A notable illustration of just how influential mobile phones and Apple products have become in the production of video can be found on Fox Weather’s free ad-supported streaming television service, which launched a new segment series on July 13th entitled "Cruisin’ Across America".
Hosted by correspondent Robert Ray, the series takes viewers from coast-to-coast spotlighting areas that have been impacted by major weather events while spotlighting the local culture, food and communities.
Ray tells TV Tech that he produces all of his hits for Fox Weather (and this trip will be no exception) completely on his iPhone 14 Max Pro. He then edits them with Final Cut Pro, which is obviously another Apple product.
“These days, I do my visual storytelling using the iPhone14 Pro Max because the video and photo tools are beyond high quality for anything from live shots to full five-minute beauty pieces in national parks,” Ray explained in an email as he hit the road for the new series that will run from July 13 to 20. “The size and speed of the iPhone is just next level for the solo correspondent. I can’t tell you how many times during breaking news I was able to get into places with ease and get “the shots” because of how nimble and high quality the iPhone imagery is. Not to mention, people being interviewed appreciate the “no fuss scenario” and not being intimidated by a large crew.”
“There are many storytelling tools on the market, I’ve put the iPhone to the test thousands of times and it doesn’t fail,” he said, adding this tip to prospective iPhone creators: “Try the cinema mode when shooting video to separate your images from the rest, it’s amazing”
Kicking off in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday, July 13th, Ray will be driving the Fox Weather Beast, a Ford F-250 used for storm chasing that is equipped with satellite gear that allows reporters to go live from anywhere regardless of conditions on the ground.
Additionally, he’ll be making stops in New Orleans, Louisiana, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, Tucson and Tombstone, Arizona, before concluding his trip in Twentynine Palms, Cabazon and finally, Santa Monica, California on July 20th. He will visit a number of revered spots including Café du Monde, the San Antonio Riverwalk, Saguaro National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
Ray is an Atlanta-based correspondent who has been with Fox Weather since the FAST channel launched in 2021. Last year, he traveled to 39 different states on assignment for FOX Weather. In over 20 years in the field, he has covered 43 hurricanes, the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia, the war in Iraq and much more.
