A shot from the customized iPhone-based digicam in ‘F1’ – Picture Credit score: Apple
The Apple Unique Movie “F1 The Film” used the iPhone in an uncommon manner, by utilizing parts usually used within the smartphone to create a customized digicam.
The videography that goes into main movies is commonly stuffed with customized tech, all to realize the proper shot the director desires. Whereas the trade may be very accustomed to many several types of {hardware}, from modular cameras to motion cams, one of many cameras utilized in “F1” relied much more on Apple’s expertise than regular.
Hinted at by CEO Tim Cook dinner throughout a June 11 interview selling the “F1” movie for Apple TV+, the digicam revealed by Wired is basically an iPhone. Albeit one which has been closely custom-made for the mission.
The issue of making a driver’s viewpoint in a automobile has been solved for broadcast, however not for movie. The expertise is designed to be used in dwell broadcasts, which means it is not made for the heavy codec customization or excessive resolutions {that a} function movie would require.
Fairly than convert an current broadcast digicam to work for the movie, the crew as an alternative turned to a different piece of expertise with a pedigree in filmmaking. Apple’s engineering crew successfully used an iPhone.
A custom-made imaging machine
Numerous movies and TV reveals have used iPhones for photographs, with fashionable variations together with assist for issues like ACES, recording in LOG, and even recording 4K ProRES video at 60 frames per second.
Certainly, the upcoming Danny Boyle horror sequel “28 Years Later” was shot on the iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Profiting from that lineage, Apple created a substitute for the published module. An aerodynamic wing form that attaches to the facet of the automobile, it’s made to be the identical form and weight as the published module, to take care of the automobile’s exact specs.
Inside is a digicam sensor from an iPhone, accompanied by an A-series chip for processing. Although Apple did not specify what truly was used within the module, the report believes that filming in actual F1 races within the 2023 and 2024 seasons means it may’ve used the A17 Professional and 48-megapixel digicam from the iPhone 15 Professional.
A customized firmware was used for the digicam, with the module itself operating on iOS. The footage itself was captured utilizing ProRES in LOG format, capturing a flat and low-contrast picture that is extra versatile to make use of when enhancing.
The module additionally held an iPhone battery and a impartial density filter, which helped scale back incoming mild and gave editors extra publicity management.
To really handle the digicam module because of an absence of built-in radios, the crew used a USB-C cable and a customized iPad app. This enabled the videographer in control of the module to regulate important settings reminiscent of body price and white steadiness, in addition to to begin and cease recording.
Artwork main expertise
The top result’s a digicam that the filmmakers used to seize driver’s-view photographs that had been the next high quality model of what avid System One race viewers are already accustomed to.
But additionally, it was a transfer that led to technological adjustments within the iPhone itself. The firmware adjustments within the digicam led to Apple together with Academy Shade Encoding System assist and LOG encoding being added to the iPhone 15 Professional, making it much more helpful for filmmakers.
This continues Apple’s custom of contemplating itself on the “intersection of expertise and the liberal arts,” as Cook dinner stated in his June interview.
Within the service of utilizing its expertise to allow artists to create, it resulted in advantages to what it may provide customers. Doing so permits the iPhone to be extra helpful to customers who need to do filmmaking, in addition to these on the high of the sport.
It is a mutually useful alternate that helps each the content material and the means to make it.
