Last month, ABC announced that it would partner with Apple to help with production American idol from home in the middle of COVID-19. In a new statement, Apple today advertises the flexibility and transmission quality of the video that the iPhone offers for these situations.
TechCrunch has more details about the rig that ABC provided American idol Participants and hosts, including three iPhone 11 Pros, a tripod and a ring light:
The ABC show producers send home studio rigs to each of the participants and judges to shoot the final episodes of the season. It is a setup with three cameras, including three iPhone 11 Pros, a tripod and a ring light. The production team helps set up and edit the camera at a safe distance from home.
Of course, this is a much more complex system than most people need, but it’s interesting to see how broadcast production’s approach is applied to the iPhone ecosystem. In a statement today, Apple touted the many use cases for the iPhone:
We know that people rely on their favorite shows at home, and we’re excited to be part of the process with the American Idol team. IPhone offers a unique solution for delivering broadcast quality videos in the palm of your hand while keeping production workers and on-air talent safe and at home.
So far, various TV shows and other shows have used Apple devices for home production. For example, Peloton teamed up with Apple for its Live From Home fitness classes, while CBS uses FaceTime to produce a full episode of its drama All Rise. Apple’s online WWDC will launch next month, and we can expect iPhone cameras to play a big role there too.
Now you know what (parts of) WWDC will look like https://t.co/DHBtliORnE
– Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 12, 2020
