This Chinese Lunar New Year, Apple is debuting its latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ film in China, with the tagline ‘I Made a Mixtape for You’ via TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai.
Shot on the iPhone 16 Pro, the campaign marks Apple’s 8th film for Chinese New Year, celebrating the holiday with users around the world. The film follows the complexity of dating culture and the weight of traditional expectations. Set against the backdrop of China in the ’90s, it is soundtracked by Mando-pop hits.
The campaign will be distributed across broadcast, digital, and social media platforms.
Michael Gracey, director of ‘The Greatest Showman’ worked with Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, Hollywood choreographer Ashley Wallen, and Shanghai screenwriter Wu Jue Ren to bring an authentic ‘90s-era perspective to the film.
“Musical storytelling encompasses so many facets of music, picture, and sound design,” Gracey said.
“The incredible thing about iPhone 16 Pro is that you have access to all those things in one device. The film’s breathtaking dance sequences, particularly during Wei’s solo performances, were captured in stunning detail in 4K 120 fps for a stunning cinematic Slo-mo effect. When he’s doing these big, beautiful leaps that are incredibly balletic, to capture them at 120 frames in 4K resolution is just beautiful.
“iPhone is built for movement, especially for dance. From the picture quality to the higher frame rates, all those things are there on the phone. Being able to access that in something that fits in your pocket is an incredibly powerful tool. The film’s immersive soundscape was crafted using iPhone 16 Pro’s sophisticated Audio Mix capabilities, creating cinematic dialogue and musical moments through selective ambient sound control”.
Alongside the film is a behind-the-scenes video that showcases how the production team utilised the iPhone 16 Pro’s features to bring the film to life.
