Apple presents Big Man, a short film shot on iPhone 16 Pro from director Aneil Karia, starring Stormzy
Apple presents Big Man, a short film shot on iPhone 16 Pro from director Aneil Karia, starring Stormzy
Apple presents Big Man, a new short film shot on iPhone 16 Pro, produced in association with Somesuch and #Merky Films, directed by Academy Award-winning director Aneil Karia, and starring UK music legend Michael “Stormzy” Omari.
Big Man tells the story of Tenzman, a world-weary musician, and two bright, industrious kids who come into his life by chance. Soon, the trio find themselves on a journey — one that will reinvigorate a sense of warmth, spontaneity, and optimism in the faded star, before revealing a better way forward for them all.
“I’ve never shot an entire piece of narrative filmmaking on an Apple iPhone before, and it’s been a really invigorating process,” said Karia. “Apple iPhone is much smaller than the traditional cameras used for television, film, or music videos, and the lightness and flexibility that comes with that is boundless in a sense. I like trying to strive for an intimacy with characters, and sometimes a big camera is not particularly conducive for that.”
“With Apple iPhone, you now have this amazing camera in your pocket,” said director of photography Stuart Bentley. “If you’re hungry and passionate about cinema, there’s no reason you can’t make an amazing film. You can use Cinematic mode for shallow depth of field, and it automatically pulls focus to follow the action. It’s got an incredible dynamic range and can handle low light, and shooting with Apple ProRes Log gives you even more options in post.”
Big Man utilises many of the latest camera features on the iPhone 16 Pro to capture the true beauty of everyday life. Slow-motion scenes were captured at 4K 120 fps, adding a dynamic quality to a trampoline sequence at the pier. Cinematic mode added a beautiful blurred background and foreground effect to a scene where the boys see the sea for the first time. Low-light capabilities enabled the team to shoot multiple scenes outside at night, in dimly lit arcades, and dark music studios.
Big Man premieres today on Apple’s YouTube channel at 8 p.m. BST.
Please support us
TheAppWhisperer has always had a dual mission: to promote the most talented mobile artists of the day and to support ambitious, interested viewers worldwide. As the years pass, TheAppWhisperer has gained readers and viewers and has found new venues for that exchange.
All this work thrives with the support of our community. Your support helps us maintain our independence, allowing us to continue delivering open, global promotion of mobile artists. Every contribution, however big or small, is valuable for our future.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
