Smartphone cameras have been improving, but even a couple of years ago, I doubt serious filmmakers would have seriously considered using them to shoot feature-length films, let alone publishing said films on one of the largest streaming platforms around. But that’s exactly what’s happened.
Vikramaditya Motwane’s Andolan Productions and OnePlus have partnered to shoot and release the action thriller 2024 here. The entire film wasn’t shot on a million-dollar rig, but on a OnePlus 9 Pro 5G that you or I could buy right now.
The film is set in a 2024 Dharavi where a viral outbreak is wreaking havoc and generating untold panic as authorities scramble to deal with the situation. The story follows four friends and their struggles as they try to save loved ones, survive, and escape the city. The movie is meant to showcase the “collective strength and resolve of the human spirit” and how this spirit and resolve can help bring a community back from the brink of destruction.
It’s an intriguing tale and features a talented cast including Muskkaan Jasferi and Mayur More of Mismatched and Kota Factory fame, as well as Tejiasvi Singh Ahlawat, Sharul Bhardwaj, and Mihir Ahuja. The story was written by Avinash Sampath, known for AK vs AK and Ghost Stories, while Aloknanda Das Gupta and Linesh Desai handled the roles of Music Composer and Director of Photography respectively.
What’s most exciting is the fact that the entire film was shot on a OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone, and it’s a great choice for such an endeavour. With Hasselblad-tuned colours for improved dynamic range and colour accuracy, 8K 30 fps support for high-resolution image capture, 4K 120 for high-quality slo-mo, OIS, HDR, and a great AF system, there aren’t too many camera systems out there that can offer as much.
The crew themselves admit to putting the phone’s Nightscape Video 2.0 modes and ultra-wide camera to good use through the shoot, and given that the entire film was shot at night, one can see why.
I doubt that professional cine cameras will be replaced any time soon, but it’s nice to see that smartphone cameras are now at that inflection point where it’s not entirely surprising to see them being used to shoot feature-length films. It’s nice to know that this level of performance and capability is so accessible.
We no longer have an excuse to not unleash our inner filmmaker.
