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Filmmakers utilized 20 iPhone 15 Pro Max devices simultaneously to shoot Cillian Murphy’s upcoming film ’28 Years Later’, making it the first major blockbuster to be largely filmed using iPhone cameras.
Phone cameras are getting better, and their compact size makes them ideal for video graphing. We have seen major content creators shifting to iPhone cameras because of their convenience and compatibility. Finally, iPhones entered the film industry with British horror films, 28 Years later, mainly shot on iPhone cameras. It’s the sequel to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), set in the post-apocalyptic era in the United Kingdom. The production, with a budget of $75 million, utilized custom rigs, aluminium cages, and lens attachments alongside the iPhones.
Shot in the previous summer, the production used iPhone 15 Pro Max as their base camera while getting supportive assistance from Apple itself. For specific sequences, up to 20 iPhones were used at once to achieve a “bullet time” effect, providing a 180-degree view of the action. This choice of shooting on iPhones is a nod to the original “28 Days Later” (2002) film, which was shot in 480p standard definition using a lesser-grade camcorder, honouring its distinctive aesthetic.
The Oscar-winning cinematographer of the original movie, Anthony Dod Mantle, said:
“I never say this, but there is an incredible shot in the second half [of the film] where we use the 20-rig camera, and you’ll know it when you see it. … It’s quite graphic, but it’s a wonderful shot that uses that technique, and startlingly, that kind of kicks you into a new world rather than thinking you’ve seen it before.”
