The film was shot with 20 iPhones at the same time.

The scene used a rig with 20 iPhone 15 Pro Max. Photo: Sony .

Sony has revealed details about the unique iPhone rig used to film the post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Years Later. With a budget of up to 75 million USD , the work of director Danny Boyle promises to become the first blockbuster film to be shot entirely on iPhone, opening a new era for the film industry.

28 Years Later is the sequel to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), and is set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse in the United Kingdom.

Filming began in the summer of 2024, using an iPhone 15 Pro Max as the primary camera, along with additional equipment like a custom mount, aluminum cage, and interchangeable lenses. The 28 Years Later crew even received direct technical support from Apple.

In an interview with IGN , director Boyle revealed that although most of the film was shot on iPhone, the crew still worked with the 2.76:1 aspect ratio - which is usually reserved for high-end formats like IMAX or Ultra Panavision 70mm. Notably, some scenes used up to 20 iPhones at the same time.

28 Years Later is expected to be the first blockbuster film shot on an iPhone. Photo: Sony.

"This technique allows us to get a 180-degree view for an action scene.

During the editing process, we have the freedom to choose any camera angle, from traditional camera angles to moving around the subject or even fast/slow motion for added effect. Especially with a horror film, we applied this technique to violent scenes to create a strong feeling for the viewer," Mr. Boyle explained.

The original 28 Days Later was shot primarily in standard 480p resolution using the “Canon XL-1,” a consumer camcorder that recorded to MiniDV tape. This decision was partly due to the need to shoot complex scenes in a short amount of time, and the use of bulky traditional video cameras would have been too time-consuming and would have slowed down production.

The unique aesthetic of shooting with consumer cameras became an iconic part of the original film, so the use of iPhones in the latest installment is seen as a tribute to the original work. Notably, Anthony Dod Mantle, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of 28 Days Later , also returned to work with Boyle.

“I never said this, but there’s a particular shot in the second half of the movie where we used a 20-camera system, and you’ll know it when you see it. It’s quite violent, but it’s a great shot using this unique technique,” Mantle shared.

While some smaller-scale films like Sean Baker's Tangerine (2015) and Steven Soderbergh's Unsane (2018) have been shot on iPhones, these were limited releases and had significantly lower budgets than Boyle's new project.

28 Years Later is expected to be the first part of a new trilogy written by Alex Garland. The original film's breakout star, Cillian Murphy, is also expected to return. The film is scheduled for release on June 20.

Source: https://znews.vn/film-filmed-with-20-iphones-at-the-same-times-post1557324.html