Director Edward Berger, who has just finished filming the Oscar-winning German-language film All Quiet on the Western Front and is currently garnering critical acclaim and awards buzz for his latest thriller Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes, will be directing his next project. I try to break boundaries with my work. A new short film shot specifically for Apple Vision Pro. The short story, titled “Submerged,” depicts a group of young sailors working on a submarine that suddenly comes under attack during World War II. “Submerged,” the first scripted short to use Apple Immersive Video, aims to put viewers inside a frightening experience, but it also has a larger goal of creating a new form of entertainment.
“This is a great new medium that expands the scope of storytelling,” Berger said in a short promotional video. “You’re not watching a movie anymore, so you can get into the story. It’s going to change the future of filmmaking.”
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Berger explained that he was drawn to the project more by the potential of new technology than by plot details, saying that he was drawn to the first Apple immersive video footage he saw. I was shocked.”
“We wanted to tell a story in this medium and see how far we could push it, what barriers we could break down, and how much we could make people feel like they were actually on board this submarine. ” Berger said. “And I wanted to experience that, and I wanted to go on a submarine.”
Also, because Berger is able to place himself and his audience within the story, he had to be very specific about the details of the experience and the actions that would facilitate the plot.
“We thought, how can we create tension in this medium? And where is the tension? There’s silence, there’s silence and distinctive voices, there’s metal underwater in a submarine. You hear the creaking noises. And you can take the audience by the hand and have them sit right next to the heroes on this ship,” Berger told THR. “And two, it’s an action that we’ve never really seen because no one has ever made it, but we thought that the contrast of tension is the action. So, we thought that this whole medium of technology We felt it was the perfect place to use it.”
At the same time, Berger wanted to incorporate a lot of stagecraft into his work, but also wanted the viewer to have a unique experience. While it may not be a completely do-it-yourself adventure like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Apple Vision Pro users can enjoy different aspects of their surroundings. As Berger said, this is a big advantage of immersive video technology.
“You have a lot of freedom to create your own guidance, create your own designs, create your own visual experiences,” says Berger. “Some people may hear that sound and look to the right, and others may be interested in the figure crawling to the left. There are many things that can be designed and created outside of sight.” to really direct the audience’s attention. ”
In addition to “Submerged,” Apple this week released a short film shot during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, and next month will feature a short film made to commemorate the release of The Weeknd’s new album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” We plan to share our music experiences with the public. There will also be new episodes of the immersive documentary series “Elevated” and “Adventure” to be released later this year, as well as an immersive concert experience series called “Concert For One” starting with a set from singer-songwriter RAYE.
“Submerged” is now available for Apple Vision Pro users.
