When Apple introduced the iPhone 11, the world of smartphone photography took another step towards complete legitimacy. And not just in photography. In video capture as well. As a professional videographer and editor, I keep an eye on technological advancements on image capture. Mirrorless cameras like the Sony a7III are excellent examples of tech making real progress, creating the ability for professionals to work in surprisingly different ways than in the past.

The iPhone 11 is another such example. Apple released this commercial recently, called Snowbrawl, which was shot entirely on the 11. But even more illuminating is the behind-the-scenes video they released to coincide. It shows exactly how professionals can use the new technology to create beautiful, compelling stories. It also motivates the amateur to try to up their game. Or maybe it tries to convince the pro market that shooting on the 11 can actually produce professional results. It showed me why you need an iPhone 11 for video. 

Blake Calhoun, with this video on his YouTube channel iPhoneographers, broke the Apple BTS down on a shot-by-shot basis and did his best to give us insights into how the director went about using the iPhone 11 on this commercial. It’s a long look at it, but I enjoyed it completely and learned a lot. And I’m going to get me a Beastgrip as soon as possible.

Some have argued that the Snowbrawl commercial used too many production techniques to make it look as good as it does. I find that line of thinking short-sighted. Aren’t production techniques used with every commercial, with every camera used? You can shoot on a Red all day, but if you light it poorly, don’t plan your shots and take a lazy approach to filming, the results will be underwhelming. The iPhone 11 is a tool to be used. Like any other tool, the result rests in the hands of the craftsman.