Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why A Hong Kong Ferrari Dealership Used The iPhone 12 Pro Max To Shoot A Commercial

Why A Hong Kong Ferrari Dealership Used The iPhone 12 Pro Max To Shoot A Commercial

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is often called the best smartphone video camera--and the latest Ferrari commercial in Hong Kong is testament to that.

There are many aspects and criteria to consider when evaluating smartphone cameras, and if we were to break down the mobile camera experience into separate categories, there’d be a diverse list of “winners.” Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, for example, has the best zooming system, while the Oppo Find X3 Pro has the best ultra-wide angle camera. But the best mobile camera for capturing video? That’d be the iPhone 12 series—specifically, the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Frank Liew, chief marketing officer of Blackbird Concessionaires, the official dealer of Ferrari in Hong Kong, sure thinks so. That’s why when he was tasked to shoot a short film marketing two Ferrari sportscars—one newly released in Hong Kong—he chose the unorthodox approach of shooting the entire project with an iPhone 12 Pro Max instead of a “professional” camera.

“I’ve been using the iPhone since the 4 [released in 2010] to take video clips on a daily basis,” says Liew. “and I was fascinated by the idea that this everyday device we all have in our pockets can create something beautiful.”

The two Ferraris Liew was tasked to market were the Portofino M, which just launched in Hong Kong last month, and the SF90 Stradale. Liew says with both cars sporting different personalities, he came up with this “night-and-day dual-world” concept, in which footage of the Portofino M cruising during the day is seamlessly intercut with scenes of the SF90 Stradale speeding through Central at night.

The industry standard tool to film high speed scenes of a moving car zipping through the street is the “Russian Arm,” a robotic arm with a professional grade camera attached, connected to the roof of a vehicle in order to capture high-angle shots of another car.

“It’s an industry standard used in everything from car commercials to Hollywood blockbusters,” says Liew, “but we don’t have access to one in Hong Kong and they’re very costly to build.”

So Liew made his own version with an iPhone 12 Pro Max connected to a consumer DJI Ronin S gimbal, which was then connected to a crane that’s manually operated from the back of a pickup truck.

The makeshift Russian Arm: an iPhone 12 Pro Max strapped to a DJI gimbal connected to a manual crane

Lew operating the makeshift Russian Arm.

The makeshift Russian Arm—which Liew jokingly nicknamed “iCrane”—allowed Liew and his crew of six to get high- and low-angle shots of the Ferraris in motion. But Liew wanted an even more unconventional shot.

“I grew up spending a lot of time at the arcades [where] I played driving games,” Liew recalls. “And there was this video game camera angle where the camera seems to be hovering behind the car, so that you see not just everything on the road but the entire back of the car too.

“I wanted to re-create that shot.”

Given the size and weight of professional cameras, this would have required a very expensive, specialized rig—but Liew, of course, was shooting with a tiny lightweight device with excellent stabilization built-in. So he merely strapped an iPhone 12 Pro Max to some rods that hung out the back of the car. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s ultra-wide angle camera allowed the phone to capture the entire car and the road ahead without needing to be placed too far behind the vehicle. The iPhone’s stabilization did the rest of the work.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max grabbing that "video game" shot


Finally, Liew and his crew strapped the iPhone to a DJI drone to get more aerial shots. The whole shoot lasted three days, with three weeks spent on post-production to slice the footage seamlessly together.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max strapped to a DJI drone.


The resulting video, titled “The Handover,” is a stylish, professional mini movie that showcases not just Ferrari sportscars, but the Hong Kong skyline and iPhone’s video prowess as well.


“They say the best camera is the one you have with you,” Liew says, “and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the camera that’s always with me.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×