Filmmakers Reveal How They Made a Rad Ski Movie With Only an iPhone

In the past week, Teton Gravity Research put out Valhalla Transmissions, a short ski edit that, at first brush, looked like the production company’s bread and butter. It saw pros Kai Jones and Sammy Carlson throwing down, hucking flips and spins as they cut through fresh snow in the backcountry. 

But this wasn’t quite your usual movie. TGR shot the entire thing on an iPhone 17 Pro, which was released last September. And the novel idea (the creators of 28 Years Later should get credit for filming much of their feature-length movie on an iPhone back in 2024) produced great results. Valhalla Transmissions has top-notch skiing and plenty of slow-motion—both things skiers expect from TGR.

It was clear, though, that making the edit wasn’t quite as simple as pointing an iPhone at Carlson and Jones. The TGR crew had to rely on their filmmaking chops, too, as evidenced by a new behind-the-scenes video which, in some ways, is even more interesting than Valhalla Transmissions itself.

See it below.

First off, you have Todd Jones, TGR’s co-founder, in the director’s seat. One of skiing’s most seasoned filmmakers, he’s been filming athletes for decades. A keen eye goes a long way, regardless of what equipment you’re using.

That’s not to say Valhalla Transmissions didn’t involve additional equipment, though. From the looks of it, the iPhone spent time attached to a drone, stood atop a tripod, and behind a hulking cinema lens. They didn’t—like most of us do—pull it out of their pockets and hope for the best. 

Still, it’s impressive what the iPhone could pull off.

“These things are pretty powerful,” noted Jones in the video. “They shoot ProRes Raw, which is the same file that all the big cameras shoot.”

While the iPhone 17 Pro may not replace dedicated videography cameras, the whole test showcases an ongoing shift in ski movie-making. In a relatively short period of time, camera options have gone from huge to sizable to surprisingly small. Higher-end GoPros—the tiny action sports cameras—are even viable in many contexts and can produce stunning results. Just look at HOTLAPS.

“We’re working in the mountains, we’re always trying to make our rigs smaller and more compact,” said Jones. 

That development is good news for the pros. For more casual skiers, though, it’s pretty neat, too. If you told someone thirty years ago that their phone could access the internet and shoot a quality ski move in skilled hands, they probably wouldn’t have believed you. 

Related: A Magic Carpet Journey To Remember—Skiing With My Young Kids for the First Time