In a festive tribute to the Lunar New Year, Apple has launched its annual short film titled “Glad I Met You.” Directed by Bai Xue, this captivating piece seamlessly combines live-action and stop-motion animation to narrate an endearing tale of a girl, her talking dog, and the quest for familial connections.
Shot entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro, the film not only showcases Apple’s cutting-edge camera technology but also highlights the artistry required to merge distinct visual styles. The production faced the challenge of capturing both classic cinematography and the intricate details needed for stop-motion animation, thus creating a unified storytelling experience that blends the animated and real worlds.
Accompanying this release, Apple has also presented a behind-the-scenes video entitled “Backstage with Ke Ming.” This segment is hosted by a popular pet influencer and offers viewers a glimpse into the filmmaking process, illustrating how the crew utilized the iPhone to bring the stop-motion characters to life. The video emphasizes the careful handling of lighting and the detailed frame-by-frame animation that brought the animal figures into direct interaction with human actors.
This approach underscores Apple’s recent preference for practical effects over computer-generated imagery (CGI). Just a month prior, the company introduced another short, “A Critter Carol,” which similarly employed puppetry to enhance the visual storytelling and showcase the camera’s capabilities.
The release of “Glad I Met You” marks the beginning of Apple’s extensive campaign for the Lunar New Year. In celebration of the Year of the Horse, Apple has also launched a special edition of the AirPods Pro 3, available in select Asian markets, featuring a unique emoji engraving on the charging case.
Viewers can enjoy the short film and the making-of video, both available online.
