How does the cinematic mode of the iPhone 13 work?

What is cinematic mode?

The first thing we have to do is make it very clear to you what the cinema mode or cinematographic mode really consists of. It is, as we have already mentioned, a new video recording mode that is available on iPhones, although not in all, we will talk about this later. This what will allow all users who have it available is to apply a background blur during the video. The reality is that we can consider that what Apple has done is to apply the famous portrait mode, which users use so much to take pictures, video, although with certain differences since the operation and power required by the device to carry it out is much higher.

As we will tell you later, this cinematic mode has different customization modes, in fact, as with portrait mode, you can modify both before and after editing, the degree of blur you want to apply to the video . But beware, that is not the only thing that you will be able to modify during and after the recording process. Apple has achieved that you have the ability to modify the focus point both while recording and also later, when you start to edit the video that you have recorded on your iPhone. We will explain all this much more in detail a few lines below.

Compatible iPhone Models

Before continuing to tell you everything you need to know about the cinematographic mode, you have to take into account and know if your iPhone is compatible with this recording mode or not. As you surely know, this is one of the novelties that Apple introduced with the release of the iPhone 13, therefore, only these models have this feature available. They are as follows.

• iPhone 13 mini.
• iPhone 13.
• iPhone 13 Pro.
• iPhone 13 Pro Max.

So you can use the cinematic mode

Once you are clear about what this recording mode consists of and you also know the iPhone models compatible with this feature, it is time to get down to work and tell you in detail how you can make use of it. You are going to see that despite being a functionality that is designed and developed to make professional videos, its use is very simple and really simple, making it possible for anyone who is lucky enough to enjoy a compatible iPhone model to take advantage of it. enormous.

Steps to record in cinematic mode

We start with the steps to follow, and this process really has no mystery since it is exactly the same as what you can do if you want to access portrait mode, time-lapse, video mode, photo or any other shooting mode that you have inside from the camera app itself. However, here are the steps to follow to be able to record and use the cinematic mode.

1. Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
2. Swipe through the different shooting options until you are on “Cinematic.”
3. Choose between the front or rear camera. If you choose the rear camera, you have the option of recording in x1 or x3, that is, using the wide-angle or telephoto lens.
4. If you want to change the degree of blur, click on the letter “f” located at the top right of the screen.
5. Choose the degree of blur you want and click again on the “f” that appears in the upper right part of the screen.
6. Click on record.
7. When you’re done recording, press the same button again to end the recording. Once finished, you will have the video available in your gallery.

Change focus while recording

As we have mentioned before, the incredible thing about this cinematographic mode is not only the result that it is capable of generating and what this can mean for many users who record video with the iPhone, but also the opportunities it gives the user of able to modify and play with this focus and blur. The first option you have available is to let the iPhone itself, through its artificial intelligence, decide where it has to focus.

However, if during the recording itself you are the one who wants to make the iPhone focus on a specific person, object or point, Apple gives you the possibility to do so. To do this, all you have to do is make a light touch on the screen indicating to the device that you want the focus to focus on the point you have selected from that moment, as easy as that.

Choose the focus point after recording

The reality is that the artificial intelligence that the iPhone uses to know and decide at all times where to focus is fantastic. On top of that, Apple gives you the possibility of being yourself in charge of controlling the focus point is already a real marvel. However, at the level of options for using this cinematic mode, this does not end here, since there is a third possibility that is undoubtedly the most incredible of all.

As we have mentioned at the beginning of this post, all users who have the possibility on their iPhone to record with this cinematic mode, also have the possibility of being able to modify the focus point during the editing of said video clip. That is, you will be able to completely ignore whether the iPhone is focusing the point you want to focus since you, in post-production, will be able to choose at all times what you want to be focused and what not. This is truly a tremendous advance for all users who record video with the iPhone, since, as we have said, it eliminates that eternal worry of knowing if the approach you are taking is the right one or not.

In addition, as is usual in the products and software of the Cupertino company, this editing process is really simple to carry out. You just have to follow the steps that we are going to leave you below and you can make the focus of your video be exactly the one you want it to have.

1. Select the video in your gallery.
2. Click on “Edit”, located in the upper right part of the screen.
3. If you want to change the degree of blur, click on the letter “f” located to the left of the word “Cinematographic” at the top of the screen.
4. Scroll through the video until you reach the point where you want to change the focus.
5. Select the point where you want to focus.
6. Do this process as many times as you want until you get the result you were looking for.
7. If you want to remove a focus point, you just have to click on the point that appears below the video and then click on the trash that appears.
8. When you’re done, press “OK” at the bottom right of the screen to save your edit.

What limitations does it have?

As is usual in the first versions of a functionality of this type, everything is not perfect, and there are bugs and points that Apple obviously has to polish and improve for future versions. The first one is the maximum quality at which you can record using cinema mode, since it is limited in all devices to 1080 and 30 fsp, something that first limits all filmmakers who want to use this mode and later apply camera. slow, and second, to all content creators who upload their content in 4K and, obviously, if they want to use this recording mode and get a good result.

Another negative point of this cinematic mode is that the results are not perfect yet. Sometimes you can see how the blur of a person or a specific object does not do it correctly. An example of this is the hair of many people, who sometimes outlines it correctly, but not in others. This depends primarily on the lighting conditions in which the clip in question is recorded. Which is another of the points that you have to take into account, that in low light conditions you will not be able to use it.

Conclusions: this has been my experience

Once we have already told you everything about this mode of cinematographic recording, it is time to tell you what my personal experience with it has been, and therefore, my assessment of it. Apple has not been the first to try to bring to video what we have had on a photographic level for many years. However, it has been the first to implement it in such a way that its use can be useful and usable by users.

The cinema mode has flaws, it is evident, however, in a controlled environment and with adequate lighting the result is without any doubt wonderful and perfectly usable by, dare I say, anyone who wants to share video even in a professional way. It also has a plus for all content creators, and it is the possibility of modifying the focus once the content has been recorded, something that greatly facilitates the work of many people. Undoubtedly Apple has a lot of work to do in this new recording mode, but the truth is that starting from this base, everything that comes from now on will continue to delight all users who use their iPhone to record video.