Lulu Wang's charming quick iPhone movie explores worry of the unknown
Apple's new Shot on iPhone short film by The Farewell director Lulu Wang confronts fear of the unknown with the eyes of a child. At the center of the narrative of the film is the Nian, an animal creature from Chinese tradition, as well as the figure that symbolizes the “year” or “New Year” – just in time for the Chinese New Year.
Shot entirely on an iPhone 12 Pro Max, the film follows a young girl who has a penchant for exploring the nearby forest, only to discover the seemingly terrifying Nian – an animal that, according to her mother, has an appetite for children. However, when she puts her fear aside, a friendship with the Nian ensues.
The short film shows various settings that demonstrate the camera functions of the iPhone, namely recordings of fireworks at night in poor light conditions and the dark cave of the Nian. Other unusual camera angles are meant to highlight the advantages of the iPhone's small size compared to typical camera gear, including a frenzied shot from the Nian's mouth and a clip captured from the bottom of a kitchen sink.
"We had a lot of fun figuring out where else to put the phone so we could get angles and perspectives that were just a little more unique," said Wang.
The project was an intercontinental effort due to travel restrictions for Covid-19. Wang – who is based in the US – ran a separate crew that filmed on location in China, as shown in the making-of video.
Nian is the latest in a series of Apple Chinese New Year projects, with previous episodes including Daughter, directed by Theodore Melfi.
Credits:
Agency: TBWA Media Arts Lab Shanghai
Production company: Iconoclast
Directed by Lulu Wang
Music: Original score by Alex Weston