OnePlus 9 Pro provided a fresh perspective during ‘2024’: Motwani

2024 is a unique film shot on a smartphone camera rather than the stuff of a professional shooting set-up. How was your experience as a filmmaker?

Vikramaditya Motwani: Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many amazing people in the industry and hone my craft. My favorite part about being a filmmaker is experimenting with different genres. In my experience, it’s important to look at each film from a fresh perspective and make the story as truthful as possible.

As we were making ‘2024’, I realized that a creative mind is more important than expensive technical equipment to create a compelling story. Using the OnePlus 9 Pro offered me a fresh lens on filmmaking and allowed me to experiment with mobile camera technology. The cameras on the OnePlus 9 Pro acted as a perfect combination to bring the story to life with Hasselblad technology. The cameras contributed greatly in preserving the essence and character of the story as they produced beautiful frames in every lighting condition.

A partnership with the filmmaker is unusual for OnePlus, the smartphone market leader in India. Why did the brand partner with Vikramaditya Motwani for this endeavour?

OnePlus spokesperson: As a brand, we are recognized for continuously innovating to bring best-in-class technology and unique experiences to our user community. In line with our vision of ‘Never Settle’, we found Vikram’s work to align perfectly with our enthusiasm to continually challenge industry norms and explore new creative approaches.

We at OnePlus, truly admire Vikram for his cinematic excellence and creative vision. So the collaboration with Vikram proved to be a natural choice in our endeavor to shoot a film using the OnePlus 9 Pro.

We look forward to learning about the filming. Can you list down some highlights from the shoot process while using the OnePlus 9 Pro? Any interesting anecdotes from the filmmaking process that you remember?

Vikramaditya Motwani: Shooting entirely on the OnePlus 9 Pro was a really interesting and fun experience for our team. What really stood out for us was how easy and less stressful it was to shoot with the device’s robust camera setup that allowed us to capture authentic images and scenes.

While shooting with the OnePlus device, we were able to incorporate unique perspectives and easily capture shots in every essential angle that we wanted to explore. The advanced camera features of the smartphone helped us achieve great quality results even in low light conditions.

Can you tell us a little more about the features of the OnePlus 9 Pro that did this while focusing on the camera?

OnePlus spokesperson: OnePlus 9 Pro acts as a powerhouse in terms of performance as well as camera capabilities through improved Hasselblad camera technology. So it naturally lends itself as a stellar tool for videography and photography shoots with its robust camera setup.

The camera features of the OnePlus 9 Pro have made it possible for us to shoot in hyper-realistic 8K 30fps, giving us detailed sequences. In addition, it allowed us to shoot video at 4K 120fps, giving us the ability to capture video combined with motion smoothing for a professional result. Along with other key features including the DOL-HDR feature and an ultra-wide camera, Nightscape Video 2.0 was also used to capture high quality video in varying lighting conditions.

With 64x rich color information, in-built image stabilization and wide field of view, the OnePlus 9 Pro effortlessly delivered true colors, intense detail and high dynamic range to bring this feature film to life for our viewers.

Let’s shift the headlines to 2024. Where did you get the creative inspiration for this compelling story?

Vikramaditya Motwani: Looking to embark on a unique challenge with this project, we had the opportunity to imagine, collaborate and create something interesting by 2024 that still resonates with where we are today.

While the film is set in a silent COVID pandemic scenario in 2024, the essence of the plot is highly relevant in capturing a variety of emotions and experiences through adversity. While showcasing our collective strength as a community, we also wanted to highlight the resolve and triumph of the human spirit in trying scenarios.

Shooting with the OnePlus 9 Pro continues to inspire us to take new, fresh approaches to storytelling and we are excited for the audience to experience the film soon.

How do you see this film initiative benefitting the creative community of thousands of OnePlus users who keep the power of this technology in their hands?

OnePlus spokesperson: OnePlus’ cameras are robust, versatile and user-friendly, making it easy for those with little or no photography or videography experience to shoot everyday images with ease or achieve more professional results with some basic guidance from an expert . Over time, OnePlus devices have been tuned to serve as ‘capables’ for each individual to document their journey seamlessly.

The ease of using the OnePlus camera and the quality output achieved without any additional hardware used in the process, make the OnePlus devices ideal for shooting professional-level videos and we expect the first Indian “Shot on OnePlus” film. Will inspire our community to explore. His creative pursuits, and constantly push the envelope to touch new heights.

In your filmmaking journey spanning over a decade, you are known for your experimental cinema. How would you describe the journey so far and how has this shot on OnePlus film added another feather to your fabulous cap?

Vikramaditya Motwani: My journey in the film industry has been exciting to say the least. I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful people in the industry and sharpen my craft along the way.

As a filmmaker and producer, I love to experiment with different genres. I have learned that it is important to see each film with a new lens to do full justice to the story.

Working in 2024, I realized that art can be expressed in myriad ways. And to make a compelling story you need a creative mind. Working with the OnePlus 9 Pro gave me and our talented crew a fresh and fresh perspective on filmmaking.

This allowed us to experiment with mobile camera technology. The OnePlus 9 Pro cameras with Hasselblad technology proved to be a great canvas to bring the story to life. The cameras did a great job of creating beautiful frames in every lighting condition and were instrumental in preserving the essence and character of the story. I hope our project inspires young filmmakers to experiment with their craft and think outside the box.

‘Shot on OnePlus’ has been one of the most successful photography and videography initiatives undertaken by the brand. But, 2024 takes the initiative to a whole new level with the entire commercial film being shot on smartphone cameras. What inspired the brand to launch such a campaign?

see full image

OnePlus spokesperson: As a brand, OnePlus is often recognized for constantly innovating and pushing boundaries to bring best-in-class technology and unique experiences to its community. As part of our shot at OnePlus efforts, we previously made a United By Hope documentary to narrate the daily life experiences of individuals from different walks of life in the pandemic. Upon success with this SOOP documentary, we decided to take it a step further and explore making a full-length feature film.

2024 has been shot on our flagship OnePlus 9 Pro 5G, and the idea was to showcase the true potential and camera capabilities of the device with Hasselblad technology. We also wanted this project to serve as an inspiration for our community and all budding filmmakers to push their creative boundaries with the help of their OnePlus devices.

Technologies are evolving and so are we. After this venture, do you think 2024 will be an inspiration for other films to be made on the same format in future? Where do you see the future of filmmaking in the next few years?

Vikramaditya Motwani: Cinema is a creator’s medium and today filmmakers have the opportunity to make the most of evolving technology to tell their stories through a fresh perspective. Advances in mobile camera technology have made it possible for users to make high quality videos with the help of smartphones. Its ease of use with smartphones due to its portability and virtual invisibility make them ideal for filming on the fly. Because everyone has one, it’s so easy to film anywhere, whether it’s on the street or at a local cafe. Smartphones have certainly opened up options for aspiring filmmakers to experiment with devices to bring their stories to life.