Have you always wanted to shoot a film but could not afford the expensive equipment and lacked knowledge about film making? Well, this is not going to be very helpful for you, anyway!
Apple has been showcasing its amazing iPhone camera quality by collaborating with directors from around the world. The thing is, with the super pricey gadgets and the professional background of the directors, it is not really clear whom these films are supposed to target, as far as the “Shot on iPhone” angle is concerned.
This time, we have been given a glimpse into the Indian cinema with Fursat. Officially released on the 3rd of February, 2023, Fursat is a short film directed by National award-winning director Vishal Bhardwaj. A film entirely shot on the iPhone 14 Pro, Fursat is the story of a young man who travels through time using a device called Doordarshak. There is no doubt that the movie is beautifully shot, and the director is a master at his craft, but why is the fact that it has been shot on a phone such a big deal?
Well, it is a big deal but also not. Depends on whom you ask. Apple fans would love to talk-up the amazing picture quality and the super stable way it records every frame, despite just being a phone. But I think when your phone has an ultra-refined 48-megapixel primary camera with second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilisation, it’s bit of stretch to label it as ‘just a phone camera’. It’s a mini-DSLR, to say the least!
On the other hand, the film buffs would much rather enjoy the authentic feel of traditional cinematography over the modern AI driven presentation from an iPhone.
But tough luck! Apple’s whole idea behind the series is not eliminating what the traditional is, but showcasing its product’s qualities in the most flashy way possible. It is not enough to show that your phone can take a pretty picture of the sunset, we have got to get the whole sun into our phones.
Before someone comes at me for sounding unnecessarily mean, I actually liked the movie. I am familiar with the Indian cinema scene as well as Mr. Bhardwaj’s inherent style, so it was not too difficult to watch. But as someone who is neither a film buff nor an Apple loyalist, I wonder, was it something I enjoyed because I liked the movie or did it have anything to do with the iPhone it was shot on?