Hollywood director uses Apple Vision Pro to edit movie “I am still shook”

Rebecca Hills-Duty
Apple Vision Pro

Hollywood director Jonathan Chu resorted to using the Apple Vision Pro to edit the film version of Wicked when he found himself stuck at home thanks to flooding.

Virtual reality and mixed reality have a surprisingly long history of being useful for purposes not related to gaming, such as training or medical use. One Hollywood director has discovered another use case for the Apple Vision Pro after he was stuck at home and unable to reach the editing suite to work on his latest film.

Director Jonathan Chu, best known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians, was hard at work attempting to edit the film adaptation of the musical Wicked when Los Angeles was struck by severe flooding. With the roads leading to the editing suite blocked, Chu was stuck at home. Having recently acquired an Apple Vision Pro, he decided to try and utilize it to visit the editing suite virtually.

Vision Pro for editing Hollywood movies

Chu used the Vision Pro to work remotely with his editor, Myron Kerstein. Editing is an intensive and vital process, and directors often work closely with editors to ensure their vision of the movie is translated properly to the silver screen. By using EvercastUS, Chu was able to collaborate with Kerstien and review changes made to the movie on a virtual screen that was the same size as a real movie theatre screen, accurately replicating the experience of theater-goers.

Director Jonathan Chu with Vision Pro

The director expressed on social media how impressed he was with the Vision Pro, saying: “I need to repeat this out loud. I was in it for HOURS editing on a virtual giant screen (the size of a real movie screen) a major motion picture from the comfort of my house. With no headache. I can’t tell you what a revelation this was. This is big-stakes cutting-edge productivity work that is available to use today! I am still shook.”

The Apple Vision Pro is still early in its life cycle, so more unusual use cases could become apparent as the product develops.