Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Why A Hong Kong Ferrari Dealership Used The iPhone 12 Pro Max To Shoot A Commercial

Why A Hong Kong Ferrari Dealership Used The iPhone 12 Pro Max To Shoot A Commercial

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is often called the best smartphone video camera--and the latest Ferrari commercial in Hong Kong is testament to that.

There are many aspects and criteria to consider when evaluating smartphone cameras, and if we were to break down the mobile camera experience into separate categories, there’d be a diverse list of “winners.” Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, for example, has the best zooming system, while the Oppo Find X3 Pro has the best ultra-wide angle camera. But the best mobile camera for capturing video? That’d be the iPhone 12 series—specifically, the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Frank Liew, chief marketing officer of Blackbird Concessionaires, the official dealer of Ferrari in Hong Kong, sure thinks so. That’s why when he was tasked to shoot a short film marketing two Ferrari sportscars—one newly released in Hong Kong—he chose the unorthodox approach of shooting the entire project with an iPhone 12 Pro Max instead of a “professional” camera.

“I’ve been using the iPhone since the 4 [released in 2010] to take video clips on a daily basis,” says Liew. “and I was fascinated by the idea that this everyday device we all have in our pockets can create something beautiful.”

The two Ferraris Liew was tasked to market were the Portofino M, which just launched in Hong Kong last month, and the SF90 Stradale. Liew says with both cars sporting different personalities, he came up with this “night-and-day dual-world” concept, in which footage of the Portofino M cruising during the day is seamlessly intercut with scenes of the SF90 Stradale speeding through Central at night.

The industry standard tool to film high speed scenes of a moving car zipping through the street is the “Russian Arm,” a robotic arm with a professional grade camera attached, connected to the roof of a vehicle in order to capture high-angle shots of another car.

“It’s an industry standard used in everything from car commercials to Hollywood blockbusters,” says Liew, “but we don’t have access to one in Hong Kong and they’re very costly to build.”

So Liew made his own version with an iPhone 12 Pro Max connected to a consumer DJI Ronin S gimbal, which was then connected to a crane that’s manually operated from the back of a pickup truck.

The makeshift Russian Arm: an iPhone 12 Pro Max strapped to a DJI gimbal connected to a manual crane

Lew operating the makeshift Russian Arm.

The makeshift Russian Arm—which Liew jokingly nicknamed “iCrane”—allowed Liew and his crew of six to get high- and low-angle shots of the Ferraris in motion. But Liew wanted an even more unconventional shot.

“I grew up spending a lot of time at the arcades [where] I played driving games,” Liew recalls. “And there was this video game camera angle where the camera seems to be hovering behind the car, so that you see not just everything on the road but the entire back of the car too.

“I wanted to re-create that shot.”

Given the size and weight of professional cameras, this would have required a very expensive, specialized rig—but Liew, of course, was shooting with a tiny lightweight device with excellent stabilization built-in. So he merely strapped an iPhone 12 Pro Max to some rods that hung out the back of the car. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s ultra-wide angle camera allowed the phone to capture the entire car and the road ahead without needing to be placed too far behind the vehicle. The iPhone’s stabilization did the rest of the work.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max grabbing that "video game" shot


Finally, Liew and his crew strapped the iPhone to a DJI drone to get more aerial shots. The whole shoot lasted three days, with three weeks spent on post-production to slice the footage seamlessly together.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max strapped to a DJI drone.


The resulting video, titled “The Handover,” is a stylish, professional mini movie that showcases not just Ferrari sportscars, but the Hong Kong skyline and iPhone’s video prowess as well.


“They say the best camera is the one you have with you,” Liew says, “and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the camera that’s always with me.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×