Cinematography technique · used in 3 films
Shooting on digital cameras or even smartphones instead of film stock. Small, light cameras let the crew work fast and go places large ones cannot, giving a plain, immediate image.
Examples
Michael Mann · 2004
Mann shot much of the film on a Viper high definition camera, one of the first used in a major film. The camera sees well in low light, so the city glows in the dark with little added lighting. The nightclub scene was shot on 35 mm film.
Where to see it: The coyote crossing. Late at night a coyote trots across an empty street in front of the cab, and Max and Vincent both watch it.
Sidney Lumet · 2007
Lumet shot the film on a digital camera system, the Panavision Genesis, after trying digital video on an earlier TV series. He said he found shooting on film a hassle. The picture has a plain, close look that suits a story about ordinary people in over their heads.
Where to see it: The robbery at the strip mall store. The scene is shot in the same plain, direct style as the quiet family scenes around it.
Danny Boyle · 2025
Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shot much of the film on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, along with action cameras and drones. A custom rig with several iPhones was used for bullet-time shots, where the camera seems to circle a frozen moment. The small cameras let the action feel close.
Where to see it: The hunt on the mainland. Jamie takes his son across the causeway, and Spike makes his first kill.
Questions