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7h ago

Apple’s Hidden iPhone Camera Powers F1 Movie’s High-Speed Footage

Engineered to fit existing broadcast mounts under shock, heat, vibration, the modular system runs custom iOS firmware to shoot lossless ProRes footage for the F1 film.

The Apex Grand Prix car of fictional driver Sonny Hayes, to be portrayed by Brad Pitt, for the upcoming Formula One based movie Apex, is seen driving on track prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 08, 2023 in Northampton, England.
Cameras on F1 race cars needed very specific, exacting mods. iPhone to the rescue.
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iPhone 15 Pro Max sales | Close-up of camera lens on last year's model

Overview

  • Apple built a covert camera module using an iPhone sensor and A-series chip inside a shell matching standard F1 broadcast units to preserve car aerodynamics and weight.
  • The rig runs custom firmware on iOS to record in ProRes Log and supports the Academy Color Encoding System, features now available in the iPhone 15 Pro.
  • Extensively tested during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the module endured extreme vibration, heat and G-forces without performance degradation.
  • With no wireless radios allowed in race cars, filmmakers used a USB-C–connected iPad app to adjust shutter angle, frame rate, ISO and start or stop recording.
  • Footage captured on the custom system appears in Apple’s F1 movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, debuting June 25 internationally and June 27 in U.S. theaters and IMAX.