it was a waste of time and a bit gimmicky. But after seeing Apple put their money where their mouths are, I’m giving it a rethink for the first time as well. 

Well, the short answer is no. The iPhone isn’t going to replace my FX3 (which recently was the main camera for the hollywood blockbuster, The Creator – a topic worth an article of its own), but the improvements are undeniable – Apple is making serious effort into making this a better video camera. There are a many reasons and a whole discussion that can get boring very quickly as to why many productions won’t be using the iPhone to cover their next project; it simply isn’t going to beat out a $5000 cinema camera. (the more interesting debate is whether the entry-level camera market should still exist with all the improvements in camera technology on our smartphones)

So while I may not be using the iPhone to film our next big project, I will start to utilize the iPhone more in maybe more social friendly videos, and utilize it as a tool more and more. We even have been filming our Staff Meal Series on our iPhones.