American Idol will film the rest of its season remotely using iPhones, according to Deadline.
The show’s runner Trish Kinane has confirmed the production team have decided to make the switch to iPhones and wrap up the rest of the season from home, rather than canning the season or postponing filming due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
Each judge and contestant has been sent an iPhone 11 so they can film from home, as well as new lighting equipment and wardrobe to help them style themselves for performances.
Speaking of the new iPhones, Kinane said that the iPhone 11 was “amazing” and expected to see them being used in studios around the world in the future.
She added: “These are kids who are really used to iPhone technology, they are really familiar with it and use it every day.
“In the end, we decided rather than send them some complicated camera that you really need a camera operator to use, we would go with the technology that they’re familiar with.
“These top of the range iPhones are amazing. It wouldn’t surprise me if we were using iPhones in the studio in the future.”
ABC is working “hand-in-hand” with Apple to ensure filming can continue from home.
In the coming weeks, ABC will air four more episodes of American Idol, where finalists will be hand-picked by judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Ryan Seacrest, and Lionel Richie. None of the episodes are expected to air live due to logistical issues with working from home.
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