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2024 is a 60-minute action thriller made by Vikramaditya Motwane’s Andolan Production. Starring Muskkaan Jasferi and Mayur More in the lead roles, 2024 premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on November 24. The film has entirely been shot using the OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone. In an interview with Livemint, Motwane and spokesperson from global technology brand OnePlus, spoke about this partnership and experiment in filmmaking on mobile camera technology. Edited excerpts:
2024 is a unique film which has been shot on a smartphone camera, instead of the paraphernalia of a professional shooting set-up. How was the experience for you as a filmmaker?
Vikramaditya Motwane: Through the years, I've had the opportunity to work with several wonderful people in the industry and hone my craft. My favourite part about being a filmmaker is experimenting with different styles. In my experience, it is important to approach each film with a fresh perspective and make it as true to the story as possible.
As we were creating ‘2024’, I realised that a creative mind is more important than expensive technical equipment to create an engaging story. Using the OnePlus 9 Pro offered me a refreshing lens on filmmaking and allowed me to experiment with mobile camera technology. OnePlus 9 Pro’s cameras along with Hasselblad technology worked as a perfect combination to bring the story to life. The cameras contributed greatly to preserving the essence and character of the story as they produced beautiful frames in every lighting condition.
A partnership with a filmmaker is an unusual one for OnePlus, a market leader in smartphones in India. What led the brand to partner with Vikramaditya Motwane for this endeavour?
OnePlus Spokesperson: As a brand, we are recognised for constantly innovating to bring best-in-class technology and unique experiences to our user community. In line with our approach to ‘Never Settle,’ we found Vikram’s work to also perfectly align with our zeal to constantly challenge the industry norms and wholeheartedly explore new creative perspectives.
We at OnePlus, truly admire Vikram for his cinematic excellence and creative vision. The collaboration with Vikram therefore proved to be a natural choice in our attempt to shoot a film using the OnePlus 9 Pro.
We are curious to know about the filming itself. Can you enlist some of the highlights from the shoot process while using the OnePlus 9 Pro? Any interesting anecdotes from the filmmaking process with us that you can recall?
Vikramaditya Motwane: Shooting entirely on the OnePlus 9 Pro was a really interesting and fun experience for our team involved. What really stood out for us was how easy and less stressful it is to shoot with the device’s robust camera setup that allowed us to capture authentic images and sequences.
While shooting with the OnePlus device, we were able to incorporate unique perspectives and could easily capture the shots in every necessary angle that we wanted to explore. The advanced camera features of the smartphone also helped us gain great quality results even in low light conditions.
Can you tell us a little more about the features of the OnePlus 9 Pro that made this happen, with a focus on the camera?
OnePlus Spokesperson: The OnePlus 9 Pro serves as a powerhouse in terms of performance, as well as camera capabilities through the superior 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 on the OnePlus 9 Pro made it possible for us to shoot in hyper-realistic 8K 30fps, giving us detailed sequences. In addition, it allowed us to shoot videos at 4K 120fps, giving us the ability to capture videos combined with motion smoothening for a professional outcome. Along with other key features including the DOL-HDR feature and the ultra-wide camera, Nightscape Video 2.0 was also leveraged to capture high-quality videos in varying lighting conditions.
With 64x richer colour information, in-built image stabilisation and wide-ranging fields of view, the OnePlus 9 Pro effortlessly delivered true-to-life colours, keen detail and high dynamic range to bring this feature film to life for our audiences.
Let’s shift the spotlight to 2024. Where did you get the creative inspiration for this compelling storyline?
Vikramaditya Motwane: Wanting to embark on a unique challenge with this project, we had the opportunity to imagine, collaborate, and create something interesting through 2024 that still resonates with where we are today.
While the film is set in a muted Covid pandemic scenario in 2024, the essence of the plot remains immensely relevant in capturing the diverse range of emotions and experiences through the face of adversities. In 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 constantly motivated us to adopt new, refreshing perspectives to execute our storyline and we are excited for the audience to experience the film soon.
How do you see this film initiative benefiting the creative community of thousands of OnePlus users, who hold the power of this technology in their hands?
OnePlus Spokesperson: OnePlus’ cameras are robust, versatile, and user-friendly, making it easy for people with even little to no photography or videography experience to effortlessly shoot daily images or achieve more professional outcomes with just some basic guidance from an expert. Over time, OnePlus’ devices have been crafted to serve as ‘enablers’ for each individual to document their journey seamlessly.
The ease of using the OnePlus camera and the quality output derived without any additional hardware used in the process, make OnePlus devices ideal for shooting professional-level videos and we hope that the first Indian “Shot on OnePlus" film will inspire our community to explore their creative pursuits, and constantly push the envelope to scale new heights.
In your filmmaking journey that spans over a decade, you have been 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 illustrious hat?
Vikramaditya Motwane: My journey in the movie industry has been exciting to say the least. I have had the opportunity to work with several wonderful people in the industry and sharpen my craft along the way.
As a filmmaker and a producer, I love experimenting with various styles. I have learned that it is important to approach each film with a new lens in order to do complete justice to the story.
While working on 2024, I realised that art can be expressed in a myriad of ways. And what you require, to create an engaging story, is a creative mind. Working with the OnePlus 9 Pro provided me and our talented crew, a new and refreshing perspective on filmmaking.
It allowed us to experiment with mobile camera technology. OnePlus 9 Pro’s cameras along with Hasselblad technology proved to be a great canvas to bring the storyline to life. The cameras did a great job of producing beautiful frames in every lighting condition and played an important role 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 an all-new level with a full commercial film being filmed on a smartphone camera. What drove the brand to initiate such a campaign?
OnePlus Spokesperson: As a brand, OnePlus has often been recognised for constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries to bring best-in-class technology and unique experiences for its community. As part of our Shot on OnePlus efforts, we had earlier created the United by Hope documentary to narrate the daily life experiences of individuals from different walks of life in the pandemic. Upon witnessing success with this SOOP documentary, we decided to take this a step further and explore the making of a full-length feature film.
2024 is 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 the project to serve as an inspiration for our community and all the budding filmmakers to push their own 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 in the future to be created on the same format? Where do you see the future of filmmaking over the next few years?
Vikramaditya Motwane: Cinema is a creator’s medium and filmmakers today have the opportunity of making the most out of the evolving technology to tell their stories through a newer approach. The advancements in mobile camera technology have made it possible for users to produce high quality videos with the help of smartphones. The ease of use with smartphones due to its portability and virtual invisibility makes them ideal for filming on the fly. Because everyone has one, it’s much easier to film anywhere, be it on the street or in a local cafe. Smartphones have definitely opened up choices for aspiring filmmakers to experiment with tools to bring their stories to life.
