The Apple Immersive Video format will change the future of filmmaking, says the Oscar-winning director, and reviewers have high praise for Submerged, although issues remain.
With the launch of Apple's Vision Pro headset in February 2024, the company also introduced Apple Immersive Video, a 180-degree VR format for movies, concerts, sports and more.
Submerged is the first scripted short film in Apple Immersive Video. It is 17 minutes long and set in a WWII-era submarine as its crew wrestles to combat a harrowing attack.
180-degree video is not new. Meta, Google, and Samsung have all experimented with it, but it is something else when content is produced by professional filmmakers, on custom 8K 3Ds camera (revealed in the making-of video), and viewed on the high-resolution micro-OLED displays in Apple Vision Pro.
'A breakthrough for immersive media'
FlatpanelsHD still does not have an Apple Vision Pro to call our own as we live in an unsupported region, so here is what others are saying about Submerged, which some see as the first step on a path to the future of filmmaking:
- "Apple Immersive Video is a wonderful new medium that expands the horizon of storytelling," said Edward Berger, Oscar-winning director of All Quiet on the Western Front and now Submerged>. "Apple Vision Pro inspired me to tell a story in a way that just wasn't possible before, and in the process, it changed the way my team and I think about creating a story. This immersive technology pioneered by Apple is going to change the future of filmmaking."
VR-focused publication UploadVR agrees while also highlighting the inadequacies of Meta's Quest headsets in terms of display technology.
- "Submerged is a breakthrough short film for immersive media. Finding a friend with a Vision Pro to see it should be a priority for any professional, or would-be professional, hoping to work in movies," wrote Ian Hamilton, UploadVR:
- "Submerged features a number of shots set underwater. Based on those scenes, I told Apple public relations they should release this short film for Quest headsets too, so consumers could compare the presentation on an LCD display to the OLED of Apple Vision Pro. I theorize these shots would be utterly unwatchable on a Meta Quest 2, 3, or 3S display. In Disney's What If… interactive experience, for instance, the project opens with the glittering black of a starfield. That same moment would likely appear as a greyish mess if presented on Meta's Quest 3 or 3S, and I suspect the same is true of feeling 'submerged' underwater," continued Ian Hamilton.
TechRadar and The Verge pointed to how the medium can evoke emotion:
- "Claustrophobia and barely contained panic were my two overriding emotions as I experienced Apple's first-ever immersive narrative short film on its Vision Pro mixed reality headset," wrote Lance Ulanoff, TechRadar.
- "The result is impressive. As water rushed into this fictional submarine, I could taste the faint memory of salt water on my tongue. When characters walked down narrow submarine corridors, I felt claustrophobic. During a scene where sailors shoved a torpedo into its launch tube, I instinctively stretched my hands out. For a split second, I thought they were loading it straight into my chest," wrote Victoria Song, The Verge.
The Apple 3D 8K camera used to film Submerged. Photo: Apple
Challenges remain
One of the major concerns remains the clunky, heavy and expensive Apple Vision Pro headset. Apple is rumored to launch a cheaper version as early as next year.
- "Yes, I'm sold on the Immersive Video format, but this new film doesn't erase my problems with the Vision Pro. Despite wearing the headset for less than an hour, I felt the strain on my neck wearing the heavy device," wrote Mark Spoonauer, Tom's Guide. "Overall, I think Immersive Video (or something like it) could transform the way films are made and watched."
It can also be an isolating feeling watching the movies alone.
- "Watching the film, you become very aware there's no one else experiencing this with you. There's no one else gasping at harrowing moments," added Victoria Song, The Verge.
And CNET wants to see more content from the entertainment industry at large before it can recommend the Apple Vision Pro as a consumption device for immersive video.
- "I'm wowed by the visual fidelity of Apple's immersive video format, for sure. It feels like living in a wraparound Imax experience," wrote Scott Stein, CNET. "But I wouldn't want to get a dedicated expensive device for playing these films unless the entertainment industry at large started to adopt the format, too."
Also read: Disney's big debut of High Frame Rate movies this week is just the beginning
Making of Submerged, more content
Apple has released a 'making of' video (embedded below) to highlight the work that went into creating Submerged. It was filmed in Prague, Brussels and Malta over three weeks using a 23-ton submarine set.
The company also announced upcoming immersive titles such as 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, Concert for One (with RAYE), Adventure: Ice Dive, and Elevated: Maine.
