The recent showcase of Samsung's new range of Galaxy S23 smartphones came with a surprising sprinkle of Hollywood star dust as the Apple rival revealed film director Ridley Scott's making his next movie using the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
That's right, the director behind Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator is making his latest movie on the same new smartphone you'll likely have tucked into your pocket, if you're lucky enough to have one. The new phone was revealed at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked and it looks impressive – the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features a massive 200MP camera and software that makes it ideal for night photography and use in low-light.
There's a little bit of me-too about this, as last year Apple launched its latest iPhone with a reveal that Steven Spielberg used one to shoot a music video. But there's something quite special about hiring Scott to make a movie using a smartphone, even if it's a short, particularly as he has a history for making beautifully shot movies that can look like moving works of art.
Film director Ridley Scott is making a movie using a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Image credit: Samsung)
Speaking at a pre-recorded segment during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, Scott said: "I thought it's a great challenge, a very interesting challenge. […] The scary thing is, this small object is going to take the place of all the big cameras."
Interestingly, behind-the-scenes footage of Scott making his short movie, called Behold, shows the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra being used as a true replacement for a modern film camera. It's not simply being pointed at a scene but the S23 Ultra is mounted on a steady-shot gimbal and tripods, and new lenses are attached to the smartphone too.
Along with Scott Samsung also revealed Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin is creating a short film called Faith; the director behind The Chaser, The Yellow Sea and The Wailing is known for shooting dark and sinister movies. Na Hong-jin is here to show exactly how good the S23 Ultra is with low-light video.
From Na Hong-Jin, there's 'The Yellow Sea', 'The Chaser' and the magnificent epic of a ghost story, 'The Wailing' that will keep you awake at night. pic.twitter.com/Z32jlxCpVuFebruary 11, 2020
The news of Ridley Scott and Na Hong-jin creating movies using a smartphone caught the eye of some famous filmmakers, including Drive director Edgar Wright who took the opportunity to remind people just how amazing Na Hong-jin is as a filmmaker.
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If you're inspired by these fantastic directors there's really no more excuses, you can literally own the same tools. While the footage is taken on smartphones like the new Galaxy S23 Ultra or the latest iPhone 14 you'll likely need a proper video editing setup to make the most of your footage – read our guide to the best video editing software for post-production.
If you're keen on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, see the deals below. Alternatively read our iPhone 14 Pro review to gauge Samsung's rival. You might also want to see our iPhone Pro cameras tips, too.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
