The Making of The Apple Holiday Film - Shot on iPhone 17 Pro

[Donkees]

“For me, it was the story of how one act of kindness can bring…lots of different people together, and I think that’s a nice message,” says director Mark Molloy in the making-of video, which you can also see below.

Molloy was particularly interested in the timeless craft of puppetry and an emphasis on the handmade, not only in the making of the characters and miniature forest set but in the hands-on process of filming and operating the puppets, which involved several puppeteers working simultaneously.

“There’s a reality to how we built these creatures, but also how we brought them to life, that is imperfect,” Molloy says. These so-called imperfections, however, comprise the inventive magic that makes the goofy, anthropomorphized cast of characters so relatable.

This holiday, remember that friendship is a gift.

In this handcrafted film, a ragtag group of woodland critters discover a lost iPhone 17 Pro and use it to film themselves singing a song of friendship as a gift, before returning it to its rightful owner.