Short Film ‘O₂’ Shot On iPhone with Beastgrip PL Mount Adapter

Smartphone Filmmaking

by Nick TaylorOctober 10^th, 2024

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The whole “shot on an iPhone” movement has become sort of gimmicky lately. You’ve probably seen the memes about ’28 Years Later’ being shot on an iPhone, yet using more massive rigs and lenses than many other films. The advantages of shooting a film on an iPhone become minimal when your budget is in the millions. However, the team at Beastgrip, known for outfitting phones for filmmaking, recently released a new short film shot on an iPhone. They’ve used a new Beastgrip DOF Adapter called the Фoton (foh-ton). Let’s check out the short and how they made it!

O₂ – a short film shot on iPhone with Anamorphic Cinema Lenses

The short film O₂, written and directed by Stanislav Kapralov, with cinematography by Eugene Usanov, can be viewed below. The short utilizes Atlas Mercury series anamorphic cinema lenses in conjunction with an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Beastgrip Фoton adapter to attach the lenses to the iPhone.

What would have been difficult to do without can now be done very easily using Beastgrip’s Фoton adapter. DP Eugene Usanov says: “The Beastgrip DOF Adapter let us use Atlas Anamorphic lenses, and I was blown away by the results. Despite concerns about the iPhone’s dynamic range and low-light performance, Apple ProRes Log exceeded expectations. Combined with the Atlas lenses, the footage looks like it was captured on a cinema camera. It felt like we defied physics.”

So, the short film production used the body of an iPhone 15 Pro Max, anamorphic lenses from the Atlas Mercury series, and the Beastgrip Фoton as the base.

Why bother shooting on an iPhone?

My first question when I hear something was shot on an iPhone or any mobile device is: Why? As I alluded to in the introduction, I don’t think any of the potential advantages of shooting on an iPhone hold up if you have a budget to work with. It’s like going to a fancy restaurant and ordering a McDonald’s hamburger… why would you do that?

The appeal of being able to shoot something on an iPhone or Android device is that they are widely available. Most people have a cell phone. So, if they have an iPhone and want to be a filmmaker, the implication is that they can start shooting. Their skills can be honed, and lessons can be learned without investing in “professional” cinema camera gear. But when a feature film is shot on an iPhone with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment added on, it’s like a hat on a hat: it’s just too much.

I could see Apple commissioning a filmmaker to make a film on an iPhone to prove that it can be done. Famously, Steven Soderberg has shot (at least) two of his films- Unsane (2018) and High Flying Bird (2019)- on an iPhone. The film Tangerine (2015), which received widespread critical acclaim, was also shot using iPhones. This is, no doubt, inspiring for aspiring filmmakers, showing that a film can be created with minimal equipment. This “filming with an iPhone” movement is neither new nor niche at this point.

Back to Beastgrip and ‘O₂’

So, why bother shooting on an iPhone? The reason, in this case, is pretty obvious. I’ve laid all this out to make a point. ‘O₂,’ in my opinion, is iPhone filmmaking done right. It’s not a gimmick, it’s not a stunt, it is pure filmmaking. With a near-zero budget, filmmaker Stanislav Kapralov used the Beastgrip Фoton to tell a story with an iPhone but wasn’t sure how that would visually translate to the screen. Kapralov shares, “I wanted O₂ to have a true cinematic feel. Being a visual director, I was excited to see the results we achieved using Atlas lenses with this new DOF adapter.”

Sure, using Atlas lenses on an iPhone is kind of like going after a mosquito with a bazooka. But, as Kaparlov says, “I believe the film’s final look speaks for itself.” And it’s a great use of Beastgrip’s new adapter system. So, if you want to invest in lenses and use your iPhone for filmmaking, this is a great solution for you!

For more information, please head to Beastgrip’s website here.

So what do you think? Is it worthwhile to pursue filmmaking on iPhones or other mobile devices? Do you think this Beastgrip adapter is something you’ll want to check out? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!