Apple is all in on immersive video content. The company has previewed an array of new films shot in Apple Immersive for the Apple Vision Pro, including projects from Canal+, MotoGP, Red Bull, CNN, and more.
The new films will arrive alongside new episodes of returning Apple Immersive series for Vision Pro over the next few months, and Apple says that the latest video content is among the first for the platform that was filmed using Blackmagic Design’s Ursa Cine Immersive camera announced in June 2024.
Blackmagic’s specialized immersive video camera captures 8,160 x 7,200 pixel videos across two sensors, exceeding 8K UHD resolution per eye. The camera, like Blackmagic’s traditional Ursa Cine models, promises up to 16 stops of dynamic range and features and performance suitable for high-end professionals. The camera can capture stereoscopic 3D content at full resolution at up to 90 frames per second, enabling cinematic slow-motion immersive content.
Apple adds that the new immersive content was also edited on Mac using DaVinci Resolve Studio, which is the world’s only complete solution for editing video, audio, color, and special effects for Apple Immersive Video.
“Apple Immersive Video has redefined what’s possible in storytelling, placing audiences inside each moment with a remarkable sense of presence,” says Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple Vision Pro users can enjoy storytelling in ways that just aren’t possible otherwise, and we can’t wait for them to enjoy the first projects from some of the world’s most innovative filmmakers.”
“Apple Immersive Video is one of the most exciting storytelling formats we’ve ever seen, and we’re proud that Blackmagic tools are helping bring it to life,” adds Blackmagic Design’s CEO, Grant Petty.
“With the Ursa Cine Immersive camera and DaVinci Resolve Studio, filmmakers can capture the world in incredible detail and realism, and then edit, grade, mix, and deliver their vision to audiences in exciting new ways. This really is the beginning of a whole new era for filmmaking,” Petty concludes.
There is significant new content coming to Apple Vision Pro, including Tour de Force from Canal+ and MotoGP. This exciting, immersive documentary follows French MotoGP rider Johann Zarco during his incredible, dramatic victory at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in May. Zarco’s win was the first for a Frenchman at Le Mans in over 70 years.
Canal+ shot the event using four Ursa Cine Immersive cameras and used ambisonic microphones to capture Apple Spatial Audio. The team reviewed their footage instantly at the race track using mobile Mac workstations.
Red Bull’s World of Red Bull episodic series focuses on action athletes worldwide as they embark on visually spectacular, dramatic adventures. One episode follows backcountry skiers in British Columbia, while another takes viewers alongside surfers attempting to ride the world’s heaviest wave off the remote coast of Hawaii.
Classical music fans will be able to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in BBC Proms. It will be the first classical concert available in Apple’s Immersive experience.
CNN’s chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, joined a scientific expedition to Antarctica to find emperor penguins. The immersive series Journey to Antarctica to Find Emperor Penguins will explore the impact of climate change on penguin populations and, of course, get up close and personal with newborn penguin chicks in Antarctica.
Another new series for nature enthusiasts, Julaymba, is made by Phoria and arrives on Apple Vision Pro in October. The documentary visits the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia, the world’s oldest rainforest. The series is alive with glowing fungi, beautiful waterfalls, and lush forests. It promises an intimate encounter with beautiful nature and the ancient culture that lives there.
Alongside other new documentaries and series, Apple will launch new episodes of existing series in Apple Immersive, including Wild Life and Elevated.
Apple Vision Pro is available now in many markets, and prospective buyers can set up an in-store demo for free at any Apple Store location where Apple Vision Pro is available. Despite initial commercial challenges for the Vision Pro, Apple remains committed to the platform and the long-term prospects of immersive photo and video content.