This is odd… but awesome. Apparently parts of The Avengers were shot on an iPhone. Not test shots; actual footage which has ended up in the final film and trailer. Can you spot it?
It really is a case of the best camera being the one you’ve got on hand. Seamus McGarvey, the cinematographer on The Avengers is quoted in IFTN as saying he used an iPhone for some shots that made it into the trailer and will make it into the final film. He’s quoted as saying that
The beauty of photography or cinema is that you make every choice based on the content at hand. On The Avengers, I did a couple of shots on the iPhone and they are in the movie. In fact, they are in the trailer! I understand that sometimes there is no choice and you have to go for the cheapest option, but if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film.”
Without wanting to get into a debate about the merits of any particular smartphone platform, that’s amazing. As an added bonus, it allows me to post The Avengers trailer one more time. I could watch that thing all day long.
[TiPb via The Next Web]
glennc
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:51 AMthis is odd… but awesome??? really?
Dan Miller
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:03 AMThe only thing I see as fail in this movie is that the Hulk is not played by Edward Norton or Eric Bana. Would work better with ether of the two instead of getting in a new actor in. So I take it this will be another 3D film shot in 2D then converted to 3D in post then if parts where shot on a iPhone? Unless your shot in 3D don’t bother.
Dr What?
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:31 AMEric Bana would be worse as then they would be saying that the Ang Lee travesty is part of the Marvel movie continuity. Which it’s not.
Glenn
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:13 AMEven if you’re shot in 3D, I still wouldn’t bother.
3D movies are ruining cinema, because watching a 3D movie in 2D just makes you go “Wow, that only occured for the 3D effect”.
Dr Doom
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 5:50 PMThe didn’t use Ed Norton cause he was being a jerk (I.e being difficult on set) and asking for to much money. So they got someone else to replace him.
tome
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:03 AMI bet its the scene (1:33) where Thor and Captain America are looking up and thinking “WTF… he’s filming with an iPhone!?!”
chris
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:08 AMHey Giz, Just FYI. These video players that you guys embed never work for me! Not in safari, firefox or opera.
B3n
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:31 AMtry Chrome… works well for me ;)
chris
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:01 AM… nope. In firefox and chrome the player shows up, but hitting play does nothing. In Opera and Safari the player doesn’t even show.
Mac OSX 10.6.8
Firefox 7.0.1
Chrome 12.0.742.77
Safari 5.0.5
Opera 10.10
Alex
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:23 AMclean catch etc on your PC…
issue is not browser but some glitch on your computer… look in to other way to troubleshoot on google
deadnotsleeping
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:12 AMI see the problem.
“Mac OSX 10.6.8″
Patrick
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 11:54 AMFlash version?
Home or work internet?
Simon Reidy
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:40 AMDo you use AdBlocker? Sometimes it can incorrectly filter videos. Might pay to check its lists, and switch it off to see if there’s any difference.
I can play nearly all embedded vids on Giz just fine on my iPad, so if that can play them, any new browser should! :)
poita
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:20 AMThey work for me in Safari 5.1.1
Glenn, I do think it is awesome that a consumer phone can shoot video quality (be it in a very explicit circumstance) that can be integrated into a major feature film release without being obvious. When I worked in features such an idea was totally science fiction.
Simon Reidy
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:31 AMI agree poita. The problem is so many modern geeks are blasé, take everything for granted and think its uncool to be impressed by anything remotely linked to Apple.
If this was shot on a Nexus One, everyone here would be dancing up and down at how awesome it is.
Personally I don’t care what type of phone it is. I do however think its awesome that we live in an age where this kind of thing is possible.
If you take this for granted, have a think about 5 short years ago and how far we’ve come with video quality on smartphones. Today 1080p30 is the norm! I still find that incredible, and optics and sensor quality are getting better in each iteration of iPhone and Android handsets as well.
I look forward to the day I can shoot 4K footage at 60 frames a second from my iPhone10 (to be stored on it’s 1TB flash drive ;) )
Que
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:18 AMonly certain group of people will find it ‘Awesome’. and Giz, don’t be that group of people.
Simon Reidy
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:35 AMOh really. Certain groups you say? And what would they be? Video enthusiasts that appreciate the flexibility and picture quality of modern smartphones? I feel like such a dick for being part of that “group”.
Or are you saying you have to be an iSheep to appreciate it? (typical Android fan thought process).
deadnotsleeping
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:17 AMI’m not really amazed by the tech, but very surprised that they used it. For film 1920*1080 is more than enough pixels and the image will fix tweak in post processing, the real challenge with an iphone or any smart phone is keeping it steady.
They do also have the advantage over real cameras in size. eg you can quite easily film inside a car and still have plenty of room for the actors to move around
Que
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 3:08 PMthe title might indicate something totally different if it wasn’t saying ‘on An iPhone’ but ‘on an phone’.
If you find it awesome because it was an iPhone, then you are an iSheep; if you think it is awesome because it is simply done by a phone, then you are a ‘Video enthusiasts’.
I have many friends they are Video enthusiasts; however Giz put the piece up becuase the ‘iPhone’ part.
Alex Kidman
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 3:19 PMNot at all, and I noted as much in the story; the cinematographer stated it as an iPhone and so I reported it as such. You’re seeing conspiracies where there are none.
Scott
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:23 AMB3N, that’s like saying “Get a Ford” when your Holden has a flat tire.
BenDTU
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:03 AMPretty cool, but… why?
Lord Crumplebottom
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:05 AMThere is so much post-processing of footage it wouldn’t matter if it was shot on an iPhone, a $200 Ben-Q flip HD camera or even a $60 Logitech HD webcam. You’ll never see actual raw shot footage – especially in a big budget film that’s most likely destined for 3D.
Water Bear
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 4:45 PMMy thoughts exactly. You could draw a few frames in crayon and get it looking good. That would certainly explain Beast in X-men Origins.
Luke
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:10 AM“…if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film.”
Not to nitpick, but the correct word is affect. You could say instead that the decisions produced an effect on the look of the film.
con
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:12 AMIs it the bits with Scarlett Johansson ?
See what i did there ?
deadnotsleeping
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:22 AMJust had a thought, could be during that huge explosion street shot. Ussually those sorts of things are one or two shots but they are filmed with many camera’s, could be the director had people with iphones in the street to capture as many angles as possible.
Ozoneocean
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:54 AMThat’s embarrassing, but not entirely surprising- it’s a comic book movie full of explosions afterall.
One the critics will remember for decades…
Adam
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:03 PMThe 4s wasn’t out yet, so it was with 720p on an iPhone 4. Guys saying it was enough, not really. If they were shooting digital it would likely be 4 or 8k, it’d show up quite noticeably on the bluray… And converted 3d. I was against it. Until captain America- it was great
noisymime
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:27 PMThis was my first thought too! I’m sure they’ll stillo label the bluray as 1080p.
blueevo
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 12:16 PMI bet there will be a section of the movie where a bystander is recording some of the action through his iPhone.
Norgan
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 1:01 PMit would be a super lazy way of shooting those “user shot” scenes you see in movies. Where someone is running and the pic is all hazy and shakey and made to look like some newb was shooting it on a home camera. No need for post processing if you actually use a consumer device to shoot those type of scenes.
Not nearly half as impressive as an entire ep of house shot on a Canon 5D MkII ;)
Aard Vark
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:37 PMI reckon it’s the shot of Thor looking up, holding his hammer. That lens flare looks awfully smartphone-like to me.
Either way, though: very cool.
Aard Vark
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:39 PMjust realised there’s a few of those. I’m referring to 0:46.
John
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:54 PMOn a side-note my main complaint is the real3d at the end cause that means they will put it in 3d. If i wanted 3d id spend the whole movie in the lobby
Spock
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 5:06 PMI’m guessing any bedroom shots of Scarlett Johansson would probably look good taken on a phone. We’ve been there before.