Apple Shares Short Film 'Détour' Shot on iPhone by French Director Michel Gondry

[MacRumors]

Apple this afternoon shared a short film created by French director Michel Gondry, who is known for indie movies like The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. The film is available on Apple's French site and on its UK and French YouTube channels.

Called Détour, the 11 minute short was captured entirely on an iPhone and funded by Apple. It features the story of a tricycle that falls off of a car as a family heads out on vacation and its journey to find its owner, a little girl. On its travels, the tricycle encounters a wide range of colorful characters and experiences some emotional moments before finding its happy ending.

Détour is accompanied by six additional short tutorial videos that give a behind the scenes look at the filming and offer up some video capturing tips for iPhone users. Topics covered include "A cinematic touch," "Time-lapse," "Stop motion," "Slo-mo," "Night scenes," and "Perspective tricks."

Apple plans to screen Détour at the Marché Saint-Germain Apple Store in Paris on June 30. Michel Gondry will also be present to share details on the making of the film and to take about the future of cinema.

Article Link: Apple Shares Short Film 'Détour' Shot on iPhone by French Director Michel Gondry

 

[mejsric]

That time lapse is smart.

 

[Jovian9]

I love Gondry! Well done.

 

[jhfenton]

Je vais partir sur une île déserte !

 

[Jakewilk]

Beautiful film work!

 

[filmantopia]

It's not the camera, but the minds behind the camera.

 

[dannyyankou]

It's not the camera, but the minds behind the camera.

I’d say a combination of both. I mean, give them an iPhone 3G and see what the result is, lol.

 

[canadianreader]

C'est très joli!

 

[Floris]

Just don't forget please:

Additional hardware and software used.

And that matters, besides creativity, a team of people to help out and a budget to do amazing creative things to create a fun video. Tens of thousands of equipment for additional steady cam and camera lenses etc, makes it kinda out of reach to everybody else to achieve the same.

I am looking forward to the days where the disclaimer actually says: Completely filmed with, and shot with default Apple products and software, no additional hardware or third party software used.

 

[caskin8a]

I was looking forward to it, but ultimately underwhelmed here. Gonna get hate for posting this but especially next to the Samsung comparison:

 

[navaira]

That is not fair. I avoid all the "Apple shared six new ads for Apple Music featuring great artists such as Will.I.Am" but Michel Gondry is a genius and now I will have to watch all of those. ;(

 

[MH01]

He could shoot that with a $100 phone, and once its gone through post production, will still be amazing. Skill is behind the camera
[doublepost=1498808149][/doublepost]

Just don't forget please:

Additional hardware and software used.

And that matters, besides creativity, a team of people to help out and a budget to do amazing creative things to create a fun video. Tens of thousands of equipment for additional steady cam and camera lenses etc, makes it kinda out of reach to everybody else to achieve the same.

I am looking forward to the days where the disclaimer actually says: Completely filmed with, and shot with default Apple products and software, no additional hardware or third party software used.

Love that video . What they are missing is that the cost of the iPhone is 2% of the setup used

 

[Unami]

nice movie.

unfortunatly, even with Gondry embracing home-movie-aesthetics, it still looks like ass. but "story first" is still true here - it just doesn't seem like a good iphone-promotion imho.

 

[Avieshek]

RED WEAPON 8K vs iPhone. Dope

 

[Morris]

Michel Gondry is also responsible for one of the weirdest and most impressive music videos of all time, Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy.

 

[Jovian9]

Michel Gondry is also responsible for one of the weirdest and most impressive music videos of all time, Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy.

His music video history is almost second to none (maybe Romanek or Cunningham would have a say).

 

[Nick.haley]

my favourite bit would have to be the singing fish interlude, followed only by the giant bike. Props, literally.

 

[zapnyc]

Just don't forget please:

Additional hardware and software used.
... Tens of thousands of equipment for additional steady cam and camera lenses etc, makes it kinda out of reach to everybody else to achieve the same.

Huh? No. Everything in that shoot can be accomplished for cheap, or done D.I.Y.. That world has changed. Yes he chose actual pro rental gear he's used to using, but about the priciest thing you couldn't improvise was the camera stabilizer, and those are being made for only $200-300 for iPhone & GoPro. I didn't see any extra camera lens attachments. Everything else - tripod, phone brackets & attachment methods, etc. - all are easily reproduced for cheap or free. It's being done all the time now. Even the light-shielding pro-level sunlight blocking flags and canvas attached to pro camera stands can be - and is on a regular basis - reproduced. I used cardboard or a $40 reflector the other day. Other than that, grab a few friends to help. My friends do this stuff all the time and get paid for it. What you see onscreen is vision and technique.

 

[Nick.haley]

Huh? No. Everything in that shoot can be accomplished for cheap, or done D.I.Y.. That world has changed. Yes he chose actual pro rental gear he's used to using, but about the priciest thing you couldn't improvise was the camera stabilizer, and those are being made for only $200-300 for iPhone & GoPro. I didn't see any extra camera lens attachments. Everything else - tripod, phone brackets & attachment methods, etc. - all are easily reproduced for cheap or free. It's being done all the time now. Even the light-shielding pro-level sunlight blocking flags and canvas attached to pro camera stands can be - and is on a regular basis - reproduced. I used cardboard or a $40 reflector the other day. Other than that, grab a few friends to help. My friends do this stuff all the time and get paid for it. What you see onscreen is vision and technique.

I'm inclined to agree -- and would argue that Gondry's style can sometimes fit into the playful / rough and ready (but don't be fooled it can be much harder to achieve than it looks!)...

Watch the BTS clip 'A Cinematic Touch'... they haven't used an OSMO etc...

That 'steadicam' in the (Tour De France? lol) shot of the bike being cheered on down the hill? That almost looks handmade out of dowling / piping, and a plastic spring-grip used as counterbalance... so save for the actual handgrip which you also see in the bike wheel shot (17-18")... it looks like a cheap set up.
(have noticed a lens attachment here, noga arm...) but still we are not talking about BUCKETS of cash.

I enjoyed the crudity of just using wire and string ... the obvious nature of the plastic bag attaching itself to the bike to get its on its journey.

Gondry may have crew, but at least some of the tech seems pretty low tech and could be imitated by people starting out. Granted though it's 'cute' here and in a different set up could seem naff or corny.


UPDATE: It's a twig. They used a twig!

 

[joeco]

Michel Gondry is also responsible for one of the weirdest and most impressive music videos of all time, Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy.

That was Chris Cunningham who did the aphex video.
To be honest I'm a little disappointed with his work here, doesn't live up to his earlier work in my opinion.

 

[Floris]

I'm inclined to agree -- and would argue that Gondry's style can sometimes fit into the playful / rough and ready (but don't be fooled it can be much harder to achieve than it looks!)...

Watch the BTS clip 'A Cinematic Touch'... they haven't used an OSMO etc...

That 'steadicam' in the (Tour De France? lol) shot of the bike being cheered on down the hill? That almost looks handmade out of dowling / piping, and a plastic spring-grip used as counterbalance... so save for the actual handgrip which you also see in the bike wheel shot (17-18")... it looks like a cheap set up.
(have noticed a lens attachment here, noga arm...) but still we are not talking about BUCKETS of cash.

I enjoyed the crudity of just using wire and string ... the obvious nature of the plastic bag attaching itself to the bike to get its on its journey.

Gondry may have crew, but at least some of the tech seems pretty low tech and could be imitated by people starting out. Granted though it's 'cute' here and in a different set up could seem naff or corny.


UPDATE: It's a twig. They used a twig!
View attachment 706572

Huh? No. Everything in that shoot can be accomplished for cheap, or done D.I.Y.. That world has changed. Yes he chose actual pro rental gear he's used to using, but about the priciest thing you couldn't improvise was the camera stabilizer, and those are being made for only $200-300 for iPhone & GoPro. I didn't see any extra camera lens attachments. Everything else - tripod, phone brackets & attachment methods, etc. - all are easily reproduced for cheap or free. It's being done all the time now. Even the light-shielding pro-level sunlight blocking flags and canvas attached to pro camera stands can be - and is on a regular basis - reproduced. I used cardboard or a $40 reflector the other day. Other than that, grab a few friends to help. My friends do this stuff all the time and get paid for it. What you see onscreen is vision and technique.

I think your input on this and information is on point and explains it well that it can be done. I think that's a fair point. In this particular case I will take back some of my words, but i do stand by them. I remain skeptical about videos with high praise and support behind that throw in a smaller font saying additional gear, etc used. I mean, it's great that they at least disclose it, but I think it's fair to say as well that it's not like they're just standing there like you and me making some shots and clipping it together with some (serious) editing. It was sponsored by Apple for a reason after all.

And that they used a twig for balance, that's just frekin awesome. haha

 

[freddiecable]

agree! did not know it was him. as others say - it is Cunningham no?

Michel Gondry is also responsible for one of the weirdest and most impressive music videos of all time, Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy.