I watch the beads of sweat on a sailor’s face as he stares ominously around the inside of a creaking submarine, and then I’m immediately drawn to the little details – like the fluttering paper blowing past an air vent and the flickering lights covered in metal in the hallway. Something bad is about to happen and I feel a mix of excitement and fear. And maybe a touch of virtual seasickness.
I witness the possible dawn of a new era of filmmaking on the Apple Vision Pro with “Sumberged,” the first scripted film captured in Apple Immersive Video. Written and directed by Edward Berger, who won an Oscar for “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Submerged” tells the story of a World War II submarine and its crew as they face a devastating attack.
Look
A new frontier for filmmaking
I’ve previously gotten a taste of Immersive Video with the Vision Pro with other clips, like a highliner walking between mountains on a tight rope and an MLS soccer match. And I’m telling you, this 17 minute short film ruins everything. You literally stand face to face with the crew as they try to survive once they are attacked. There is a sense of intimacy that I have never experienced before when watching this film.
You literally stand face to face with the crew as they try to survive once they are attacked. There is a sense of intimacy that I have never experienced before when watching this film.
It was like I was literally sitting between two sailors as they both yearned for the end of the war in the super cramped mess hall and to return to their loved ones. And the camera movements really suck you into the action, as there’s an explosion near one of the torpedo tanks and the submarine starts taking on water. I wanted to help a character get up who was being hit in the face with steam, but then I realized it was “just a movie.” This isn’t that.
The reason why Apple Immersive Video is called that is because special cameras capture 180-degree video in 3D. So think that Avatar is just a big leap forward. Apple said the purpose-built set featured “practical camera traps and special effects uniquely rigged to expose Apple Immersive Video cameras to sparks, steam, water and fire without interrupting viewers’ sense of immersion.”
Better than courtside seats
I experienced even more fun things during my Vision Pro session. I got to know NBA stars on a very personal level during the compelling short film of the NBA 2024 All-Star weekend. I saw Stephen Curry’s smooth stroke in a new way as I watched him compete in the NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge, and I was impressed watching Mac McClung jump over Shaq during the dunk contest.
In addition, there will be a new Immersive Video concert series next year and Apple is working with The Weeknd on a new immersive music experience.
The elephant in the room
Yes, I’m sold on the Immersive Video format, but this new film doesn’t address my issues with the Vision Pro. Despite wearing the headset for less than an hour, I could feel the tension in my neck while wearing the heavy device, just as I did when I first tested the Vision Pro. So in a way, a short film makes the most sense for the hardware – at least for now.
It’s ironic that ‘Submerged’ ends with the crew trying to swim to the surface, as I was also looking for some relief.
The Vision Pro has some other cool upgrades that I was able to experience as part of visionOS 2, including a new Bora Bora environment that transports you to the beach with rippling water. And I was able to see firsthand the improved YouTube experience in Safari. Google and Netflix be damned, you can now easily play videos from those services in Safari, complete with a cinema-like display. Yes, there are still no dedicated apps.
Overall, I think Immersive Video (or something like it) can change the way movies are made and viewed. But for $3,500, only the privileged few can experience this futuristic movie magic. Unless you visit an Apple Store…
