iPhone 13’s Cinematic mode shown off in music video

Two music videos shot on the iPhone 13 show off the device’s filmmaking abilities, with both focused on Apple’s new Cinematic mode.

YouTuber Jonathan Morrison teamed up with Julia Wolf and Ariel View this week to shoot music videos that tested the iPhone 13’s Cinematic mode, among other features, ahead of its debut on Friday.

On Monday, Morrison’s “Jonathan & Friends” channel uploaded “Falling in Love,” which follows Wolf as she sings her song while wandering around the streets of Claremont, California. Throughout the film, there is behind-the-scenes footage of Morrison recording Wolf on an iPhone 13.

Cinematic mode, a new-for-2021 function that automatically blurs the background of video footage, uses for a large section of the film.

Cinematic mode, which is available on all iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models, imitates professional filming techniques by applying depth of field effects to detected subjects on the fly. People, pets, and objects that are intended to stand out against blurred backgrounds are detected and focused on using software algorithms.

The cinematic mode can also change the focus of a scene based on the information obtained. When another topic enters the frame, for example, the feature can anticipate it and detect when someone turns away from the camera. When using Apple tools like iMovie and Final Cut Pro, focus can manually alter in post.

Cinematic mode limit to 1080p at 30 frames per second, as highlighted in early iPhone 13 reviews, restricting its appeal to expert videographers.

In “Falling in Love,” the effect is quite believable, with a reasonably authentic bokeh added to automobiles, stores, and buildings as Wolf passes by. In dimly light scenes, however, cinematic mode begins to break down, with apparent artifacts and blending issues developing around Wolf’s head and hair.

Morrison’s second video, a View cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers,” emphasizes the lowlight issues.

Musicians perform in the middle of a street against the backdrop of a setting sun in this video. Cinematic mode is occasionally unable to achieve focus, which makes it a difficult scene to record even in normal circumstances. It appears that the feature is having trouble distinguishing borders in low-contrast illumination, which has led to a change in the system’s blur parameters. As a result, View’s silhouette has a hazy halo around it.

The video’s dynamic range is outstanding, thanks to Dolby Vision grading capabilities.

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber recently praised Morrison’s work.

Aside from Cinematic mode, the iPhone 13 includes a slew of new hardware and software camera features, including improved sensors and lenses, greater image stabilization, improved Night Mode capabilities, Photographic Styles, and ProRes codec compatibility for “Pro” models. Photographer Austin Mann had previously promoted the iPhone 13 Pro’s macro function, which is enabled by the extra-wide lens, as a selling point for the device.