London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
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."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×