Most of the shots were filmed using a hand-held Arriflex, with a gyroscope to provide stability. This was cinematographer Jost Vacano's design, a reinvention of the Steadicam on a smaller scale, to enable the camera to be carried throughout the interior of the mock-up. Vacano outfitted himself with full-body padding, to minimize injury as he ran the length of the boat and as the mock-up was rocked and shaken. The handheld-camera technique was effective in conveying the claustrophobic atmosphere of the boat; in addition, by showing the audience only what the crew would see, and relying on sounds to convey action outside the boat, Petersen was able to heighten audience suspense.
Because of the noise made by this camera, sound could not be recorded during filming, but had to be added later in the studio.