Big-budget Avengers movie uses iPhone for some shots

By Trevor Mogg October 21, 2011

Even with all of the cutting-edge movie tech today’s top cinematographers have at their disposal, there are still a few that like to experiment with some of the cheaper options available.

Seamus McGarvey, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of hits such as We Need to Talk About Kevin and the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, told the Irish Film and Television Network (IFTN) this week that he used an iPhone to shoot parts of the forthcoming big-budget action movie, The Avengers.

We can assume the movie maker didn’t use the iPhone 4S (capable of 1080p HD video), as it was only released last Friday. That leaves the iPhone 4, which shoots at 720p. Of course, the iPhone 3G is also a possibility, which captures video at a resolution of 640×480.

Talking about why he used the iPhone, McGarvey told IFTN that every piece of kit should be tailored to what you’re trying to achieve.

“The beauty of photography or cinema is that you make every choice based on the content at hand,” he said. “I understand that sometimes there is no choice and you have to go for the cheapest option, but if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film.

“On The Avengers, I did a couple of shots on the iPhone and they are in the movie. In fact, they are in the trailer!”

Looking through the movie trailer (see below), my guess is McGarvey used the iPhone for the quick shot at the 47-second mark. Its look is different to the rest of the shots in the trailer, and there aren’t any other parts that would necessarily have given him a reason to use an iPhone over a proper, more conventional movie camera.

The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, should arrive in movie theaters in May 2012.

[via Apple Insider]

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