Title | NIAN - SHOT ON IPHONE |
Brand | APPLE |
Product / Service | IPHONE |
Category | A05. Cinematography |
Entrant | TBWA\MEDIA ARTS LAB Shanghai, CHINA |
Idea Creation | TBWA\MEDIA ARTS LAB Shanghai, CHINA |
Media Placement | OMD Shanghai, CHINA |
Production | ICONOCLAST Los Angeles, USA |
Post Production | MPC Shanghai, CHINA |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Katrien De Bauw | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | President |
Brent Anderson | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Global Chief Creative Officer |
Greg Greenberg | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Group Creative Director |
Kara Yang | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Managing Director |
Brian Ma | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Executive Creative Director |
Alfred Wong | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Executive Creative Director |
Ewan Yap | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Associate Creative Director |
Amber Qian | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Associate Creative Director |
Selwyn Low | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Associate Creative Director |
Darren Leong | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Associate Creative Director |
Jam Li | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Senior Copywriter |
Carrol Shen | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Senior Art Director |
Phoebe Fan | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Executive Producer |
Hon Foong Woo | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Broadcast Producer |
Gobby Yan | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Broadcast Producer |
Alice Zou | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Assistant Producer |
Brian O'Rourke | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Executive Director |
Cristiana Ladki Williams | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Executive Producer |
Felicia How | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Account Director |
Scarlett Wang | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Account Manager |
Emily Gale | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Group Account Director |
Josh Marcy | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Music Director |
Kurt Cheng | TBWA\Media Arts Lab | Music Supervisor |
Monica Karo | OMD | Chief Client Officer |
Jezzebel Gu | OMD | Managing Director |
Entirely shot on iPhone, the 12-minute movie ‘Nian’ is an alternative take on a Chinese New Year folklore that traditionally portrays the titular character as a terrifying monster. In this version, a curious little girl confronts her fear of the unknown by seeking out the elusive, forest-dwelling Nian to find out if he was indeed as menacing as her parents often described – a ruse to discourage her from wandering off to the forest alone. Her curiosity was rewarded when she discovers the creature was misunderstood all along. Soon a beautiful friendship ensues.
According to Chinese New Year folklore, Nian is a ferocious beast that is often said to terrorize villages and eat children. Little is known about the creature which makes it fearsome in people’s imagination for centuries. This fear of the unknown is an innate human insight carried through time which intensified in 2020, a year full of uncertainties. In our story, our protagonist acts on her curiosity by confronting her fear of the unknown in seeking out the truth about ‘Nian’, whose name also means ‘year’ in Chinese. As a symbolic gesture towards another challenging year, we reimagined his character as a beacon of goodness to spread positive cheer and encourage people to explore new horizons with courage.
Nian’ is a showcase of how movies made for the cinemas could be created without using professional movie cameras, but with a device everyone can have in their pockets - the iPhone 12 Pro Max. And not just any film genre, but a fantastical movie that calls for breathtaking, atmospheric imagery to evoke a charming world - all captured on iPhone without external lenses. Brought to life with realistic, practical effects made magical by its movie-grade features such as Dolby Vision, ultra wide and telephoto. Low-light scenes and rich color realism create a mysterious, yet vibrant aura without the need for SFX. Matched only by imaginative camera placements that immerse viewers into our characters’ lives – be it observing the story from underwater or feeling Nian’s wrath from inside his jaw.
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