Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by Angel Melanson
As we sat down to reflect on our favorite movies of last year, we noticed something many of them had in common. So many of these filmmakers used Blackmagic in their production. No, I’m not talking about the dark arts (though I can neither confirm nor deny their use in these movies), I’m talking about Blackmagic cameras and software. In fact, we used Blackmagic cameras and Blackmagic’s Davinci Resolve on our very own FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards in 2025. Blackmagic served us well in space, and it’s served a lot of folks very well here on earth.
From the pop-punk creature feature Ick to Final Destination: Bloodlines, the Phillipou Brothers’ Bring Her Back, and Danny Boyle’s return to 28 Years Later, the use of Blackmagic Design cameras and software is prevalent in horror movies.
When we realized this interesting tidbit, we thought it would be fun to round up some of the filmmakers using these products to get their take on why they chose it and how they use it in their own workflows. We figured that's something that could be interesting to horror movie fans who like to know the behind-the-scenes technical aspects of the shoot, and helpful to the filmmakers reading this as well. We know a lot of our FANGORIA readers aren’t just fans, you’re also creatives in your own right.
28 Years Later DP Anthony Dod Mantle famously used iPhones (a whole bunch of iPhones) and the Blackmagic Camera app to shoot the long-awaited sequel to Danny Boyle’s horror franchise. Those sweeping, epic shots… all shot on iPhones. In a video breakdown of the equipment used to achieve the final result, Boyle answers his own question, “How do you adapt the use of small cameras in order to make a feature film?” with “You need a great cinematographer.”
Academy Award-winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle told Indiewire that he worked closely with Apple and Blackmagic when planning this shoot, “Apple collaborates with Blackmagic and vice versa, so I could then get them to give me certain updates and adjustments to their app, which was essential for us because we were playing with the [shutter speed].”
Beyond creating Blackmagic cameras and a killer Blackmagic app, the company is also behind the wildly popular post-production software, Davinci Resolve. The software is essentially a post-production workhouse, encompassing editing, color, VFX, motion graphics, and audio capabilities. Bring Her Back VFX Supervisor Marty Pepper used Resolve on the Philippou Brothers’ Chainsaw Award-nominated sophomore feature. There are both free and paid versions of the software, making it a viable option for independent filmmakers to use the same software used on larger theatrical releases. An exciting prospect for anyone interested in achieving a high-quality look without the advantage of a high budget.
Shelby Oaks editor Patrick Lawrence shared, “Davinci Resolve is an everyday part of my workflow. No matter what editing platform I am using, my projects typically begin and end with Resolve – Starting with the creation of proxies/dailies (both for editing and for review) and then later, after picture lock, when I online the edit back to the source files for turnover to Color and VFX. Resolve allows me to keep an organized library of footage throughout post-production, making onlining a breeze when reconnecting proxy media to its source files. Davinci Resolve has been a mainstay in my toolset for over a decade, and has been used on all of my horror projects, including Shelby Oaks, Screamboat, Scare Me, Blood Relatives, and more.”
As for Blackmagic’s cameras, Ick cinematographer David C. Weldon Jr. is well acquainted. Weldon noted that he has “used nearly all of the BMD cameras dating back to the original 2.5K camera.” For Joseph Kahn’s horror comedy Ick, Weldon opted for the Alexa 35 in anamorphic, along with the OLPF version of the 12K Blackmagic.
“There are a few shots in the movie where we just had the camera built and ready to go, where our director Joseph Kahn really wanted to amp up the intensity of a scene by putting in various slow motion shots, but going extreme with it. In early testing against the Alexa 35, we found that even the 12K OLPF Blackmagic camera held up nicely and matched really well,” Weldon recalls. “We spent some time with test footage, cutting a few short sequences together and putting a simple color pass to them where we ultimately decided, ok yes, this can work and it never takes you out of the movie.”
Weldon also had a Blackmagic Pocket 6K in his arsenal for use in tight spaces. “We put the Wooden Camera PL modification kit on to that camera, taking out the stock EF Mount, since our lenses were all PL Mount,” he explained. “There are a handful of shots in the interior of our hero Hank's car where we needed to get physically close to his hands, feet, and other parts of the car. Having that small Pocket 6K camera body made it possible. At times, we also used PL-mounted Laowa Nanomorph lenses to make the camera even smaller. The dual native ISO of the Pocket 6K Camera came in clutch in lots of quick shots when we were running out of time, and I didn't have the time to re-light or do more than just push the lighting up to maximum power, and then I could push the ISO to compensate.”
Overall, Weldon has been thoroughly impressed with Blackmagic cameras and the quality of the latest models’ sensors. “From the perspective of shooting an indie movie, and now that we've come a little further into what is available with Blackmagic in both the 12K LF Cine, 12K Pyxis, and the 17K 65mm cameras, the possibilities are seriously endless. I've taken the 12K LF Cine on a few projects as a B camera, only to realize on every shoot that this camera really is an A camera. The sensor that Blackmagic created for these new cameras will be the future of where we are headed for camera sensors.”
Filmmaker Benjamin Brown shared that his first feature, Harbinger Down, was shot on one of the company’s early models, “The OG Blackmagic Cinema Camera 2.5K.” Brown worked with FX legend Alec Gillis on the feature and says, “The image the 2.5K made is one of the reasons I fell in love. I did a tech screening with the projectionist at the Egyptian Theater. I asked him what he thought of the footage, and he said, ‘Did you shoot on film?’ That sealed it for me. Blackmagic has always given me an image that people think was shot on film or some ridiculously priced camera. That’s what I always want to achieve. That look.”
A full decade later, Brown has delved into newer models after becoming a Blackmagic supporter, “Since Harbinger, I’ve shot on various Blackmagic cameras and used Resolve for editing and coloring. The URSA Mini 4.6K G2 has become my go-to because of its beautiful image. Find the sweet spot, and make an image that stands out. I’ve done different projects over the years and find that the flexibility of the RAW out of the Blackmagic gives me the latitude to really pull the color out of the image.”
Time is always of the essence in filmmaking, Ick’s Weldon pointed out this is especially true in independent filmmaking. “You're always looking for ways to speed up your process, and for me, that means having more camera bodies, even if we are a tight and compact camera team. We may operate like a 1-camera show, but I'll have 4-5 cameras ready to go at once.”
After using these cameras for the entirety of his career, Weldon expressed, “I'm a big believer in Blackmagic, just considering that being able to afford their products at the beginning of my career gave me a leg up on building my portfolio. The 2.5K Cinema Camera was my first big purchase, allowing me to jump in and start creating and finding my voice as a cinematographer without having to wait for cameras to become available to borrow or save up enough to rent. I shot my first real commercial project as a cinematographer on that camera, and I can still remember how surprised I was that this little toaster-sized camera could create such incredible images.”
As the technology used by larger films becomes increasingly accessible to filmmakers, even without studio budgets, we’re excited to see what the next few years will bring. We can’t wait to see what you make.
For more information on Blackmagic cameras and software, visit the official Blackmagic site.
