“It’s amazing that the era has come where smartphones are not inferior to professional cameras. If shooting a movie is still considered grand, then you don’t need it. Just grab your iPhone and go out with your life, your landscapes, your stories that you’ve invented… it starts with taking pictures of anything. Try it.”
This is the message delivered by director Park Chan-wook, who became a world-class master with films such as “Old Boy”, “Snowpiercer”, “Bat” and “The Handmaiden”, from the filming of ” Sunset Dreams”. ‘, a short film shot with an iPhone 13 Pro.
This is an experimental work by director Park that commands attention as various genres change from △horror △fantasy △martial arts △romantic comedy △musical unfold over a 20-minute span. ‘Undertaker (Yoo Hae-jin)’ digs up ‘Swordsman (Park Jeong-min)’s grave while searching for a tree for his benefactor ‘Han-sable (Kim Ok-bin)’s coffin, and takes care of the turmoil between two ghosts.
No more need for “tricks” to film with a smartphone
On 6 p.m. at 11 a.m., Apple simultaneously released Sunshine Dreams worldwide on its official YouTube channel, and at the same time held an online preview in Korea with director Park and key cast members in attendance. On this day, various behind-the-scenes stories of the work filmed with the iPhone, the staff and the feelings of the actors were exchanged.
Director Park has experience shooting a short film called “The Blue Sky” with an iPhone 4 in 2011. He recalls: “At that time, the result was not of good quality to be viewed on a big screen. screen,” he recalls.
Cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung also gave a positive review, saying, “10 years ago, when making movies with an iPhone, a separate lens was needed, but for this job, only the iPhone 13 Pro was enough.” In particular, he chose the scene of the bonus transport outside during the day and said, “I only looked at the iPhone screen when the weather was erratic. Director Park also added, “Please watch this work on the big screen.” It is an expression of confidence in the outcome of the shot.
The two directors particularly praised the ‘Cinematic Shooting’ mode. Cinematic Shot is a function that automatically provides a focus transition effect when a subject is detected after artificial intelligence (AI) predicts that a person or pet will enter the frame of the shot. camera.
Director Park used it to capture the transition from present to past. It is explained that the two times of the film coexist on a single screen thanks to an effective change of focus.
Director Kim said, “It was nice to be able to re-adjust the focus after shooting, even though you can’t directly control the speed at which the focus is switched. Additionally, he added, “Unlike in the past, the professional format called ProRAW is supported, which can process more colorful colors,” he added.
In fact, if you look at the work, elements that the two directors deliberately placed in order to maximize the benefits of the iPhone’s camera stand out. The dark nighttime background, which is usually avoided with smartphone cameras, was added at the start to emphasize the quality of night photography, and several scenes show the effect of dynamic focus shifting in mode. cinematic. In addition, at the end of the work, the color processing performance of the iPhone 13 Pro was expressed through a group dance performed on a colored background. Of course, compared to the last movies, there are some things missing. However, if you’re not aware that it’s an “iPhone-shot movie”, it’s hard to notice the difference.
Times are changing again… I was immersed in the game unaware of the camera.
The actors also expressed their satisfaction, saying it was a new experience. Yoo Hae-jin, who plays the undertaker, recalls, “I felt very uncomfortable going from an analog camera with movie sound to a digital camera era, but this iPhone shoot gave me a similar feeling.” “I wondered how the world had altered.”
Kim Ok-bin and Park Jeong-min, who played ferrets and swordsmen, also agreed, “During a normal movie shoot, I’m aware of the big cameras placed everywhere, but the cameras on the iPhone are so small that I don’t know where they are, so I can act more freely.”
On the other hand, it is also a film made under Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign with famous directors from all over the world. In addition to director Park, masters such as Michel Gondry, Damien Chazelle, Jin Ga-shin and Jia Zhangke have participated so far, and this is an event to show that the iPhone has movie shooting capabilities of Professional level.
Director Park said, “Story is important for a film, but knowing how to set up the screen and what lens to use in what context is an important skill for a director,” Park said. “I was able to train enough to become a pro,” he said.
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