How Wicked's Director Uses Apple Vision Pro to Create Movie Magic

Discover how director Jon M. Chu leveraged the power of Apple's spatial computing technology, the Vision Pro, to enhance the production of the highly anticipated musical film "Wicked."

Nine months before the release of the Wicked blockbuster, director Jon M. Chu added a groundbreaking new tool to his creative arsenal: the Apple Vision Pro. "When Apple Vision Pro was announced, I knew I was going to be the first one to get it," Chu explains. "What I loved about being first on the block with Vision Pro was discovering what ways it could really help us."

Jon M. Chu Talks About the Impact of Apple Vision Pro on Wicked

Revolutionizing the Filmmaking Process with Apple Vision Pro

Chu's use of the Apple Vision Pro's spatial computing capabilities transformed his editing workflow and collaboration with teams across the globe. "I could have a screen that was bigger than the one we had in the screening room, and I could be talking to all the people on all the different continents"—all while Chu worked with "my five kids running around." The director continues, "Sometimes you get locked in because of the constriction of physical things—of a physical monitor, of physical light. With Vision Pro, that physical world went away, even though it still felt physical."

Chu's Essential Apple Vision Pro Apps for Movie-Making

Freeform
"Usually I put a script on a giant board with sticky notes all over it to figure out what emotion I want in every scene," says Chu, but Freeform on Vision Pro shifted his approach. "I shared a Freeform board and made it like a giant wall that I could write on with my finger; it was an endless whiteboard of creativity."

Polycam
Polycam on Vision Pro enabled Chu to experiment with a 3D model of the heroine Elphaba that he'd scanned with the iPhone app. "I used a couch as the castle and slid Elphaba around to see what moves I wanted her to make, so I could communicate that to our visual tech department."

Evercast
When it came to implementing changes to the film ahead of its release, Chu and his team relied on Evercast to edit, review special effects, and listen to the score. "I would watch the playback and I could draw on the screen itself through Evercast. You can actually use a pen—I used my finger—and draw like 'Hey, this ear looks weird on the goat' or 'This flying monkey's wing feels weird to me.'"

ClearView Flex
The secure streamer ClearView Flex was Chu's go-to player for reviewing footage and audio on Vision Pro. "We could use ClearView Flex to hear the orchestra in surround sound—as if I was there watching them—and hear how our movie was being scored."

For Chu, this is only the beginning of all the creativity that the Apple Vision Pro can unleash. "I really don't know what the possibilities are yet. This is a new way to play."

Experience Wicked in a New Dimension with Apple Vision Pro

Wicked is now available to watch on the Apple TV app. And with the Apple Vision Pro, you can experience the musical in 3D to see it in a new dimension.