There's nothing like macho melodrama to keep bums sitting in the theater, and legendary Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer knows this untold truth better than anyone.
Just three years after Top Shot: Maverick Breathing new life into the action genre, Bruckheimer reunited with director Joseph Kosinski and writer Ehren Kruger. F1: Moviea popcorn blockbuster that quickly became the most successful sports film of all time and the highest-grossing film of Brad Pitt's career.
Was Apple always targeting a lucrative sports broadcast deal? Maybe. But as Bruckheimer told me beforehand, F1Apple TV debuted on December 12. The iPhone maker was just as enthusiastic (if not more) about the filmmaking process as any traditional film studio.
“Apple wanted to make the movie we made,” Bruckheimer explains in London. “They really wanted it” – Eddie Cue [senior VP of Services] At Apple he's a big sports car enthusiast and he's actually on the board of Ferrari, so it really helped that he was someone who was really into the sport and loved Formula 1 and wanted to make sure we were doing it right.
They are a brilliant company and they did a phenomenal job working with us.
Jerry Bruckheimer
“And when Joe [Kosinski] Brad called [Pitt] and told him the story, Brad said, “Look, the only thing I'll tell you is that this has to be done for real.” It's time for me to go. And that's exactly how Apple wanted to do it. That's why we wanted to do it and that's how we made the film.
“Of course, Apple was involved in the development of the film. We had script meetings and they [were constructive about] every scenario that went through them. They are a brilliant company and they have done a phenomenal job working with us.”
When I ask if there was anything different or special about working with Apple, particularly as opposed to a company like Walt Disney Pictures, Bruckheimer co-produced on all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies—he's quick to praise Apple's ability to develop innovative camera technology: “Well, the good news is that Apple is a technology company. And they gave us an iPhone camera. [to film with]its extended version.
“So we had one of [Apple’s] cameras on nine drivers in real cars – not ours [mock] cars; real racing cars. And some of the footage you see is [captured at] 220mph, whether it's Max (Verstappen) driving, Lewis [Hamilton] driving, or Brad [Pitt] and Damson [Idris]who both drove the car themselves.”
The “improved iPhone camera” Bruckheimer is talking about is actually an Apple-designed version of the cockpit camera used in real-life Formula 1 broadcasts. The problem with these cameras is that they capture lower-resolution footage than needed for a multimillion-dollar Hollywood blockbuster, so Apple created its own high-definition, impact-resistant cockpit camera using iPhone parts, including the iPhone battery and camera sensor powered by an unnamed A-series chip (Sony has also developed a new camera, the Rialto Mini, for the same purpose.).
How Wired notes that the custom firmware used to operate this Apple camera has actually resulted in two new features in iPhone 15 pro: Log coding and Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) workflow support. Talk about a mutually beneficial partnership.
Before I let Bruckheimer get back to planning. Top Shooter 3, National Treasure 3And Pirates of the Caribbean 6 (yes, really), I ask if he's ever met the CEO of Apple Tim Cook jump into a Formula 1 car while filming a movie:
“First of all, [he] “I can’t get into the car,” Bruckheimer laughs, “The seat follows the shape of your body.” I mean, it takes almost a month for a Formula 2 driver before he can get into a Formula 1 car. That's how difficult it is to control these things. It takes 35 people to start a car! It’s an amazing sport – very expensive and the technical knowledge is incredible.”
Then I'll take it as a no.
F1: The Movie will begin streaming on Apple TV on December 12.
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