Some folks are up in arms about 28 Years Later being filmed with an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max; calling it a gimmick to sell iPhones. Well, I don’t know about that.
Danny Boyle has a history of trying strange things for emotional effect with his films, such as using the standard definition Canon XL-1 body to film the original 28 Days Later back in 2002. His regular director of photography, Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF, BSC, ASC, is a pioneer in digital cinematography.
Using the XL-1 for 95% of the original film was a creative choice by Boyle and Dod Mantle. The intention was the “ugliness” of the video would give the film a docu/reality tone that would be hard to describe, yet have a visceral quality that would make the audience feel like it was real. A sort of broadcast quality without doing The Blair Witch. Still cinematic with proper lenses and lighting etc, but “off” just enough that it felt real. Then, in the end, when there was hope, lush Kodak 35mm film was used in stark contrast to the smeary video.
I’m sure this sequel will be no different in terms of style: use an off-the-shelf body that will naturally deliver an image that most people will immediately identify with and recognize, but use proper rigging so professional operators and crew can use practically and efficiently on set. This is surely a stylistic choice made deliberatley by the filmmakers for achieving immediate gutral reactions by the audience who will likely read the imagery as “real.” It’s a magic trick; part of the art of cinema.
Surely it’s as much of a “gimmick” as using the XL-1 for the original, in that it was used to help scare the audience. I’m fine with it.
I’m sure there will be many droves of social media influencers and YouTube “experts” who will liken this to the Sony FX3 phenomenon that followed The Creator. “Yeah, bro, you can shoot a whole movie with your iPhone Fifteeeeeen, bro!” without taking into realistic consideration the budget, professional talent, and time, going on behind the camera body to make the 2023 Gareth Edwards film, and now 28 Years Later, look like proper movies despite the off-the-shelf-ness of the camera. I’ve already seen enthusiasts break down the set photos, mesmerized by the tens-of-thousands-of-dollars in proper cinema equipment bolted onto the little smart phone. It’s the biggest movie ever shot with a smart phone! Oh, ok. How’s the story?
These influencers don’t seem to understand that the camera itself is one of the least-important decisions that needs to be made outside of special photography. It’s easy to pick an Arri Alexa LF because it’s a good camera, it works, and the images are nice. Fine. What lenses? What lights? What wardobe? What art design? What makeup? We haven’t even discussed the script yet. There’s so many other things going on. The geeks always get all tied up on the one thing and then balk when their videos don’t look as good. Their FX3 must be broken. Time to buy an iPhone 15 Pro Max, bro!
