Director Kathryn Bigelow found that no existing camera system could accomplish the shots necessary for the point-of-view sequences, so the research division of Lightstorm Entertainment (the company of writer/producer James Cameron, who was Bigelow's husband at the time) spent a full year designing and fabricating a special camera for the production. Weighing only 8 pounds, the 35mm camera literally fit in the palm of the hand and featured interchangeable lenses, remote follow focus, and video assist (necessary since the camera had no viewfinder). The camera was then mounted on a SteadiCam-style portable rig, which gave the camera stability and mobility similar to the human eye.
The party scene was an actual rave; it was promoted by Phillip Blaine and it was called "Millennium"; Aphex Twin, Lady Miss Kier and Doc Martin, among others, were among the live performers.
Lenny Nero's 1997 Mercedes-Benz S500 was a prototype loaned to the production by the manufacturer.
The opening sequence of the film was shot at four separate locations, as one contiguous location could not be found. The cuts between shots were disguised by rapidly panning the camera around. Due to the pace of the scene, the sound men could not effectively record any of the actual sound on the set. All of the sound and dialogue in the sequence had to be overdubbed during post production.
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