Slumdog Millionaire - The Camera

Danny Boyle's vindaloo is my pick for Best Movie of 2008.

In addition to the romantic sweep of the story and the incredible kinetic energy of the film, Slumdog breaks new ground technically as well. According to press reports, only 20 percent of the film was shot on conventional celluloid. The rest is done with two kinds of digital cameras. One of these cameras was so unobtrusive the filmmakers apparently could film on location without being detected. I haven't yet seen a photograph of the Slumdog rig in action, but apparently the operator carried a small device in his hands (essentially a handheld lens with a small stability system) with the drive and battery concealed in a backpack. This prototype was used to capture street scenes. For example, the two young slumdog brothers onscreen were not the only ones working illegally inside the Taj Mahal. If the press about the movie is to be believed, Boyle’s guerrilla crew was forbidden to film there.

Here's an interview with Boyle (recorded as the film premiered at Telluride) about how the film was made.