Since the iPhone 3GS came out with video recording features, a small subset of people have been pushing the limits of what is the accepted norm and using the device in actual production work. When the 3GS came out, Alex Lindsay put out a humorous video in which he attached the phone to a full Redrock Micro shouldermount stabilization rig. We all had a good laugh, and then suddenly Zacuto and others started making professional grade accessories for the device. There are handheld rigs with wide lenses, and even an iPhone stabilizer in the works. For the most part, iPhone video seems to be limited to quick and dirty video blogging, and the occasional music video. But by far the most professional use to date has to be the following spot courtesy of the geniuses at The Mill…

They built a custom iPhone rig with 3D trackers, and used three witness cameras to capture the handheld movement of the camera as it shot the performance (which was to be dressed up with quite a bit of CGI work). The resulting advert is a meld of high-tech compositing and low-tech iPhone video, complete with rolling shutter goodness and shaky handheld work. Watch below.

In this video, The Mill breaks down the visual effects used on the spot:

And here’s the finished piece: