'28 Years Later' used 20 iPhones in tandem for some wild shots

It's no secret that 28 Years Later used iPhones to shoot parts of the film. Now its director, Danny Boyle, has discussed the use of iPhones for the film in more detail with IGN. The first film in the franchise, 28 Days Later, was shot on digital video, giving it a homemade feel. Boyle explained that he and writer Alex Garland got the idea from the fact that home video cameras were common at the time, and people would've shot videos with them if an apocalypse had indeed happened. Those cameras, of course, have since been replaced by smartphones.

The movies used three special rigs for the iPhone sequences: One for eight cameras that one person can carry, another with 10 and another with 20. "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," Boyle told IGN. He described the 20-iPhone rig as "basically a poor man’s bullet time," which is a visual effect that uses multiple cameras to freeze or slow down time. Think the scene in The Matrix, wherein Neo dodged bullets in super slow motion. 

Doyle said that the 20-camera rig can be attached to cranes or dollies and give you 180 degrees of vision of an action. In editing, you can choose from any of the footage each iPhone takes to, say, move between perspectives or jump forward and backward. For 28 Years Later, the team used the rig for violent scenes to emphasize their effect. "For a moment the audience is inside the scene, the action, rather than classically observing a picture," Doyle explained.

In addition to the iPhones, the filmmakers also used drones, cameras attached to actors and even farm animals to achieve an immersive feel for its 2.76:1 widescreen aspect ratio. They decided on the aspect ratio to create a sense of unease, since you'd have to keep scanning the screen to see potential threats coming from the sides. 

28 years Later
Sony

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/28-years-later-used-20-iphones-in-tandem-for-some-wild-shots-130043338.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/28-years-later-used-20-iphones-in-tandem-for-some-wild-shots-130043338.html?src=rss
Created 2mo | May 31, 2025, 2:20:19 PM


Login to add comment

Other posts in this group

Rod Fergusson leaves Blizzard after five years leading Diablo

Rod Fergusson, the general manager of the Diablo franchise for the last five years, is leaving Blizzard. Fergusson announced the move on social media, but didn't say where he's going next. Before

Aug 10, 2025, 6:50:18 PM | Engadget
An updated Siri that interacts with apps reportedly won't be here until next spring

A Siri that does way more than just setting a timer or writing down a reminder may still be nearly a year away. According to

Aug 10, 2025, 6:50:17 PM | Engadget
Ubisoft may have prematurely revealed FX's TV adaptation of Far Cry

A post on Ubisoft's news page reportedly announced that FX is working on a TV show adaptation of the

Aug 10, 2025, 4:40:04 PM | Engadget
The Space Invaders movie is apparently still happening

It's been a few years since we last heard anything about

Aug 9, 2025, 10:10:12 PM | Engadget
DJI repurposed its drones' obstacle detection tech for robot vacuums

DJI's obstacle avoidance system could be just as useful on land as it is in the air. DJI, known for its dominance in the

Aug 9, 2025, 7:40:14 PM | Engadget
Apple's MacBook Air M4 is on sale for up to 20 percent off

Whether you need a new MacBook for the upcoming semester or you've just be

Aug 9, 2025, 5:30:25 PM | Engadget
OpenAI brings GPT-4o after users melt down over the new model

Following the rollout of OpenAI's latest

Aug 9, 2025, 5:30:23 PM | Engadget