New Shot On iPhone Movie, ‘Big Man,’ Starring Stormzy, Debuts This Week
Michael Omari, better known as music icon Stormzy, takes on his first lead acting role in “Big Man,” a short movie directed by Academy Award Winner Aneil Karia. It was entirely shot on iPhone 16 Pro.
Stormzy in Big Man
The film is about Tenzman, a musician who’s seen better days, who has a chance encounter with two teenagers. The film is the first from Stormzy’s Merky Films.
Omari talked about it on Instagram: “This is something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a long time: a platform for bold, authentic and powerful British storytelling. A home for original and unexpected art. It’s a natural extension of everything we do at #Merky — telling our stories, shining a light on real voices and creating space for those who deserve to be seen and heard. I’m proud to share our very first official production: Big Man, produced in partnership with Apple — out on June 18th. A short film directed by the legendary Aneil Karia,” he said.
This is not the first movie shot on iPhone — I’m sure your camera roll has several masterpieces of your own — and it’s becoming an increasingly popular way to shoot.
But as an official Shot on iPhone piece, this is the first that has been made in the U.K., as well as the first lead role by Stormzy.
Directors love the way that something as small and light as an iPhone can be used, especially for dramas, where the director of photography can get up close to actors without the disorienting effect that a full-size Hollywood camera can cause.
With an iPhone, directors say they can find performances that are intensely naturalistic and simple. The director of this movie commented that “It’s much smaller than the traditional cameras… the lightness and flexibility that comes with that is boundless,” he said.
The film lasts 24 minutes and will be available to watch on YouTube from 8 p.m. U.K. time.