Apple celebrates CNY with a short film shot entirely on the iPhone XS

In conjunction with Chinese New Year on Feb 5, Apple posted a “Shot on iPhone” film entitled The Bucket. The short film is the brainchild of the famous director and screenwriter Jia Zhangke.

The film uses footage from the iPhone XS to tell the story of a son
traveling from his rural hometown to an apartment in the city, riding on bikes, ferries and buses while carrying precious cargo from his mother.

“What gifts would your parents prepare when your Chinese New Year visit comes to an end?” Apple asks in the video’s description.

In addition to this, Apple also posted two behind-the-scenes videos outlining how Jia used the iPhone XS to create the film. The first covers slo-mo footage, an important feature advertised on the Apple’s iPhone.

“Aside from dialogue or narration, the best way to tell a cinematic story is through movement,” Jia says. “Love feels deeper when it’s silent. When time slows, the feeling of love lasts longer.”

The second video focuses on Depth Control, an iPhone XS capability that allows users to dynamically adjust perceived depth in a photo or video in real-time using the built-in Camera app. The feature was rolled out for the iPhone XSS alongside iOS 12.1 last October.

The film is making its debut during a massive slowdown in iPhone sales in China.

The slump forced Apple to revise its first fiscal quarter of 2019 projections.

To increase demand, Apple recently slashed its reseller pricing for the iPhone XR units sold in the region.