28 Years Later is about the rage virus outbreak, where survivors live in quarantined communities. When one survivor explores the mainland, he discovers new mutations of the virus among both the infected and other survivors.
A creative mix of Beastcage for iPhone 15 Pro combined with DOF Adapter MK3 (custom retrofitted for PL mount), Beastrail Support, and paired with an Atlas 72mm Mercury Series, showcasing a blend of smartphone flexibility and cinema-quality optics.
Beastgrip Anamorphic Lens
20-iPhone camera rig was used to film 28 Years Later. It gives you 180 degrees of vision of an action. The 20 iPhones on the custom-made rig appear to be equipped with Beastgrip anamorphic lenses, identifiable by their shape and the widescreen aspect ratio visible in the Blackmagic app preview.
Anthony Dod Mantle used an anamorphic front lens with smartphones to provide a spectacular spread of imaging for cinema. These lenses can be equipped with filters, matte boxes, stabilisation, and focus control. They offer necessary control for diverse shots. This setup is useful when dealing with fluctuating light conditions.
They definitely used a DOF adapter, maybe a high-end anamorphic lens, and for sure recorded in ProRes. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is mounted in a metal cage and fitted with a DSLR lens using an adapter. When using the DOF adapter, a big focus vignette can occur, which was not observed in the footage from the Danny Boyle movie or a previous Beastgrip short film. It’s speculated that this might be due to the PL mount adaptation, or that the filmmakers pushed past it in post-production by shooting wider and cropping. When shooting with anamorphic lenses, the DOF adapter is not used. Anamorphic lenses were used for effect shots on the rig, while the DOF adapter was used with traditional camera setups on tripods.
Atlas Mercury Lens
The film also utilized the Beastgrip DOF adapter MK3, retrofitted for a PL mount, paired with Atlas 72mm Mercury series anamorphic lenses. The Atlas Mercury Series lens was paired with an iPhone 15 Pro Max. These Mercury lenses are known for their cinematic visuals, exceptional bokeh, and organic flares. They enhance storytelling by adding depth and texture, giving smartphone setups the power to evoke big-screen experience.
28 Years Later was shot on Panasonic AU-EVA1 camera paired with this anamorphic lens. These lenses feature a golden lens flare. They are manufactured for close-focus situations, featuring minimal chromatic aberration. So, they are suitable for all kinds of demanding scenarios. They deliver sharp and clear imagery, also enhance he natural beauty of various skin tones.
This is a compact and lightweight anamorphic lens. It creates vintage-style golden flares and stunning barrel distortion with minimal chromatic aberration. These lenses create a beautifully gritty and distorted look that aligns with the film’s thematic elements. The choice of these lenses, combined with the iPhone, was purely for stylistic reasons, aiming for an uncomfortable and distressed image that ties into the movie’s themes. The wide scanning image created by these lenses was intended to make nature look extraordinary in the film, as it has been left alone for a long time.
Custom lenses were likely used to achieve specific focal lengths and shots. Smaller cameras and lenses, like those on an iPhone, offer liberation in terms of accessibility, allowing shots in tight spaces where larger, conventional lenses cannot fit. Incredibly small form factor makes it especially useful for getting into some tight spaces and finding really interesting angles.
The iPhone camera and lens adapters were used to achieve a wide aspect ratio (2.76:1). The crew utilized an impressive 2.76:1 widescreen aspect ratio, an unusual choice typically reserved for epic formats like IMAX or Ultra Panavision 70mm, to deliver an immersive feel to audiences. Twenty iPhone Pro Max with custom adapters, the intention is to capture a wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio (ultra-widescreen).