Unsane -- Psycho-Thriller shot on iPhone; Future of Film reloaded?
[17:05 Wed,31.January 2018 by blip]
For a few days now, people have been reading about a movie that was filmed entirely with an iPhone -- the talk is of Steven Soderbergh´s "Unsane", which will celebrate its premiere at the Berlinale (main section / out of competition). It is not the first time that smartphone material can be seen on a big screen (see for example Tangerine), but this time it´s a horror thriller for a mainstream audience, shot by a prominent and highly experimental independent director, which has often been featured in our news section; in 2002, for example, Soderbergh shot "Full Frontal" on MiniDV.
Pic1§ Since Blair Witch Project (1999) everyone knows that a creepy picture quality can fit in well with the horror genre -- but as Indiewire reports, Soderbergh, who himself is responsible for the camera work (as well as editing), is said to be very taken with the picture quality of the iPhone and to consider shooting future films with it. It is even "potentially one of the most liberating experiences that I? ve ever had as a filmmaker".
That´s not so new, because that´s basically what filmmakers have been saying since MiniDV about digital film technology (although the image quality at that time was considerably poorer), and it must have been a long time since a film project failed due to the lack of access to an affordable camera. On the contrary, compared to star salary and team costs, for example, rental expenses at this level are hardly significant, even for a reasonably professional cinema camera. Even those who are looking for an easy-to-use camera will find affordable alternatives with good quality for years. To suggest that thanks to the iPhone you can finally make the movie you've always dreamed of, seems a bit unrealistic.
Compared to a RED (otherwise Soderbergh´s camera of choice) it turns naturally more intimate and easier with a smartphone, no question -- Unsane is said to have been shot in a week. It is not clear which setup was used, but it is a not insignificant question. For more professional filming, a smartphone is usually used in the rig, possibly with special lens attachments, a stabilization is needed (gimbal etc.) and the sound is recorded separately. It´s actually not that far away from a somewhat larger camera system in terms of size and effort. In the crew list for the film, the sound department including ADR (subsequent dubbing) is relatively well staffed.
We are therefore wondering whether there might not be other reasons for choosing a camera that could possibly be related to marketing. Whether Apple contributed to the financing of the film is not known -- but why should Soderbergh selflessly give the technology manufacturer the not inconsiderable advertising effect? Last year Michel Gondry shot the 11-minute de-tour with the new iPhone for Apple. Conversely, of course, a film shot on a smartphone also attracts much more media attention, and since his last film, Logan Lucky, Soderbergh has been controlling not only production, but also distribution and advertising itself, the latter with a much smaller budget than is customary in Hollywood. Some guerrilla marketing is certainly not inconvenient... If the shooting was fun, the better.
But whether the film ultimately tops or fails depends less on the camera used than on whether Soderbergh succeeds in telling an interesting story. A trailer is already online:
;)