Photography and cinematography equipment company Tilta teamed up with Oscar-winning Director of Photography Claudio Miranda, ASC, to create The X Gift, a holiday-themed short film shot entirely on iPhone 15 Pro.
“X encapsulates the essence of Christmas, representing the notions of surprise and boundless possibilities. Its objective is to communicate that this exceptional gift serves as a guiding light of encouragement for individuals of all ages and professions. The aspiration is to motivate people to capture cinematic moments with their loved ones, seizing life’s beauty at any time and in any place,” Tilta explains. “Beyond being a mere product showcase, this film extends an invitation to spark creativity, spread joy, and cultivate a sense of togetherness during the festive holiday season.”
Alongside working with Miranda, the Chilean cinematographer known for his work on Life of Pi, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Top Gun: Maverick, Tilta also enlisted production designer Yong Ok Lee, known for her work on Minari, The Farewell, and Marvelous and the Black Hole.
The production team used Tilta’s latest product, the Khronos Ecosystem, designed for filmmakers using the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. “This cutting-edge technology played a crucial role in completing the entire shoot,” Tilta explains.
The company says its Khronos products enable filmmakers to integrate the latest iPhone Pro models into a high-level, professional cinema workflow. “Leveraging the Khronos ecosystem designed by Tilta, the iPhone has the potential to seamlessly integrate into high-level workflows similar to those found in expert productions. Even as a smartphone, it exhibits capabilities that align with the standards of professional filmmaking, approaching the quality levels of many dedicated cameras,” the company explains.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max incorporate many impressive cinema-oriented features, including recording ProRes RAW footage directly to an attached SSD and fantastic overall video quality.
“I mean nowadays, cameras are so simple, versus when I was starting, it was film and processing. It was a lot more of a deal. Now, people could just pick up phones and create great content,” says Miranda.
Miranda also notes the utility of Blackmagic’s new Camera App, which provides the color and exposure control the award-winning cinematographer requires.
Gene Nagata of the YouTube channel Potato Jet shot the behind-the-scenes video of The X Gift and noted that it is hard to believe the footage produced by the latest iPhone models. “If you’re just looking at the monitor, it’s very hard to think like this is coming off a phone. Really impressive actually. My first time really seeing the ProRes and the Log really pushed the limits by a cinematographer. So, it’s actually really cool to see how capable these little things are. It definitely makes me rethink the camera that I have in my pocket for sure.”
It is really incredible just how far smartphone imaging technology has come. With the aid of new apps and accessories, mobile devices have made professional-quality filmmaking more accessible than ever.
Image credits: Tilta