Takashi Miikethe director behind Audition AND Ichi the assassin released a short action thriller film he directed titled Midnight, based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka. One thing about this project that you might be impressed with is that the thriller was short on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. The film mixes live-action with manga illustrations.
The short film “centers on a night taxi driver named Midnight, played by a famous Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who wanders the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as she comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s trucking business while battling an evil local gang, led by an evil boss played by the acclaimed character actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa.”
Takashi Miike said in a statement: “Mr. Tezuka is something of a god among manga artists, so it was an honor to take on the challenge of expressing his work using only the iPhone. While we were shooting, I naturally started to challenge myself to think about how we could make a unique work for iPhone, beyond the usual approach to a film. I really felt that the iPhone has the power to do things that a conventional movie camera can’t do.
“Action mode accurately captures the facial expressions of subjects in a scene dynamically, while reflecting their emotions and thoughts. For example, in the scene where Kaede hears the news of her father’s death, she runs out furiously to show his sadness. Thanks to iPhone 15 Pro and Action mode, I was able to capture such a scene. It goes beyond what a conventional stabilizer can do without compromising the high quality of the film. It’s truly a magical feature.
“Although Cinematic mode gives the film a more cinematic look, I was even more impressed by the ability to adjust the focus after shooting. You can focus on what you want, when you want. I hope that revolutionary features like this, which are impossible with ordinary photography equipment, will be added more and more and break the conventional thinking of filmmakers.”
Miike is one of Japan’s most prolific directors with over 100 film credits under his belt. You can watch his short film, Midnight, below!
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
