Apple’s CNY film finds warmth in unexpected companionship

Apple has launched its annual Chinese New Year film titled "Glad I met you", showcasing the camera capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro through a mix of live action and stop-motion animation.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Bai Xue and created in collaboration with TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the film follows Lin Wei and a lost dog named Little White as they navigate a series of humorous and heartwarming encounters during the festive period. The story centres on companionship, illustrating the emotional impact animals can have on people’s lives.

The 12-minute film opens with Lin Wei questioning what it means to be a “non-player character” (NPC), before moving through her monotonous daily routine at work, from repetitive meals to the grind of office life. The narrative then shifts into stop-motion, where Lin Wei bristles at a colleague’s assumption that she has no plans over the Lunar New Year. While commuting to the colleague’s home to feed her pet hamster, she encounters Little White, a playful stray dog. More animals soon appear, and in another stop-motion sequence, urge Lin Wei to help the lost dog find his way home.

Don't miss: Apple’s holiday film stars a bunch of whimsical puppet critters and an iPhone 17 Pro

Reluctantly, Lin Wei agrees, and the pair embark on a small adventure through neighbourhood shops and city streets. Their journey continues at her friend’s home, where a hamster escapes, prompting Lin Wei and Little White to chase it down together. In stop-motion, Little White encourages Lin Wei to stand up for herself and stop letting others walk all over her. Overwhelmed, Lin Wei breaks down at a playground, where Little White returns with his favourite meat bun as a gesture of comfort. When she eventually brings him home, an elderly woman reveals that Little White’s family had moved away long ago, leaving him behind.

As Little White prepares to part ways, Lin Wei receives another call from her colleague asking for a favour. This time, she refuses. Calling out to Little White, the two reunite and head home together as a new family. The film closes with real-life anecdotes of people and their pets, reflecting on love, companionship and connection.

Shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro, the live-action sequences highlight features such as 8x optical-quality zoom enabled by the 48MP Telephoto camera, 48MP Ultra Wide camera, 4K 120fps slow-motion recording, Cinematic mode, Action mode and low-light performance. These were used to capture both crowded urban scenes during Chinese New Year and more intimate moments between the two characters.

The film also incorporates stop-motion animation to represent the inner voices of Lin Wei and Little White. The stop-motion segments were created using handcrafted puppets, sets and props by creative studio BUCK, and demonstrate the still photography capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro’s 48MP rear camera system.

Each character was built with custom internal armatures designed to withstand thousands of micro-movements. More than 20 unique mouth expressions per character were 3D printed, hand-painted and swapped frame-by-frame to match voice performances by well-known Chinese actors, revealing detailed textures and fabrics in the animation sequences.

Beyond the hero film, Apple has rolled out an integrated campaign encouraging users to capture their own pets during Chinese New Year. Douyin pet content creator Ke Ming, who voices one of the animated characters, hosts a behind-the-scenes interview-style vlog using Dual Capture to film both himself and the production set simultaneously.

Additional how-to videos and creator collaborations highlight features such as 8x zoom and the Center Stage front camera. The campaign runs across broadcast, digital and social platforms as part of Apple’s wider Shot on iPhone initiative.

Reflecting on the film’s emotional core, director Bai Xue said the most important moment comes when Little White runs toward Lin Wei. Using slow motion, she explained, helped extend the moment and heighten its emotional impact. Lead animal coordinator Hao Shuai added that filming with iPhone removed many of the usual challenges of working with animals. Larger equipment, he said, often distracts animals during takes, while the compact size of the iPhone made it easier to capture natural performances.

For the stop-motion segments, BUCK creative director Ege Soyuer said every element seen on screen was built by hand. He added that the tactile nature of stop-motion brought a sense of authenticity to the film, with miniature sets and characters physically moved millimetre by millimetre during production.

The latest film follows Apple’s 2025 Chinese New Year campaign, "I made a mixtape for you", which was shot entirely on iPhone 16 Pro and centred on themes of love and connection. The film followed Wei, a young man navigating intrusive questions about his dating life at a reunion dinner, before being transported into a 1990s dance club after playing a mysterious mixtape left by his father.

Created with TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai and directed by The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, the musical-style film showcased the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera and audio capabilities, including 4K recording at 120 frames per second and Audio Mix for cinematic dialogue.

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