Does Apple's 'Submerged,' the first short film made for Vision Pro headset, sink or swim?
Apple plunges into unchartered waters with "Submerged," the first scripted short film made specifically for the Apple Vision Pro headset.
"Submerged" is a wild World War II adventure that follows the crew of an American submarine during a harrowing attack. Edward Berger, the Oscar-winning director of Netflix's 2022 remake of World War I drama "All Quiet on the Western Front." and this year's Oscar contender "Conclave," wrote and directed the 16-minute film, which is now available for free on the Apple TV app forowners of the $3,499 mixed-reality headset.
Berger immerses viewers into submarine tension and terror with the 180-degree 3D video captured on specially made stereoscopic cameras.
"I was one of the first consumers to test the Vision Pro and the first filmmaker to have the challenge of making a narrative film," Berger tells USA TODAY. "It felt like this great experiment."
"Submerged" was a massive undertaking for its short running time, with months of preparation. The film was shot over three weeks, primarily on a full-scale 23-ton World War II submarine set. The detail in every brass gauge, exposed pipe and flashing light had to be exact. Vision Pro viewers can turn their focus anywhere within the 180-degree view to inspect any portion of the contained space.
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"You see everything. This camera doesn't lie," says Berger. "With the field of vision, you can be looking straight ahead at the main character and suddenly there's a pipe bursting. And you can go look over there."
Submarine movies such as the 1981 German classic "Das Boot" ("The Boat"), are supremely effective in showing the strain of the claustrophobic and often silently deadly environment. "Submerged" follows submariner James Dyson (Jordan Barton), revealing every taut breath with the spatial audio and showing every bead of sweat on his forehead.
"Tension is a great thing to show off. We explore it," says Berger. "And suddenly, the tension explodes. The audience is overwhelmed and tumbled upside down."
Sparks, steam, and explosions are everywhere. And water. Lots of incoming water. No spoilers here, but the entire "Submerged" set was completely underwater for the chaotic finale.
Berger (and Apple) declined to reveal the budget for "Submerged."
Did the director need to wear the Vision Pro to make 'Submerged'?
Berger is shown in behind-the-scene moments in the trailer wearing the telltale Apple goggles, but he says he wore them just to get used to the novel viewer experience.
"You're almost overwhelmed," says Berger. "But then you realize how this works, and I took them off to watch the actors on two monitors. One main monitor showed the field of vision looking ahead, and one showed the entire (180-degree) frame. to make sure there were no problems."
Is 'Submerged' a good movie on Apple Vision Pro?
"Submerged" pulls viewers into the action with a satisfying short story that feels like an adrenaline-filled jump forward in storytelling. The movie, shot in a vivid steel-hulled World War II vessel, showcases the existing power and mind-boggling potential of moviemaking on the Apple Vision Pro.
"This is part of the future of filmmaking. It broadens the horizon; another tool in the belt to tell stories," says Berger. "Not every story needs to be told like this. But if there are immersive stories to take you and drop you right inside the action ― or tension or horror ― this is the right medium. I can't wait for other filmmakers to push the boundaries."