How ’28 Years Later’ Used iPhones to Revolutionize Filmmaking

In the making of ’28 Years Later,’ director Danny Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle decided to use iPhones for the film’s cinematography. This innovative approach mirrors the creative risk they took with the 2002 original, ’28 Days Later,’ which was shot on a consumer DV camera. Despite having a $75 million budget, Boyle wanted to replicate the raw, visceral energy of the first film by using the iPhone’s accessible technology. Boyle was inspired by a recent screening of ’28 Days Later,’ where he noticed how well the grainy, low-tech footage still resonated with audiences. The iPhone allowed them to get closer to the action, capturing intimate and immersive shots that traditional cameras couldn’t match. Mantle, a skilled cinematographer, was initially skeptical but soon saw the potential in the iPhone’s compact form, which allowed them to film in ways that traditional cameras couldn’t. While they used iPhones for most of the film, some shots, like drone footage and infrared zombie scenes, were captured with different equipment. The use of iPhones on a $60 million film raised eyebrows in Hollywood, but the unique approach paid off, offering both technical innovation and creative risk-taking.