How the fast bits from the F1 movie were shot on a custom built iPhone camera
Apple actually built a customer camera for Formula 1 cars to use during filming. This wasn't Tim Cook rocking up to set with an iPhone taped to a steering wheel. The tech giant built a bespoke bit of kit from the inside out using iPhone parts.
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How Apple built a custom F1 car camera with iPhone parts
The upcoming F1 film from Apple, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski (behind Top Gun: Maverick), wanted to put the viewer right in the cockpit. Problem is, F1 cars are aerodynamic nightmares for anything bulkier than a bolt. You can't slap a Hollywood-grade cinema camera on one and expect it not to fly off. Or melt. While the standard broadcast cameras F1 already uses are great for telly, it turns out that they're absolutely dire for cinema.
So Apple's solution was to tear an iPhone apart and build a camera that fits in the same spot as existing F1 broadcast units. Wired got the behind-the-scenes look at this camera tech, which is some seriously impressive gear. The firm took the 48MP sensor from the iPhone 15 Pro Max and put it inside a module (most likely) powered an A17 Pro chip.
Let's be clear, this wasn't smartphone shoot. An iPhone didn't film this footage. It's a purpose-built device encased in a shell that looks just like the original F1 camera. It complies with weight and design rules so could be used on the cars on track. But the fact that it's the same camera sensor as an iPhone that slips into your pocket is seriously impressive.
Shock-proof, heat-proof, and strong enough to survive the kind of g-forces that would make the average DSLR weep, the module was tested beyond even what Formula 1 requires. The footage, captured in ProRes Log, is fully gradeable for editors. That Log format, and support for the professional ACES colour pipeline, both showed up later as an iPhone feature. Coincidence? I think not. Turns out this secret little movie project has been influencing the iPhone's feature set from behind the curtain.
As for controls, F1 cars aren't allowed to have onboard wireless systems, because the FIA apparently doesn't fancy seeing a camera take off mid-race. So the whole setup had to be wired. To work with this, Apple designed an iPad control panel that let the filmmakers tweak ISO, shutter angle, frame rate, and more via USB-C. Very un-Hollywood, but very Apple.
The high-speed shots it enabled are scattered throughout the movie. Apparently there's no 'shot on iPhone' tag in sight, so you'll just have to keep your eyes peeled for the magic. F1: The Movie hits international cinemas and IMAX theatres on 25 June, with a US release two days later on 27 June. Prepare for noise, speed, and the most expensive use of an iPhone camera sensor to date.
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