Apple mocks movie clichés to promote iPhone 'Cinematic Mode'

Hilarious spots poke fun at familiar film genres to show off device's high-end photographic capabilities

Published On
Dec 28, 2021

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Apple has been promoting the cinematic capabilities of its iPhone 13 Pro in the “Hollywood in Your Pocket” campaign. It kicked off in September with a blockbuster, genre-spannings spot from TBWA\Media Arts Lab directed by Oscar-winning helmer Kathryn Bigelow. Now, however, it’s taking a more humorous approach to showing off specific features of the device in a series of laugh-out-loud spots spoofing familiar filmmaking tactics.

The films were created in-house at Apple and directed by O Posititive's David Shane. One spot, “Detectives,” plays with the phone’s “Cinematic Mode” capabilities to highlight how the camera’s shift of focus on specific characters highlights their importance—or lack thereof—to the story. When the picture sharpens on the wingman, the story takes a hilariously suspenseful turn.

Another ad pokes fun at the horror genre while showcasing the iPhone 13’s low-light capabilities (and questioning why victims in scary films never seem to turn the light on when they need it most).

 
 

A third video, “Pavel,” spoofs psychological thrillers by making the protagonist seem menacing, simply by zooming in slowly on his face.